Daleks in Manhattan
Encyclopedia
"Daleks in Manhattan" is an episode of the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
. It was broadcast on BBC One
on 21 April 2007, and is the fourth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It is part one of a two-part story, concluded in "Evolution of the Daleks
". In New York City
, 1930, in the midst of the Depression
, people are disappearing from among the homeless and jobless masses. Pig-like creatures hide in the sewers, and at the bottom of the Empire State Building
, some of the Doctor
's greatest and oldest enemies, the Daleks, are at work, preparing their most horrific plan yet.
According to the BARB
figures this episode was seen by 6.69 million viewers and was the eighteenth most popular broadcast on British television in that week. Critically, the episode was poorly received. The episode's writer, Helen Raynor, was left "literally shaking... as if she'd been assaulted" after reading particularly harsh criticism of the episode on Doctor Who fansites.
and Martha
, after leaving New New York
, visit New York
in November 1930 (materialising the TARDIS
at the base of the Statue of Liberty
), before he returns Martha to her present. Stumbling across the mystery of people disappearing, they travel to the Hooverville
community in Central Park
and meet Solomon, the leader of the downtrodden residents, who explains more about the disappearances. When a wealthy businessman Mr Diagoras appears in Hooverville recruiting workers for sewer construction, the Doctor, Martha, Solomon, and a young man from Tennessee
named Frank join up. As they explore the tunnels, the Doctor finds a mass of alien organic matter which he holds to analyse later. The group soon runs into a number of Pig Slaves and are forced to flee, though Frank is captured by the creatures.
The Doctor, Martha, and Solomon use a nearby ladder to escape and find themselves in a theater, being held at (fake) gunpoint by Tallulah, a showgirl
demanding to know what happened to Laszlo, a stagehand she was dating. After the three explain their presence, the Doctor uses equipment in the theatre to create a matter analyser, while Martha helps to console Tallulah, learning that Laszlo disappeared similarly to the others a few weeks earlier. Tallulah goes on stage for her show, with Martha watching from the wings, when she spots a Pig Slave across the stage. Martha gives chase into the sewers, where she is captured by more Pig Slaves. The Doctor and Tallulah follow, but only find the sole Pig Slave Martha was chasing. Tallulah recognises him as her Laszlo, who has been incompletely transformed. They also encounter a Dalek
, confirming the Doctor's analysis that shows the organic matter being from the planet Skaro
. As the three follow the Dalek, they learn from Laszlo that the Daleks either transform those humans with low intelligence into the Pig Slaves, or take those of high intelligence aside for a "final experiment".
They find themselves under the incomplete Empire State Building
, and the Doctor and Laszlo sneak inside to locate Martha. When the Doctor and Laszlo join both Martha and Frank with the rest of the high intelligence captives, they find that the Cult of Skaro
are working on experiments to merge the Dalek and Human races so that the Dalek race can continue, assisted by Mr Diagoras during the construction of the Empire State Building. Dalek Sec plans to sacrifice himself to prove to the others that their evolution is possible. Dalek Sec, using energy collected by panels of "Dalekanium" attached to the mast of the Empire State Building, fuses himself to the body of Mr Diagoras, becoming a hybrid creature, and proclaiming himself as a "Human Dalek" and the future of the Dalek race.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. It was broadcast on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 21 April 2007, and is the fourth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It is part one of a two-part story, concluded in "Evolution of the Daleks
Evolution of the Daleks
"Evolution of the Daleks" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 April 2007, and is the fifth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It is the conclusion of the two-part story begun in "Daleks in...
". In New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, 1930, in the midst of the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, people are disappearing from among the homeless and jobless masses. Pig-like creatures hide in the sewers, and at the bottom of the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, some of the Doctor
Doctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
's greatest and oldest enemies, the Daleks, are at work, preparing their most horrific plan yet.
According to the BARB
Barb
Barb may refer to:* A backward-facing point on a fish hook or similar implement, rendering extraction from the victim's flesh more difficult* Wind barbs for each station on a map of reported weather conditions...
figures this episode was seen by 6.69 million viewers and was the eighteenth most popular broadcast on British television in that week. Critically, the episode was poorly received. The episode's writer, Helen Raynor, was left "literally shaking... as if she'd been assaulted" after reading particularly harsh criticism of the episode on Doctor Who fansites.
