Raymond
Cusick could, in many ways, be credited with the immortality of
Doctor Who as much as Verity Lambert, William Hartnell, the concept
of regeneration, or the overall story of the show.
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| An early Dalek design by Cusick |
In
1963, set-designer Cusick received an incredible script by writer
Terry Nation, featuring a race of creatures driven by pure hatred.
The script featured only the most basic of descriptions for these
monsters (eyes on stalks, round base, arms with claws), and Raymond
Cusick went away and came up with one of the most unique and exciting
designs in the whole of science fiction history. The Daleks were
born.
Their debut story started in 1963 and ran for seven weeks, reeling in
the viewers and terrifying a whole nation. After the Daleks' first
adventure was broadcast, audiences were already demanding a rematch
with the Doctor. People were no longer just passively watching the
series, they were actively getting involved, campaigning and making
requests to the BBC, such was the popularity of these metal meanies.
Thanks to the Daleks, Doctor Who was now an institution!
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| An image from 'The Sun' (2004) |
Fifty years on, the main design of the Daleks is still instantly
recognisable worldwide. Back in 2004, when Doctor Who was on the way
to making a big comeback, and the whole 'will the Daleks be making an
appearance or not?' saga was settled, 'The Sun' newspaper printed a
picture of the new-look Daleks. I was flabbergasted, in the best
possible way. I couldn't believe how close the BBC had stuck to the
original Dalek design. I was expecting some bland overhaul, but no!
The eyestalk, balls and sink plunger were all present and correct. It
was a thrilling moment, and a testament to Cusick's genius.
Of
course, the Daleks were one thing, but Cusick did a lot more for
early Doctor Who. He played a large part in designing additional
rooms in the TARDIS for 'The Edge of Destruction', and created
excellent sets for the underrated 'The Keys of Marinus' and
historical romp 'The Romans'. Not content with merely bringing the
words on a page to life, Cusick used his imagination to fill in the
gaps left by some writers (Terry Nation famously used to describe
rooms and corridors as 'white and featureless', leaving the designers
to do as they pleased!) to create exciting worlds, landscapes and
buildings. A designer in the truest sense of the word.
Although Cusick didn't get the full credit he deserved for the
creation of the Daleks (he was paid a small fee for his work, whereas
Terry Nation had all the copyright and royalties for coming up with
the idea of them for his script), he has created a legacy that will
never fade away.
Raymond Cusick passed away in his sleep on the 21st of
February, 2013, but he lived long enough to see his Daleks rise
again, made from the same blue-print as his original masterpiece 50
years ago.
Rest in peace, Raymond Cusick, 1928-2013. Without you, we wouldn't
have Doctor Who now as we know it, if at all! As Mark Gatiss wrote on
Twitter, “Daleks forever!”
