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The End of the World (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"The End of the World" is the second episode of Series One
of the British
science-fiction television
series Doctor Who
. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn
, the episode was first broadcast on 2 April 2005.
In the episode, The Doctor
takes Rose Tyler
on her first trip through time and space in the TARDIS
to the year five billion where many rich alien delegates have gathered on a space station called Platform One to watch the Sun expand and destroy the Earth, but one of these guests are plotting to profit from the event by killing them all.
The episode marked the first appearance of Cassandra and the Face of Boe
. The episode was seen by 7.97 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews from critics.
takes Rose
to five billion years into her future in the TARDIS
, landing on "Platform One", a space station
in orbit around Earth; the earth has long since been abandoned and kept under the National Trust
, but, as money has run out, it is about to be destroyed by the expansion of the Sun
, only presently held back by gravity satellites. The Doctor uses "psychic paper" to pass as their invitation to the party, and he and Rose find many elite extraterrestrial
beings there to experience the end of the earth in the protection of Platform One's automated shields. The guests include Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen
, simply a face on a large piece of skin that must be continually moisturised, mounted on a frame with her brain in a jar below it, who calls herself the last human
in the universe. Rose is overwhelmed by the strange beings and customs as well as how distant she is from home, and leaves to an observation room to collect her thoughts. The Doctor follows her, and tries to cheer her up by allowing her to call her mum Jackie
after altering her mobile phone
to be able to work over the distance in time; this however only serves to depress Rose more.
Meanwhile, the gifts brought by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme
, small metallic spheres, are revealed to contain robot
ic spiders that immediately work at disabling functions on Platform One. The Steward of Platform One recognizes something is wrong, but is killed when the spiders cause the solar filter of his room to lower, exposing him directly to the powerful solar radiation. The Doctor goes to investigate with the help of Jabe, a humanoid plant being from the Forest of Cheem, and discover the Steward's death and the spiders. Rose attempts to learn more from Lady Cassandra but only gets more upset over Cassandra's arrogance and walks away, only to be knocked out by members of the Meme. She wakes up in an observation room, the solar shield slowly lowering, and calls for the Doctor to save her. The Doctor finds he can stop and raise the shield, but cannot unlock the observation room, and so turns to the various guests.
The Doctor uses a spider that he captured to determine that while the Meme released them, they are only empty shells, and that the real controller is Lady Cassandra. Cassandra admits to this, and was planning to use the situation as a hostage
crisis to get money to pay for her repeated operations, but now plans to simply let the assembled guests die and then profit from the stock increases of their competitors when they are dead. Cassandra transmats
to her ship as the spiders bring down the shielding and the gravity satellites are turned off; the direct radiation causes the solar filters to strain and crack, killing several of the guests from the intense radiation exposure and leaving Rose to scurry to find shelter in the observation room. The Doctor and Jabe travel to the bowels of Platform One where the system to restore the automated shields is located, though it requires one of them to travel through several spinning fans. Jabe recognizes the Doctor as the last Time Lord
after the Time War
, and sacrifices herself to hold down a switch to slow down the fan blades, allowing the Doctor to reactivate the system just before the expanding Sun hits the station and destroys Earth.
The Doctor returns to the remaining guests and Rose, free of the observation room, and uses a device to transmat Cassandra back onto the station. In the elevated temperature and without moisturising, Cassandra begins to dry out and crack, and while she begs for mercy from the Doctor, he refuses to listen, and shortly, Cassandra ruptures. Rose notes that with all the events that occurred, no one had witnessed the actual destruction of Earth. Returning to Rose's present, the Doctor explains to her that his own planet, Gallifrey
, was destroyed in the wake of a great war, that he is the last Time Lord, and that people tend to forget that things do not last forever. Rose sympathises with the Doctor as they enjoy some chips
on a sunny London
afternoon.
field is what gives Rose the ability to understand and be understood by the aliens. This concept was first introduced in the Fourth Doctor
serial The Masque of Mandragora
(1976), described by the Doctor as a "Time Lord gift" he shares with his companions.
