With the world still on a global lockdown, Doctor Who has been spoiled rotten.

Thanks to a number of people but notably Emily Cook, we’ve started tweet-alongs/watch-alongs for lots of different Doctor Who episodes. Tomorrow (30th April 2020) will see Dalek get the same treatment. The 2005 episode, written by Rob Shearman, saw the Daleks get a re-invention for the modern era, the metal-meanies returning to the Doctor Who landscape in the modern-era.

This story comes after the legendary Time War, and yes, the Daleks could now fly upstairs (though people had forgotten that they could do in the 1988 adventure, Remembrance of the Daleks too!).

Using the hashtag #TheMetaltron, you’ll be able to join thousands of other fans taking part as well as a number of special guests including scriptwriter, Rob Shearman, showrunner Russell T Davies, Dalek voice, Nicholas Briggs, and Dalek operator Barnaby Edwards to learn some behind-the-scenes treats and anecdotes.

As with previous global re-watches, we might even be treated to some special goodies; we’ve recently had Farewell Sarah Jane, and two audio-adventures for Human Nature/Family of Blood, one of which tied the novel to the television adventure thanks to the addition of Bernice Summerfield who comes up against Daughter of Mine.

It might surprise some to know that Dalek nearly looked very different, as the BBC hadn’t initially received permission from the Terry Nation estate to use his creations. One of Shearman’s drafts didn’t feature a Dalek at all so it does seem a miracle that it was even made.

For me, Dalek is one of my earliest Doctor Who memories because I can vividly remember my parents flicking through the channels to get to BBC1 to watch The National Lottery, back when it was hosted by Dale Winton – anyone else remember that? – and I can see the Dalek blowing itself up at the end. It would still be another year before I properly got into the show, but because it is one of my earliest memories of the series, this episode is quite special for me.

Having seen it a number of times over the years, it’s no surprise that this is one of the episodes of the Christopher Eccelston run that cemented the success of the show in the 2000s. And for me, this is the first watch-along I can take part in; I’m home from work then and really looking forward to it! Even Adam doesn’t bother me to much here…

To join in the event, simply find Dalek, either on DVD or Blu-ray, streaming services like Netflix, or on BBC iPlayer and press play at 7pm (BTS) on Thursday 30th April and use the hashtag #TheMetaltron.