"Evil" was initially intended to be the last Dalek story on "Doctor Who". Writer Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks, was trying to sell the Daleks to American television at the time and it was intended to give them a big send-off from the series. However, this was not to be the Doctor's last encounter with them. Aside from a few cameos, the Daleks did not properly return to the series until "Day of the Daleks" in 1972. In 1993, readers of "DreamWatch Bulletin" voted "The Evil of the Daleks" as the best ever "Doctor Who" story in a special poll for the series' thirtieth anniversary.