Below left The Supreme Dalek addresses his minions from the heart of their vast vessel, the Crucible.
Below right What remains of Dalek Caan, driven demented after rescuing Davros from the Time War.
Above left Davros (Julian Bleach) dwells in the Daleks’ Vault.
Red Daleks had appeared on film, in comics and as toys, but until The Stolen Earth there hadn’t been a red Dalek in TV Doctor Who. According to Russell T Davies’ script, the Supreme Dalek is “deep metallic red” and “stays on its raised platform, its throne”. As with the debut of the black Supreme in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964), the idea seems to have been to use an ordinary drone with a different paint job.
By January 2008, the decision had been made to construct a new prop, allowing for unique features. Concept artist Peter McKinstry initially suggested turning the platform/throne into a part of this new Dalek Supreme, echoing the huge Emperor seen in The Evil of the Daleks (1967). This proved to be too expensive, so McKinstry produced a range of designs for a modified drone, with different options for a bespoke top half mounted on a conventional skirt. The brief was to look strong and supreme, but not too complicated.