The concept of a Doctor-supercharged communications device first appeared in The Three Doctors (1972–73), where the Second Doctor
modifies the Brigadier
's radio telephone to allow him to contact his men through interference generated by antimatter
. The Doctor also gives the Brigadier a "space-time telegraph" which he uses to summon the Doctor to assist with the events of Terror of the Zygons
(1975). In the "unofficial" animated webcast Scream of the Shalka
(2003), the Doctor
uses a mobile phone
that is part of the TARDIS to communicate with the outside world even while falling into a black hole.
This is the fourth time in the series that Earth has been burned by the Sun, the other occasions being sometime after the 30th century in The Ark in Space
(1975), two million years from the present in The Mysterious Planet
(1986) and ten million years from the present in The Ark
(1966).
The other guests attending Platform One, as announced by the Steward, include the brothers Hop Pyleen, inventors and copyright holders of hyposlip travel systems from the exalted clifftops of Rex Vox Jax; the cybernetic hyperstar Cal "Sparkplug" MacNannovich (plus guest); the avian
Mr and Mrs Pakoo; the chosen scholars of Class Fifty-five of the University of Rago Rago Five Six Rago; and the Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light (oxygen
levels must be monitored strictly at all times in the Ambassadors' presence). The Steward informs the Doctor that teleportation is banned under "Peace Treaty 5.4/Cup/15" (presumably the name of the treaty followed by the year it was enacted). How exactly this dating system works is never explained.
In conversation with the Face of Boe
, the Moxx of Balhoon mentions the "Bad Wolf scenario." On the BBC's Bad Wolf website, it was listed as "the classic bad wolf scenario". (The subtitles of the DVD
release give the phrase as "bad-move scenario", but this is probably an error.) The phrase "Bad Wolf" is a recurring theme in the 2005 series. The Face of Boe is announced as being from the Silver Devastation, which is where Professor Yana
reveals he is "from" in the episode "Utopia
".
The Doctor tells Jabe that he was once on another "unsinkable" ship and wound up clinging to an iceberg, an apparent reference to having been on the RMS Titanic when she sank. Which incarnation of the Doctor did this is not specified, although the Seventh Doctor
was on board the Titanic in the Virgin New Adventures
novel The Left-Handed Hummingbird
by Kate Orman
(which is of uncertain canonicity). He did not, however, wind up on an iceberg in that story. In the Fourth Doctor
story The Invasion of Time
(1978), the Doctor claims that he "wasn't responsible" for the disaster. In "Rose
", Clive, a conspiracy theorist
, shows Rose a photograph of the Ninth Doctor with "the Daniels family of Southampton", on the eve of their scheduled voyage on the Titanic. For an unspecified reason, they canceled their trip and survived.
in Cardiff
, Wales
. Sets were also built and painted to match the Temple's marble interiors. In the documentary series Doctor Who Confidential
, Russell T Davies joked that that there would never be such an expensive episode again (because of the large amount of CGI
special effects). Both Cassandra and the robotic spiders — other than an inactive one — are completely CGI generated creatures. The documentary also reveals that there are 203 visual effects shots in this episode, compared to "about 100" in the film Gladiator
.
The "iPod
" (a Wurlitzer
jukebox
) that Cassandra unveils plays "Tainted Love
" by Soft Cell
and later "Toxic
" by Britney Spears
. "Toxic" was not actually released as a 7" 45 rpm vinyl single
. The production team mocked up a 7" single for use in the episode.