Plot
The DoctorTenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and Martha
Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...
, after leaving New New York
Gridlock (Doctor Who)
"Gridlock" is the third episode from the third series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who which aired on 14 April 2007. The Doctor returns to a much grittier New Earth with Martha Jones and meets the Face of Boe one final time. But as New New York becomes a deadly...
, visit New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in November 1930 (materialising the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
at the base of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
), before he returns Martha to her present. Stumbling across the mystery of people disappearing, they travel to the Hooverville
Hooverville
A 'Hooverville' was the popular name for shanty towns built by homeless people during the Great Depression. They were named after the President of the United States at the time, Herbert Hoover, because he allegedly let the nation slide into depression...
community in Central Park
Central Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
and meet Solomon, the leader of the downtrodden residents, who explains more about the disappearances. When a wealthy businessman Mr Diagoras appears in Hooverville recruiting workers for sewer construction, the Doctor, Martha, Solomon, and a young man from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
named Frank join up. As they explore the tunnels, the Doctor finds a mass of alien organic matter which he holds to analyse later. The group soon runs into a number of Pig Slaves and are forced to flee, though Frank is captured by the creatures.
The Doctor, Martha, and Solomon use a nearby ladder to escape and find themselves in a theater, being held at (fake) gunpoint by Tallulah, a showgirl
Showgirl
A showgirl is a dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show. Showgirl is also often used as a term for a promotional model in trade fairs and car shows, etc...
demanding to know what happened to Laszlo, a stagehand she was dating. After the three explain their presence, the Doctor uses equipment in the theatre to create a matter analyser, while Martha helps to console Tallulah, learning that Laszlo disappeared similarly to the others a few weeks earlier. Tallulah goes on stage for her show, with Martha watching from the wings, when she spots a Pig Slave across the stage. Martha gives chase into the sewers, where she is captured by more Pig Slaves. The Doctor and Tallulah follow, but only find the sole Pig Slave Martha was chasing. Tallulah recognises him as her Laszlo, who has been incompletely transformed. They also encounter a Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
, confirming the Doctor's analysis that shows the organic matter being from the planet Skaro
Skaro
Skaro is a fictional planet from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks and, at times, the centre of the Dalek Empire....
. As the three follow the Dalek, they learn from Laszlo that the Daleks either transform those humans with low intelligence into the Pig Slaves, or take those of high intelligence aside for a "final experiment".
They find themselves under the incomplete Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, and the Doctor and Laszlo sneak inside to locate Martha. When the Doctor and Laszlo join both Martha and Frank with the rest of the high intelligence captives, they find that the Cult of Skaro
Cult of Skaro
In the television series Doctor Who, the Cult of Skaro was an elite order of Daleks, and the first individual Daleks whose recurring nature has been explicit.-Background:The Cult of Skaro first appeared in the double-episode "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday"...
are working on experiments to merge the Dalek and Human races so that the Dalek race can continue, assisted by Mr Diagoras during the construction of the Empire State Building. Dalek Sec plans to sacrifice himself to prove to the others that their evolution is possible. Dalek Sec, using energy collected by panels of "Dalekanium" attached to the mast of the Empire State Building, fuses himself to the body of Mr Diagoras, becoming a hybrid creature, and proclaiming himself as a "Human Dalek" and the future of the Dalek race.
Continuity
- Tallulah asks Martha if she has ever been on stage, to which Martha replies "Some Shakespeare", referring to the events of "The Shakespeare CodeThe Shakespeare Code"The Shakespeare Code" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 7 April 2007, and is the second episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. According to the BARB figures this episode was seen by 7.23 million viewers and was...
". - The song performed by Tallulah, "My Angel Put The Devil In Me," is heard in the background during the bar scene in part two of The End of TimeThe End of TimeThe End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe, also sold with the alternate subtitle The Next Revolution in Physics, is a 1999 science book in which the author Julian Barbour argues that time exists merely as an illusion.-Auto-biography:The book begins by describing how...
. - The First DoctorFirst DoctorThe First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
, VickiVickiVicki is a fictional character played by Maureen O'Brien in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An orphan from the 25th century, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in Seasons 2 and 3 in 1965...
