Return of the Dalek

Note the case - singular. Only the one, but, and I quote the BBC,

As episode director Joe Ahearne explained, the Dalek confronted by the Doctor and Rose (Billie Piper) is a monster for a new generation.

"The Daleks of the 1960s and 1970s would not make the grade today," he says. "They would be seen as comical rather than frightening. We couldn't have that."

Stairs have not been a problem for Daleks since 1988, when they first levitated towards Sylvester McCoy in Remembrance of the Daleks.

The new Dalek can also spin its torso independently of his head, so creeping up from behind is no longer an option. Its trademark "sink plunger" attachment also reveals a terrifying new function.

The Mind Boggles. I'm not sure I really want to know the details there.

"We have taken all the perceived weaknesses of the Dalek and made them deadly," says Mike Tucker, the BBC model unit's miniature effects supervisor.

Though not as deadly as SWORDS, the robot (actually a remote piloted vehicle) whose predecessor, the TALON recently saw service in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fortunately, the New Improved Dalek doesn't sport any advertising stickers. Yet. PepsiCo hasn't picked up on the phrase "A Monster for a New Generation", though I expect it's only a matter of time.

Hat Tip : Tramtown