Jabe's scan of the Doctor displays an animation by Drew Berry
of translation
, a process wherein a protein molecule is synthesised according to the genetic code carried by messenger RNA
. A production sketch of the scanner drawn by Matthew Savage shows a scan of the Doctor indicating nine different DNA
samples — one for each incarnation.
creation voiced by actress Zoë Wanamaker. Writer Russell T Davies revealed that Cassandra was inspired by the appearance of various female celebrities at the Oscars. He said, "It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman
struck me in particular." Wanamaker reprised the role of Cassandra in the 2006 series' first episode, "New Earth
." See also List of guest appearances in Doctor Who.
Yasmin Bannerman
later played Kathy Swanson in the Torchwood
episode "They Keep Killing Suzie
" and Pandora in the audio play The Bride of Peladon
.
, which from here on became a standard feature. This is a first for the series, which previously used pre-credits teaser sequences sparingly in special episodes such as the post-regeneration
Castrovalva (1982); the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors
(1983); and the 25th anniversary story, Remembrance of the Daleks
(1988). According to a March 2006 interview with Russell T Davies, he requested for this episode to be broadcast back-to-back with "Rose", but the request was given to the BBC too close to transmission. In the U.S. the Sci-Fi Channel
did run the two episodes consecutively.
Doctor Who (series 1)
The new first series of British science fiction series Doctor Who began on 26 March 2005 with the episode "Rose", which marked the end of the programme's 16-year absence from episodic television following its cancellation in 1989, and aired its finale episode "The Parting of the Ways" on 18 June 2005...
of the British
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
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
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...
. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn
Euros Lyn
Euros Lyn is a television director. He was born in 1971 and educated at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera and the University of Manchester.To date, he has directed nine episodes of Doctor Who. He won the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Director for "Silence in the Library" and the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic...
, the episode was first broadcast on 2 April 2005.
In the episode, The Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The 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....
takes Rose Tyler
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...
on her first trip through time and space in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
to the year five billion where many rich alien delegates have gathered on a space station called Platform One to watch the Sun expand and destroy the Earth, but one of these guests are plotting to profit from the event by killing them all.
The episode marked the first appearance of Cassandra and the Face of Boe
Face of Boe
The Face of Boe is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Not portrayed on-screen by an actor, the Face of Boe is a wholly mechanical effect, resembling in appearance a gigantic, wrinkly human-like head with, in place of hair, numerous tendrils which...
. The episode was seen by 7.97 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
The DoctorDoctor (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....
takes 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...
to five billion years into her future in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, landing on "Platform One", a space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
in orbit around Earth; the earth has long since been abandoned and kept under the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, but, as money has run out, it is about to be destroyed by the expansion of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, only presently held back by gravity satellites. The Doctor uses "psychic paper" to pass as their invitation to the party, and he and Rose find many elite extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
beings there to experience the end of the earth in the protection of Platform One's automated shields. The guests include Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen
Lady Cassandra
Lady Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17 is a fictional character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character was voiced by Zoë Wanamaker, and was largely computer-generated, although a physical prop was also used on set....
, simply a face on a large piece of skin that must be continually moisturised, mounted on a frame with her brain in a jar below it, who calls herself the last human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
in the universe. Rose is overwhelmed by the strange beings and customs as well as how distant she is from home, and leaves to an observation room to collect her thoughts. The Doctor follows her, and tries to cheer her up by allowing her to call her mum Jackie
Jackie Tyler
In "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel" Coduri plays a parallel Earth version of Jackie. In this universe, she is still married to Pete, but they have no children, although she has a Yorkshire terrier named Rose. Despite Pete's success, which has led to Jackie becoming a celebrity, they...
after altering her mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
to be able to work over the distance in time; this however only serves to depress Rose more.
Meanwhile, the gifts brought by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme
Meme
A meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...