, IanIan ChestertonIan Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell, and was one of the members of the programme's very first regular cast, appearing in the bulk of the first two...
and BarbaraBarbara Wright (Doctor Who)Barbara Wright is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. She was one of the programme's very first regulars and appeared in the bulk of its first two seasons from 1963–65, played by Jacqueline Hill. In the film version...
land briefly on the observation deck of the Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
in 1966 during the events of The ChaseThe Chase (Doctor Who)The Chase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 22 May to 26 June 1965. The story is set on multiple locations including the Mary Celeste, the Empire State Building, and the planet Aridius... - The First Doctor, StevenSteven Taylor (Doctor Who)Steven Taylor is a fictional character played by Peter Purves in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A space pilot from Earth in the future, he was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme from 1965 to 1966.-Character history:Steven first...
and DodoDodo ChapletDorothea "Dodo" Chaplet is a fictional character played by Jackie Lane in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Earth teenager from the year 1966, she was a companion of the First Doctor and a regular in the programme in its third season, from February to July,...
visit New York in 1965 in the novel SalvationSalvation (Doctor Who)Salvation is a BBC Books original novel written by Steve Lyons and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
.
Daleks
- When he first realises that the Daleks are present, the Doctor says, "They always survive, while I lose everything." The Daleks have survived multiple apparent extinctions, in The DaleksThe DaleksThe Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from 21 December 1963 to 1 February 1964...
, The Evil of the DaleksThe Evil of the DaleksThe Evil of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in seven weekly parts from 20 May to 1 July 1967. This serial marked the debut of Deborah Watling as the Doctor's new companion, Victoria Waterfield.Evil was initially intended to...
, Remembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
, the Time WarTime War (Doctor Who)The Time War, more specifically called The Last Great Time War, is a conflict within the fictional universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, "DalekDalek (Doctor Who episode)"Dalek" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek serial, The Daleks...
", "The Parting of the WaysThe Parting of the Ways"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
" and "DoomsdayDoomsday (Doctor Who)"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
".
- The members of the Cult of Skaro (Daleks Caan, Jast, Sec and Thay) are the only individual Daleks ever to become recurring characters.
- Dalek Caan states that "[his] planet was destroyed in a great war". In Remembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
, SkaroSkaroSkaro is a fictional planet from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who created by the writer Terry Nation as the home planet of the Daleks and, at times, the centre of the Dalek Empire....
was destroyed when the Seventh DoctorSeventh DoctorThe Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
used the Hand of OmegaHand of OmegaThe Hand of Omega is a fictional device from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.In Remembrance of the Daleks the Seventh Doctor explains that the "Hand of Omega" is the mythical name for the remote stellar manipulator invented by Omega, the first of the Time Lords of the...
to cause Skaro's sun to go supernovaSupernovaA supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
. According to the Eighth DoctorEighth DoctorThe Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
novel War of the DaleksWar of the DaleksWar of the Daleks is an original novel written by John Peel, published in 1997, based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Eighth Doctor and Sam. This novel was the first appearance of the Daleks in an original Doctor Who novel; they had not...
, which was published before the 2005 revival and thus the Time War story, Skaro was never destroyed (the Doctor blew up the wrong planet, which was part of a grand Dalek plan). While the canonical status of the novels is uncertain, Russell T Davies has previously intimated that various Dalek stories take place as parts of the Time War, such as Genesis of the DaleksGenesis of the DaleksGenesis of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was originally broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 March to 12 April 1975. It marks the first appearance of Davros, the creator of the Daleks.-Plot:...
which he refers to as "the first strike". - This is the first episode of the revived series in which Skaro is explicitly mentioned as the Dalek homeworld.
- The Daleks refer to their armour as Dalekanium. This term was first used in The Dalek Invasion of EarthThe Dalek Invasion of EarthThe Dalek Invasion of Earth is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in six weekly parts from November 21 to December 26, 1964....
. The Doctor referred to it as polycarbide in Remembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
(explicitly referring to the armoured shell as "bonded polycarbide"), The Parting of the WaysThe Parting of the Ways"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
, and DoomsdayDoomsday (Doctor Who)"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
. - The Daleks are also seen on the Empire State Building in the previously mentioned story The Chase.
- This is the first Dalek episode of the revived series which does not feature their catchphrase "Exterminate!", apart from in the preview of the next episode.
