The Daleks (also known as The Mutants) is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast weekly from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964. This story marks the first appearance of the Daleks, who have since become cultural icons.
This story introduces a trope in Doctor Who, that of the TARDIS' navigational circuits malfunctioning. In this case, instead of bringing the TARDIS crew back to Earth, it lands in a petrified jungle, and the Doctor has to try to fix their position by taking a reading of the stars. Companions Ian Chesterton and Barbara White explore a nearby city, but are captured by the militarist Daleks. Susan Foreman meets another species, the pacifist Thals, who she and the Doctor help win a war against the Daleks.