, small metallic spheres, are revealed to contain robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
ic spiders that immediately work at disabling functions on Platform One. The Steward of Platform One recognizes something is wrong, but is killed when the spiders cause the solar filter of his room to lower, exposing him directly to the powerful solar radiation. The Doctor goes to investigate with the help of Jabe, a humanoid plant being from the Forest of Cheem, and discover the Steward's death and the spiders. Rose attempts to learn more from Lady Cassandra but only gets more upset over Cassandra's arrogance and walks away, only to be knocked out by members of the Meme. She wakes up in an observation room, the solar shield slowly lowering, and calls for the Doctor to save her. The Doctor finds he can stop and raise the shield, but cannot unlock the observation room, and so turns to the various guests.
The Doctor uses a spider that he captured to determine that while the Meme released them, they are only empty shells, and that the real controller is Lady Cassandra. Cassandra admits to this, and was planning to use the situation as a hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
crisis to get money to pay for her repeated operations, but now plans to simply let the assembled guests die and then profit from the stock increases of their competitors when they are dead. Cassandra transmats
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
to her ship as the spiders bring down the shielding and the gravity satellites are turned off; the direct radiation causes the solar filters to strain and crack, killing several of the guests from the intense radiation exposure and leaving Rose to scurry to find shelter in the observation room. The Doctor and Jabe travel to the bowels of Platform One where the system to restore the automated shields is located, though it requires one of them to travel through several spinning fans. Jabe recognizes the Doctor as the last Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
after the Time War
Time 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...
, and sacrifices herself to hold down a switch to slow down the fan blades, allowing the Doctor to reactivate the system just before the expanding Sun hits the station and destroys Earth.
The Doctor returns to the remaining guests and Rose, free of the observation room, and uses a device to transmat Cassandra back onto the station. In the elevated temperature and without moisturising, Cassandra begins to dry out and crack, and while she begs for mercy from the Doctor, he refuses to listen, and shortly, Cassandra ruptures. Rose notes that with all the events that occurred, no one had witnessed the actual destruction of Earth. Returning to Rose's present, the Doctor explains to her that his own planet, Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
, was destroyed in the wake of a great war, that he is the last Time Lord, and that people tend to forget that things do not last forever. Rose sympathises with the Doctor as they enjoy some chips
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
on a sunny London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
afternoon.
Continuity
The new TARDIS console has a rather thrown-together appearance and includes the use of a bicycle-pump like mechanism. The Doctor explains that the TARDIS's telepathicTelepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
field is what gives Rose the ability to understand and be understood by the aliens. This concept was first introduced in the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
serial The Masque of Mandragora
The Masque of Mandragora
The Masque of Mandragora is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 4 September to 25 September 1976. It opened Season 14 of the series.-Synopsis:...
(1976), described by the Doctor as a "Time Lord gift" he shares with his companions.
The concept of a Doctor-supercharged communications device first appeared in The Three Doctors (1972–73), where the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
modifies the Brigadier
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, generally referred to simply as the Brigadier, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Nicholas Courtney...
's radio telephone to allow him to contact his men through interference generated by antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
. The Doctor also gives the Brigadier a "space-time telegraph" which he uses to summon the Doctor to assist with the events of Terror of the Zygons
Terror of the Zygons
Terror of the Zygons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 August to 20 September 1975...
(1975). In the "unofficial" animated webcast Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
(2003), the Doctor
Shalka Doctor
The Shalka Doctor is the common fan name given to the character that appeared as an alternate incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British science fiction television series,...
uses a mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
that is part of the TARDIS to communicate with the outside world even while falling into a black hole.
This is the fourth time in the series that Earth has been burned by the Sun, the other occasions being sometime after the 30th century in The Ark in Space
The Ark in Space
The Ark in Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 25 January to 15 February 1975.-Plot:The TARDIS materialises in a darkened room on board the station...
(1975), two million years from the present in The Mysterious Planet
The Mysterious Planet
-Preproduction:In February 1985, the BBC announced that the planned twenty-third season of Doctor Who had been cancelled. After vocal protests by the press and Doctor Who fans , the BBC announced that the programme was merely on "hiatus", and would return in September 1986...
