The Dalek Invasion of Earth: | ||
 | ep 1 – | Not for the first time in the programme's history, the window panels on one of the sides of the TARDIS are visibly broken and leaning inwards. Furthermore, when the bridge tumbles down, you can briefly see some of the "IT IS FORBIDDEN TO DUMP BODIES" poster through the gaps, showing that they didn't even bother to put up the back panel of the police box! (Oh and by the time we get to episode 6, the broken panels have been repaired.) |
| ep 2 – | Strangely, Ian barely reacts to the sight of the Dalek coming out of the river; only when it speaks does he say, "Doctor, that voice!" Has he forgotten what a Dalek looks like? |
| ep 2 – | The Doctor and Ian's conversation outside the Dalek saucer is riddled with problems: First, when the Doctor says "What we're seeing now is about the middle period of Dalek history" a metallic clatter can be heard as something is dropped off-stage. Then, when he says, "What is so different about the Daleks?" a female production crew member can be seen standing in the background behind the Robomen; she quickly realises she is in shot and sneaks off to the left. Finally, during the line "Therefore, they have to adapt themselves to this planet", a white-shirted man can be seen coming into frame and crouching down behind the Robomen. |
| ep 2 – | As the Daleks are moving the prisoners into the saucer, the camera does a long tracking shot around the group. Look through the open door of the Dalek saucer, and you'll see that the far walls of the saucer are missing — the background scenery of the heliport is visible out the other side! |
| ep 2 – | When the Daleks decide to give the Robotisation test to the Doctor and Ian, a Dalek voice can be heard over the beginning of the next scene in the prison cell, before being quickly cut off. |
 | ep 2 – | Listen out for the Dalek saucer commander clearing its throat before making a speech. |
| ep 2 – | A rebel group posing as prisoners, led by Baker as a Roboman, comes up to the Dalek guarding the saucer, and it says, "Wait — in which sector were the prisoners taken?" Look for the large microphone which enters the bottom-left corner of the screen and quickly withdraws, but not before being lit up by those whirling spotlights. |
| ep 2 – | As Barbara, Susan and David throw their bombs, the window frame in front of them wobbles back and forth as Barbara grabs hold of it. |
| ep 2,3 – | The Dalek saucer commander changes its colour scheme between episodes. In episode 2 only its dome and some of its skirt panels are painted black; by episode 3 it has had a new all-black paint job. |
| ep 3 – | This episode opens with a shot of Dortmun in deep thought, moving pieces around on his chessboard. Oddly enough, there appear to be only white pieces on it... |
| ep 3 – | One of the rebels throws a bomb down from the upper level of the Dalek saucer. However, the resulting explosion happens while he is still throwing the bomb, and quite a distance away from where the thing actually strikes the floor. |
| ep 3 – | Baker apparently takes the time to find the barely-conscious Doctor's coat and put it back on him before dragging him out of the saucer. |
| ep 3 – | Watch for the brief appearance of a hand on the right-hand side of the screen giving Ian his cue to shout, "Barbara! Get back, get back!" |
| ep 3 – | A Dalek somehow manages to exterminate one of the rebels in the tunnels, despite the fact that its gun is pointing nowhere near him (more towards the wall than towards the rebel). |
| ep 3 – | Craddock's Roboman helmet falls apart as Ian and Larry attack him. |
| ep 3 – | Baker tells David, "Four or five got away," and then immediately repeats the line for no good reason. |
| ep 3 – | Nice to see that pleasure boats still sail along the river Thames, even after ten years of Dalek occupation! |
| ep 3 – | In the close-up of the Dalek opposite the Houses of Parliament, the Dalek operator's head is clearly visible looking out through the grille.
[This blooper has been fixed (mostly) in the DVD release] |
| ep 3 – | In one scene, when London is supposed to be abandoned, you can clearly see a truck driving calmly by in the background.
[This blooper has been fixed in the DVD release] |
| ep 3 – | In a similar vein, when Jenny and Barbara are pushing Dortmun through the street on their way to the Transport Museum, you can see passers-by walking calmly in the street, seemingly without a care in the world. Also watch out for the pigeons on the ground while the Daleks are passing the monuments; even the pigeons don't seem to care that Earth has been invaded! |
| ep 3 – | As Ian and Larry climb out from their hiding place under the floor of the Dalek saucer, the camera stays with them. However, this means that the camera rises past the edge of the floor set, thereby totally destroying the illusion that they've been hiding in a tiny space under the floor. |
| ep 3,4 – | The dials on the front of the bomb are suddenly change the way they're facing in between shots. |
| ep 4,5 – | The Slyther radically changes its appearance between episodes 4 and 5, acquiring extra claws and a couple of big eye-stalks that weren't there when it was attacking Ashton or menacing Ian and Larry at the cliffhanger. |
| ep 4,5 – | At the end of episode 4, Ian and Larry face the Slyther with a big empty hole in the ground behind them. At the start of the next episode, a large mine bucket has conveniently appeared behind them for their escape.
[No doubt the director intended to show just the edges of the hole in episode 4 to avoid having to build the mine bucket prop a week earlier than necessary, but the camerawork shows enough of the hole to make it clear there's nothing there] |
| ep 5 – | That mine bucket that Ian and Larry ride down in is very flimsy. The upright section wobbles back and forth several times as they're getting into and out of the bucket, and also as it starts descending. |
| ep 5 – | According to Larry, his brother Phil theorised that the Daleks' reason for invading Earth is because of Earth's magnetic core, which "no other planet has". This is nonsense — planets with magnetic cores are now considered commonplace, with all the planets in our solar system possessing one, for starters. Also, as it happens, Phil is wrong — the Daleks' plan turns out to be to remove the core of the planet, so they can install a power system and "pilot it anywhere in the universe." This makes very little sense either, particularly when the Daleks propose to remove the core by simply exploding a bomb just beneath the Earth's crust. Terry Nation appears to have forgotten about (or ignored) the 2000-mile thick mantle which lies between the crust and the Earth's core. |
| ep 6 – | The lip of the mine crater appears very fragile as the Doctor and Tyler climb down it — several of the polystyrene "rocks" shift noticeably. |
| ep 6 – | While they're captive in the Dalek HQ, Jenny and Barbara have to hold their neck manacles in place themselves. Amusingly, Jenny's collar is sliding all over the place even as the script has her saying, "It's no good, Barbara. I can't move mine." |
| ep 6 – | Tyler and the Doctor see the Daleks leave their HQ in single file, with eye-stalks pointing straight ahead — all except for the last one, which has its eye-stalk pointing to its left so that it's looking straight at the Doctor as it glides past! Strangely enough, it shows no reaction, but simply turns its eye-stalk away and carries on. |
| ep 6 – | When the rebels burst into the Dalek HQ, part of the Kew Bridge set can be seen in the background. |
| ep 6 – | A prominent boom-mike shadow lingers on the wall of the TARDIS as the Doctor talks to Susan at the start of the final scene. |
| ep 6 – | As the Doctor unlocks the TARDIS door, listen for the faint sound of a Dalek screeching in the background.
[Apparently this was an audio problem which arose during duplication of the original master tape — and has been (mostly) fixed in the DVD release] |