Cultural references
- In Central Park, New York City, a HoovervilleHoovervilleA 'Hooverville' was the popular name for shanty towns built by homeless people during the Great Depression. They were named after the President of the United States at the time, Herbert Hoover, because he allegedly let the nation slide into depression...
existed between 1931 and 1933 in the former Lower Reservoir of the city water supply system, which was being emptied and landscaped into the Great Lawn and Turtle Pond. - Tallulah is based on Jodie FosterJodie FosterAlicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
's character, also named Tallulah, in Bugsy MaloneBugsy MaloneBugsy Malone is a 1976 musical film, very loosely based on events in New York City in the Prohibition era, specifically the exploits of gangsters like Al Capone and Bugs Moran, as dramatized in cinema...
. It may in turn be a reference to the actress Talullah Bankhead. - The Island of Doctor MoreauThe Island of Doctor MoreauThe Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 science fiction novel written by H. G. Wells. It is told from the point of view of a man named Edward Prendick who is shipwrecked, rescued by a passing boat, and then left at the ship's destination by the crew along with the ship's cargo of exotic animals...
, FrankensteinFrankensteinFrankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
and The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the OperaLe Fantôme de l'Opéra is a novel by French writer Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serialisation in "Le Gaulois" from September 23, 1909 to January 8, 1910...
were amongst the horror novels and films that served as inspiration for this story. - On arrival, the Doctor extemporises on the name, "New York, New York: Well, there's the genuine article. So good they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice, no wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam." This is a humorous reference to the city's location within New York State, as popularised in the song "New York, New York (So Good They Named It Twice)New York, New York (So Good They Named It Twice)"New York, New York " is a song performed and composed by singer-songwriter, Gerard Kenny in 1978. The song is an ode to his hometown, and state New York, New York....
". New AmsterdamNew AmsterdamNew Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
was the original name of the settlement on Manhattan Island and was part of the Dutch colony of New NetherlandNew NetherlandNew Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
. The colony and settlement were both renamed New York after they were ceded to England. - The 2007 episode guide on the Doctor Who site has the caption for this episode as "Sec's in the City", referencing the popular sitcom Sex and the CitySex and the CitySex and the City is an American television comedy-drama series created by Darren Star and produced by HBO. Broadcast from 1998 until 2004, the original run of the show had a total of ninety-four episodes...
, also set in New York. - Popular songs of the period appearing in the soundtrack include GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
's "Rhapsody in BlueRhapsody in BlueRhapsody in Blue is a musical composition by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band written in 1924, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects....
" and Irving BerlinIrving BerlinIrving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's "Puttin' on the RitzPuttin' on the Ritz"Puttin' on the Ritz" is a popular song written and published in 1929 by Irving Berlin and introduced by Harry Richman in the musical film Puttin' on the Ritz . The title derives from the slang expression "putting on the Ritz," meaning to dress very fashionably. The expression was inspired by the...
".
Production
- All of the scenes with Martha and the Doctor in front of the Statue of Liberty were actually filmed in Wales. The production team found a wall that matched the base of the statue. This was mentioned in the accompanying Doctor Who Confidential.
- Helen RaynorHelen RaynorHelen Raynor is a British television and theatre writer and script editor. From 2004 until 2007 she was one of the script editors of the revived version of the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who, working on its first three series...
is the first woman to write a televised Dalek story, and the first woman to write a story for the revived series. - Some filming for this story was done in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for plates of the city, including images of Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, the Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, and the Statue of LibertyStatue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
. However, on the online episode commentary for "GridlockGridlock (Doctor Who)"Gridlock" is the third episode from the third series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who which aired on 14 April 2007. The Doctor returns to a much grittier New Earth with Martha Jones and meets the Face of Boe one final time. But as New New York becomes a deadly...
", David Tennant, when asked if he filmed in New York, replied, "I didn't, everybody else did!" The Confidential episode shows that The MillThe Mill (post-production)The Mill is a post-production and visual effects company launched in 1990 with offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.The Mill's Film special effects subsidiary, Mill Film, won an Oscar for its work on the film Gladiator. The Mill was the first UK-based post-production company to set up...
also used the shoot for elements of the Majestic Theater. - A shot supposedly in the Hooverville shows the Empire State Building, incomplete, looming over trees in the background. In fact the building is about 2 km (1.2 mi) from Central Park, much further than might be inferred from the shot. Similarly the view of the southern tip of Manhattan from Liberty Island is exaggerated to make the building seem part of southern Manhattan and close to Liberty Island. The true distance is about 8 km (5 mi) from the island to the building. The closest point on Manhattan is 2.6 km (1.6 mi) from the island.
