Since the Daleks were first introduced, audiences have been intrigued by what lies inside their casings. In their very first story, they refer to the Thals as mutations. But if the Daleks consider them mutations, asks Thal leader Alydon, “What must they be like?” The challenge of how to answer that question, and depict something that wouldn’t fall foul of BBC guidelines, ‘clean up TV’ campaigners or tabloid cartoonists, has been a continuous one since 1964, with the attitudes of writers and production teams evolving over time.
When, in the very first story, The Mutants (aka The Daleks, 1963-64), Ian and the Doctor extract the mutant creature from its casing to aid in their escape, it’s deliberately concealed cealed from view, with only a single amphibious-looking claw visible on screen. A similar scene plays out in the 1965 feature film Dr. Who and the Daleks, with the addition of a comical look of disgust from Ian.