Fear Her
Encyclopedia
"Fear Her" is an episode of the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
. It was first broadcast on 24 June 2006.
The episode takes part on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
in London, almost exclusively on a fictitious cul-de-sac
named after the British athlete Kelly Holmes
. While originally only intending to visit the ceremony, the Doctor and Rose investigate a child with the ability to make people disappear by drawing them.
materialises on Dame Kelly Holmes
Close
on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. The neighbourhood is preparing for the passing of the Olympic torch-bearer, but the mood has been destroyed by the inexplicable disappearances of several local children. A council worker, Kel, also mentions that cars have been breaking down momentarily all day. The Doctor
and Rose
investigate and realise that the source of the problems is a solitary 12-year old girl, Chloe Webber, who is able to cause people to disappear by drawing them. The Doctor hypnotises Chloe and finds that she is possessed by an immature Isolus, an alien life-form used to travelling through space with a family of billions and which has crashed its pod to Earth due to a solar flare. The Isolus has befriended Chloe as she had a troubled childhood and it relates to her loneliness. Besides snatching people, this has also caused Chloe to draw a life-sized, exaggerated figure of her late, violent father, which briefly has become animated.
The Doctor explains that if they can find the Isolus pod and provide it power, the alien will leave Chloe. A frantic Chloe draws the TARDIS and the Doctor, trapping them both in one of her sketches, forcing Rose to try to find the pod herself. She rationalises that the pod is located on the hottest spot on the street, and is able to dig it up. With Chloe having already caused the entire crowd at the Olympic stadium to disappear and now intent on making everyone in the world disappear, Rose tries to find out how to power the pod. Thanks to visual indications from the Doctor's "picture", Rose understands that she needs to offer the pod heat mixed with emotional strength, which she does by throwing the pod towards the Olympic Torch. As the missing children start to reappear, Rose realises that so will the demon
-like drawing that Chloe had made of her father. Rose and Chloe's mother are able to calm Chloe enough and the (unseen) monster disappears.
As the torch-bearer approaches the Olympic Stadium, he staggers, but the Doctor completes the run and lights the Olympic Flame, allowing the Isolus to peacefully leave Chloe's body and return home. As the Doctor and Rose walk off to watch the Games, Rose remarks that however hard they attempt, nothing will ever split the two of them up. However, the Doctor becomes uneasy and surmises that a storm is approaching
.
is again mentioned, on the television during the scene where Chloe abducts Olympic spectators. The Doctor invokes the Shadow Proclamation which was an intergalactic code used in "Rose
" to gain an audience with the Nestene Consciousness, and mentions that his dislike of cat
s stems from "being threatened by one in a nun
's wimple
", which occurred in "New Earth
". The Doctor also tells Rose that he was once a father; Susan Foreman
, the Doctor's granddaughter, was one of the First Doctor
's companions.
. Early drafts of this episode were titled "Chloe Webber Destroys the Earth", and later, "You're a Bad Girl, Chloe Webber", with one such draft having the episode take place on another planet.
Due to Fry's script being dropped, production of some episodes of the second series had to be rescheduled, with "Fear Her" being produced alongside "The Idiot's Lantern
". The episode was filmed during late January
and early February 2006, with the cold temperatures experienced during filming being explained in the plot as part of the Isolus' endothermic
nature. The majority of the episode, including exterior shots and Chloe's home, was filmed in the Tremorfa
area of Cardiff, with a majority of the remainder filmed in the Doctor Who studios in Newport
. Dame Kelly Holmes
, who was mentioned in the episode, was considered for the part of the torchbearer, but was committed to Dancing On Ice
at the time.
and David Tennant
both starred in the 2005 BBC production of Casanova
, also produced by Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies.
" written by Marion Sinclair.
When he stops the scribble monster attacking Rose, The Doctor calls the object the "Go-Anywhere Creature," quipping that it "fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, (and) breaks the ice at parties." This is a reference to the Monty Python's Flying Circus
sketch "Jokes and Novelties Salesman". Later, the Doctor flashes the Vulcan salute
when talking to Chloe.
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 first broadcast on 24 June 2006.
The episode takes part on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics
2012 Summer Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...
in London, almost exclusively on a fictitious cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
named after the British athlete Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
. While originally only intending to visit the ceremony, the Doctor and Rose investigate a child with the ability to make people disappear by drawing them.
Plot
The TARDISTARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
materialises on Dame Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
Close
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games. The neighbourhood is preparing for the passing of the Olympic torch-bearer, but the mood has been destroyed by the inexplicable disappearances of several local children. A council worker, Kel, also mentions that cars have been breaking down momentarily all day. The Doctor
Tenth 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 Rose
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
investigate and realise that the source of the problems is a solitary 12-year old girl, Chloe Webber, who is able to cause people to disappear by drawing them. The Doctor hypnotises Chloe and finds that she is possessed by an immature Isolus, an alien life-form used to travelling through space with a family of billions and which has crashed its pod to Earth due to a solar flare. The Isolus has befriended Chloe as she had a troubled childhood and it relates to her loneliness. Besides snatching people, this has also caused Chloe to draw a life-sized, exaggerated figure of her late, violent father, which briefly has become animated.
