Broadcast and ratings The Dalek Invasion of Earth was successful among viewers, with an additional four million viewers over the previous serial: the first episode received 11.4 million viewers, which rose to 12.4 the following week. The third and fourth episodes received 11.9 million, which dropped to 11.4 for the fifth episode, and rose again to 12.4 for the final. The first episode was the highest-rated BBC programme for northern England, and the third episode was the highest-rated for Wales and western England. The fifth episode was ranked 18th in the national ratings for the week, tied with
ITV's
Thank Your Lucky Stars. The
Appreciation Index was highest for the first episode at 63, dropping to 59 for the second, third, and fourth episodes, and to 58 for the fifth, before rising to 60 for the final. The serial was shown at the Longleat 20th Anniversary Celebration on 3 April 1983, and the first episode was screened at the
National Film Theatre on 29 October 1983. All six episodes were screened at the theatre on 5 January 1999.
Critical response bids farewell to
Susan, the show's first
companion departure—was praised for its emotional impact and
William Hartnell's performance.|alt=The Doctor says goodbye to his granddaughter while standing in the TARDIS. At the BBC Programme Review Board after the broadcast of the first episode in November 1964, director of television
Kenneth Adam called it "interesting". The Audience Research Report was higher than usual, with praise for the production and atmosphere; the primary complaint was the lack of Daleks, and some viewers felt it was too gruesome for children. The Review Board described the third episode as "outstanding". The following week, executives of the Board felt that the show's quality was consistently high. Adam indicated that
Director-General Hugh Greene was eager to see the Daleks return in future stories.
T. C. Worsley of the
Financial Times praised the serial for creating a universal image for the Daleks. On 27 May 1965, critic Frederick Laws wrote that he had banned his children from watching
Doctor Who due to the ending of the serial's first episode. Retrospective reviews of the serial were generally positive. In
The Discontinuity Guide (1995),
Paul Cornell,
Martin Day, and
Keith Topping praised the exterior sequences of the Daleks, though noted the less impressive production of the Slyther. In
The Television Companion (1998),
David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker described the serial as "one of the series' all-time greats", with impressive scripting and location filming despite some clumsy direction; they also praised the "poignant and moving" final scene. In
A Critical History of Doctor Who (1999),
John Kenneth Muir found the serial to be one of
Doctor Who darkest, and praised the location shooting and the characterisation of Susan, though noted some sexism in the Doctor's final remarks and criticised some "positively amateurish" special effects. In 2008, Mark Braxton of
Radio Times praised the supporting cast, location filming, and emotional ending, but noted the continuity errors concerning the Daleks and the production shortcomings as a result of the serial's ambition. In a 2011 review,
The A.V. Clubs Christopher Bahn criticised the serial's slow pacing and the uninteresting concept of the Robomen, and noted that Susan's departure lacked dramatic impact because the Doctor chose for her; however, he praised the first episode and its
cliffhanger, and the characterisation of the Doctor. In 2010,
Charlie Jane Anders of
io9 listed the first episode's cliffhanger as one of the greatest in the show's history.
The Dalek Invasion of Earth was voted the best First Doctor story by
Doctor Who Magazine readers in 2020; writer Nick Setchfield cited the atmosphere, character, and narrative as its greatest elements, and the first episode's cliffhanger and Susan's departure among its best moments. == Commercial releases ==