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The rare 1970’s BBC Television Prop “The Dalek Supreme” (aka The Tussaud’s Dalek) sold for a staggering £36,000 today – over 3 times its estimate to benefit The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. It was greeted with a round of applause at Bonhams jam-packed saleroom in a sale of Rock n Roll & Film Memorabilia at Knightsbridge, London. It was bought by the communications agency – Indeprod. The Dalek had fetched £4,600 when bought as a charity lot in 1986 to benefit the BBC Red Cross Sponsored Appeal.

A spokesperson at Indeprod said “We are delighted to have acquired a Dalek. We shall place it in our reception area for all to see and enjoy. We have been after a Dalek for years and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity especially as the proceeds will go to The Great Ormond Street Hospital. We are also very pleased that the Dalek will stay in the country.”

The Dalek said “I am so relieved that I have found a new home without the risk of extermination although I had dreamt of living with Billie Piper.”

Daleks were possibly the most popular on-screen villains created by the entertainment industry. The Dalek naturally swivels with flashing lights, it has a painted wooden body with plastic hemispheres and is mounted with exterminator gun, suction arm and an articulated eye stalk.

Significantly, this actual model is the King of all Daleks, having starred in period – painted in menacing black and silver livery – as The Dalek Supreme. It was also the Dalek used in the BBC-assisted display at Madame Tussaud’s Waxworks Museum in the 1980 (finished in its current blue and silver) and accompanied the figure of Dr. Who actor, Tom Baker.

It has developed a complex provenance of its own: In 1979, four Daleks were required for the BBC Dr. Who story, Destiny of the Daleks‚ starring Tom Baker. The BBC production unit had no budget to build new props so had to make use instead of three old 1960s Daleks along with four so-called Goon Dalek props made for the filming of Planet of the Daleks‚ in 1973.

One original Dalek was butchered to provide moulds for vacuum-forming more Dalek parts. Two of the four Goon props were in such bad condition they were scrapped, and the base section of one of the others was badly damaged. Consequently, the BBC unit found itself with two 1960s Dalek props, one Goon‚ and only the top half of another in useable condition.

The BBC had previously made an exhibition Dalek which was now used to make up the shortfall. The good top half of the Planet of the Daleks Goon‚ was then grafted on to the exhibition Dalek skirt and so this Dalek was born! An interesting point is that this evil entity was blown up‚ in Destiny of the Daleks, by a pyrotechnic fire flash, the scorch marks still remain visible under the prop’s interior seat. It was subsequently repaired for future use.

After Destiny of the Daleks ‚ this prop passed to Madame Tussaud’s Waxwork Museum to accompany the figure of Dr. Who actor, Tom Baker. It was displayed there from 1980 until summer 1981, painted in its unique blue, silver and black livery in which it featured on the front cover of the Radio Times in 1983 for the 20th Dr. Who Anniversary.

No other Dalek was painted in these colours. The specific shade - traced recently - is Porsche Riviera Blue and surprisingly can apparently only be mixed to order. Meanwhile this prop’s period on display earned it the name by which it has subsequently become known – “The Tussaud’s Dalek”.

Also view Unique Blue Dalek seeks new home without threat of extermination

For more details visit the Bonhams web site.