The longest-running science fiction television series is--it seems hard to question---the BBC "programme" Dr. Who.
Fans of the series have followed The Doctor through all ten of his incarnations thus far, and tonight a new one begins for his American fans.
Yes, tonight on Sci-Fi the Doctor returns for another season and another incarnation of the famous time-travelling timelord.
The season debuts at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, from what I have been able to tell.
MORE DETAILS.
Can Daleks be saved, or since they are not human, do they not have need of salvation?
Posted by: | September 29, 2006 at 09:23 AM
Who?
Posted by: J.R. Stoodley | September 29, 2006 at 10:24 AM
Daleks are an alien race with naturally evil souls, though of a crueler and more "borg"-ish sort than most humans.
Their mantra is "Exterminate" and "Resistance is useless!"
I would say that salvation would be more difficult for them than humans (assuming Dalek's have active and rational souls to save), considering that Daleks have no mouths.
Posted by: | September 29, 2006 at 10:27 AM
I suppose they'd have a little difficulty with the "Stairway to Heaven" as well... well, at least back in the day... apparently they've tackled the whole stairs issue since then.
Posted by: | September 29, 2006 at 10:32 AM
Yeah. They had fun with the stair thing that last season. I fell off my chair laughing.
I can hardly wait for tonight. My DVR is all set. :)
--Ann
Posted by: Ann Margaret Lewis | September 29, 2006 at 10:54 AM
The TARDIS beckons...
Posted by: | September 29, 2006 at 11:16 AM
I am unable to watch it, nor the last season. Help!
Posted by: Puzzled | September 29, 2006 at 11:46 AM
Please no more Daleks the worst Who nemisis ever created! give us better aliens BBC
Posted by: Kevin | September 29, 2006 at 02:53 PM
Exterminate EX-TER-MIN-ATE!!!!!!
Posted by: JohnH | September 29, 2006 at 03:17 PM
The Doctor should have asked the Daleks, "Can't we all ust get along?"
Posted by: bill912 | September 29, 2006 at 03:27 PM
You guys are slipping. I set you up, gave you almost 3 hours, and, still, no one has posted:
And the Daleks would have replied: "No! It is we who will eat you!"
Posted by: bill912 | September 29, 2006 at 06:15 PM
I believe this season they'll introduce the origins of another of the classic enemies of the Doctor--the Cybermen.
Where did I leave my Glitter Gun?
Posted by: Dennis_Mahon | September 29, 2006 at 06:19 PM
Back to back shows last night of the "Christmas" episode and the 1st show of the 2nd season. David Tennant seems to show a lot of versatility a la Tom Baker (#4) and Jon Pertwee (#3). Great start to the 2nd season!
And if you didn't get the "Harriet Myers, Prime Minister" lines, you have to go back and watch the "Aliens in London" episode from the previous season. Nice tie in!
Posted by: LarryD | September 30, 2006 at 05:35 AM
Daleks were genetically engineered from a human-like alien race into squishy things which live inside mechanical shells, and neuro-engineered not to have any of the softer emotions. However, it's fairly clear that they do indeed have souls.
Posted by: Maureen | September 30, 2006 at 04:43 PM
To elaborate on the Dalek soul thing -- if Daleks didn't have rational souls, then I'm not sure you could say they were naturally good or evil more than you can say that of an animal -- they'd be sort of pre-moral. On the other hand, since they are descended from the human-like Kaleds, it is likely that they do have immortal, rational souls. In that case, no matter how much extensive biological manipulation they'd undergone, those souls would still be created directly by God, and would be naturally good (though still suffering the effects of original sin passed on by their apparently fallen Kaled ancestors).
A Dalek might not have access to emotions of love or compassion, it might be programmed to believe in the total superiority of Dalek life above all else, and it might be trained to hate from its earliest development, but it would still have access to reason and natural law, and a capacity for feelings like loyalty. The end of season one (new series reckoning) also demonstrated that in extreme circumstances they are not entirely immune to religious impulses, however misdirected those ended up being in that case.
In that vein, I wonder what the life of a Dalek who did seek after God to the best of its ability (however drastically limited by its conditioning) would be like? A righteous Dalek, so to speak.
It might even be that the situation of most Daleks could constitute invincible ignorance, and the conditioning could even make it relatively difficult for a Dalek to commit an act which met the criteria for mortal sin.
Posted by: MenTaLguY | October 01, 2006 at 12:06 PM