The Doctor explains that if they can find the Isolus pod and provide it power, the alien will leave Chloe. A frantic Chloe draws the TARDIS and the Doctor, trapping them both in one of her sketches, forcing Rose to try to find the pod herself. She rationalises that the pod is located on the hottest spot on the street, and is able to dig it up. With Chloe having already caused the entire crowd at the Olympic stadium to disappear and now intent on making everyone in the world disappear, Rose tries to find out how to power the pod. Thanks to visual indications from the Doctor's "picture", Rose understands that she needs to offer the pod heat mixed with emotional strength, which she does by throwing the pod towards the Olympic Torch. As the missing children start to reappear, Rose realises that so will the demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
-like drawing that Chloe had made of her father. Rose and Chloe's mother are able to calm Chloe enough and the (unseen) monster disappears.
As the torch-bearer approaches the Olympic Stadium, he staggers, but the Doctor completes the run and lights the Olympic Flame, allowing the Isolus to peacefully leave Chloe's body and return home. As the Doctor and Rose walk off to watch the Games, Rose remarks that however hard they attempt, nothing will ever split the two of them up. However, the Doctor becomes uneasy and surmises that a storm is approaching
Army of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
.
Continuity
The episode, with its stand-alone nature, has very few links to other episodes: TorchwoodTorchwood Institute
The Torchwood Institute is a fictional secret organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive, is to defend the earth against...
is again mentioned, on the television during the scene where Chloe abducts Olympic spectators. The Doctor invokes the Shadow Proclamation which was an intergalactic code used in "Rose
Rose (Doctor Who)
"Rose" is the first episode of Series One of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak, the episode was first broadcast on 26 March 2005....
" to gain an audience with the Nestene Consciousness, and mentions that his dislike of cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s stems from "being threatened by one in a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
's wimple
Wimple
A wimple is a garment worn around the neck and chin, and which usually covers the head. Its use developed among women in early medieval Europe . At many stages of medieval culture it was unseemly for a married woman to show her hair...
", which occurred in "New Earth
New Earth
"New Earth" is the first episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 15 April 2006. It is a sequel to the first series episode "The End of the World", and brings back its villain who was thought to be destroyed, Lady Cassandra, as...
". The Doctor also tells Rose that he was once a father; Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman
Susan Foreman is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The granddaughter and original companion of the First Doctor, she was played by actress Carole Ann Ford from 1963 to 1964, in the show's first season and the first two stories of the second season...
, the Doctor's granddaughter, was one of the First Doctor
First Doctor
The 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...
's companions.
Production
The episode was an overcommissioned episode, which replaced a planned but unproduced script by Stephen FryStephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
. Early drafts of this episode were titled "Chloe Webber Destroys the Earth", and later, "You're a Bad Girl, Chloe Webber", with one such draft having the episode take place on another planet.
Due to Fry's script being dropped, production of some episodes of the second series had to be rescheduled, with "Fear Her" being produced alongside "The Idiot's Lantern
The Idiot's Lantern
"The Idiot's Lantern" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 27 May 2006.-Plot:...
". The episode was filmed during late January
January 2006
January 2006: ← – January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December – →-1 January 2006 :...
and early February 2006, with the cold temperatures experienced during filming being explained in the plot as part of the Isolus' endothermic
Endothermic
In thermodynamics, the word endothermic describes a process or reaction in which the system absorbs energy from the surroundings in the form of heat. Its etymology stems from the prefix endo- and the Greek word thermasi,...
nature. The majority of the episode, including exterior shots and Chloe's home, was filmed in the Tremorfa
Tremorfa
Tremorfa is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. It falls into the Splott ward of Cardiff.-Transport:Tremorfa is the terminus of the 12/13 routes operating to Culverhouse Cross via Splott, Central Stn, Canton and Ely...
area of Cardiff, with a majority of the remainder filmed in the Doctor Who studios in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. Dame Kelly Holmes
Kelly Holmes
Dame Kelly Holmes, DBE, MBE is a retired British middle distance athlete. She specialised in the 800 metres and 1500 metres events and won a gold medal for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens...
, who was mentioned in the episode, was considered for the part of the torchbearer, but was committed to Dancing On Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
at the time.
Cast notes
Nina SosanyaNina Sosanya
Nina Sosanya is an English actress. She was born in London and her father is Nigerian. She trained at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, gaining A-Levels in Performing Arts....
and David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
both starred in the 2005 BBC production of Casanova
Casanova (2005 TV serial)
Casanova is a 2005 British television comedy drama serial, written by television scriptwriter Russell T Davies and directed by Sheree Folkson...
, also produced by Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies.
Outside References
At the beginning of the episode, and again at the end, Chloe is singing the popular Australian nursery rhyme "KookaburraKookaburra (song)
"Kookaburra" is a popular Australian nursery rhyme and round about the Kookaburra , written by Marion Sinclair .-Composition:...
" written by Marion Sinclair.
When he stops the scribble monster attacking Rose, The Doctor calls the object the "Go-Anywhere Creature," quipping that it "fits in your pocket, makes friends, impresses the boss, (and) breaks the ice at parties." This is a reference to the Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
sketch "Jokes and Novelties Salesman". Later, the Doctor flashes the Vulcan salute
Vulcan salute
The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture consisting of a raised hand, palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger, and the thumb extended. Often, the famous line, "Live long and prosper", is said after it. The salute was devised and popularised by Leonard Nimoy, who...
when talking to Chloe.
Broadcast and DVD release
- Overnight viewing figures on first broadcast were 6.6 million, with a 39.7% audience share. The episode's final rating was 7.14 million.
External links
- TARDISODE 11
- "the thirtieth olympiad" - episode trailer
- Episode commentary by Euros Lyn, Abisola Agbaje and Steffan Morris (MP3)
- "Fear Her" episode homepage