- This episode includes the first location filming outside of the United Kingdom since Doctor Whos return in 2005. Several original Doctor Who stories included location filming outside of the UK: City of DeathCity of Death-Pre-production:Writer David Fisher had contributed two scripts to Doctor Whos sixteenth season – The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara – and was asked by producer Graham Williams for further story ideas...
(1979) included filming in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Arc of InfinityArc of InfinityArc of Infinity is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 3 January to 12 January 1983...
(1983) included filming in AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Planet of FirePlanet of FirePlanet of Fire is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 23 February to 2 March 1984...
(1984) included filming in LanzaroteLanzaroteLanzarote , a Spanish island, is the easternmost of the autonomous Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 125 km off the coast of Africa and 1,000 km from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering 845.9 km2, it stands as the fourth largest of the islands...
, and The Two DoctorsThe Two DoctorsThe Two Doctors is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 16 February to 2 March 1985. It starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri, respectively...
(1985) included filming in and near SevilleSevilleSeville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
. Also, the entirety of the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie was filmed in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, apart from some stock footage of San Francisco and world capitals. - Scenes set at the Hooverville shanty town were filmed at Bute Park, Cardiff.
- The dance scene was rehearsed in London but shot in the Parc and Dare HallParc and Dare HallThe Parc and Dare Hall is a former Miners' institute but now serves as a large entertainment venue in the village of Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley of Wales...
, in TreorchyTreorchyTreorchy is a village, although it used to be and still has characteristics of a town, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr valley...
, South WalesSouth WalesSouth Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. - The presence of the Daleks in this story was reported by the News of the WorldNews of the WorldThe News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
on November 12, 2006 and confirmed by the BBC in late December. An interview with David Tennant in TV TimesTV TimesTVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
indicated there would also be 'Art DecoArt DecoArt deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
Daleks'. However, they did not appear in either this episode or the second part, "Evolution of the DaleksEvolution of the Daleks"Evolution of the Daleks" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 April 2007, and is the fifth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It is the conclusion of the two-part story begun in "Daleks in...
". - The cover for the Radio TimesRadio TimesRadio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
for the week from 21–27 April consisted of a photograph of the Dalek/human hybrid and named it as such: "Half-Dalek, half-human - total monster? The Daleks are back!" It was played by Eric Loren who also played Mr Diagoras, and this, too, is revealed within the magazine, which contained a how-they-made-it feature and also a small section on the half-man/half-pig Laszlo played by Ryan Carnes. The decision to reveal the hybrid on the cover caused controversy, with some fans considering it a major spoiler as the creature's appearance and nature as a mutated combination of Dalek Sec and Diagoras is the episode's big cliff-hanger reveal. - This episode along with "Evolution of the DaleksEvolution of the Daleks"Evolution of the Daleks" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 April 2007, and is the fifth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It is the conclusion of the two-part story begun in "Daleks in...
", "The Lazarus ExperimentThe Lazarus Experiment"The Lazarus Experiment" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 5 May 2007 and is the sixth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. It stars David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones as his companion, played...
", and "4242 (Doctor Who)"42" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 19 May 2007, and is the seventh episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series....
" was released as a 'vanilla' DVD (i.e. with no special features).
Cast notes
- Joe Montana, who appears as "Worker #1", had previously played the Commander in the Ninth DoctorNinth DoctorThe Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
episode "DalekDalek (Doctor Who episode)"Dalek" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek serial, The Daleks...
". - Hero Pig played by Paul Kasey is mentioned in the credits. This is not a reference to a specific character but to the pig who was given the most to do, 'Hero' being the term for a prop or costume with the most detail and therefore most suitable for closeups.
- Miranda Raison later appeared in the audio play The Wreck of the TitanThe Wreck of the Titan (audio drama)The Wreck of the Titan is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. -Plot:...
.
External links
- "they always survive" - episode trailer