(1986) and ten million years from the present in The Ark
The Ark (Doctor Who)
The Ark is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 March to 26 March 1966...
(1966).
The other guests attending Platform One, as announced by the Steward, include the brothers Hop Pyleen, inventors and copyright holders of hyposlip travel systems from the exalted clifftops of Rex Vox Jax; the cybernetic hyperstar Cal "Sparkplug" MacNannovich (plus guest); the avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
Mr and Mrs Pakoo; the chosen scholars of Class Fifty-five of the University of Rago Rago Five Six Rago; and the Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light (oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
levels must be monitored strictly at all times in the Ambassadors' presence). The Steward informs the Doctor that teleportation is banned under "Peace Treaty 5.4/Cup/15" (presumably the name of the treaty followed by the year it was enacted). How exactly this dating system works is never explained.
In conversation with the Face of Boe
Face of Boe
The Face of Boe is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Not portrayed on-screen by an actor, the Face of Boe is a wholly mechanical effect, resembling in appearance a gigantic, wrinkly human-like head with, in place of hair, numerous tendrils which...
, the Moxx of Balhoon mentions the "Bad Wolf scenario." On the BBC's Bad Wolf website, it was listed as "the classic bad wolf scenario". (The subtitles of the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release give the phrase as "bad-move scenario", but this is probably an error.) The phrase "Bad Wolf" is a recurring theme in the 2005 series. The Face of Boe is announced as being from the Silver Devastation, which is where Professor Yana
Master (Doctor Who)
The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
reveals he is "from" in the episode "Utopia
Utopia (Doctor Who)
"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series...
".
The Doctor tells Jabe that he was once on another "unsinkable" ship and wound up clinging to an iceberg, an apparent reference to having been on the RMS Titanic when she sank. Which incarnation of the Doctor did this is not specified, although the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The 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....
was on board the Titanic in the Virgin New Adventures
Virgin New Adventures
The Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel The Left-Handed Hummingbird
The Left-Handed Hummingbird
The Left-Handed Hummingbird is an original novel written by Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A prelude to the novel, also written by Orman, appeared in Doctor Who Magazine #207...
by Kate Orman
Kate Orman
Kate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:...
(which is of uncertain canonicity). He did not, however, wind up on an iceberg in that story. In the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
story The Invasion of Time
The Invasion of Time
The Invasion of Time is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 4 February to 11 March 1978...
(1978), the Doctor claims that he "wasn't responsible" for the disaster. 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....
", Clive, a conspiracy theorist
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
, shows Rose a photograph of the Ninth Doctor with "the Daniels family of Southampton", on the eve of their scheduled voyage on the Titanic. For an unspecified reason, they canceled their trip and survived.
Production
Many of the Platform One interiors were filmed at the Temple of PeaceTemple of Peace, Cardiff
The Welsh National Temple of Peace and Health, as known as the Temple of Peace, is a non-religious civic building in the civic centre of Cardiff, Wales. It was designed by the architect Sir Percy Thomas.-Location:...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Sets were also built and painted to match the Temple's marble interiors. In the documentary series Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor Who Confidential is a documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation to complement the revival of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Each episode was broadcast on BBC Three on Saturdays, immediately after the broadcast of the weekly...
, Russell T Davies joked that that there would never be such an expensive episode again (because of the large amount of CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects). Both Cassandra and the robotic spiders — other than an inactive one — are completely CGI generated creatures. The documentary also reveals that there are 203 visual effects shots in this episode, compared to "about 100" in the film Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)
Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays the loyal Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed...
.
The "iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
" (a Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
jukebox
Jukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
) that Cassandra unveils plays "Tainted Love
Tainted Love
"Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of The Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1965. It attained worldwide fame after being covered by Soft Cell in 1981, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart, and has since been covered by numerous groups and...
" by Soft Cell
Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. They consist of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The duo is most widely known for their 1981 worldwide hit version of "Tainted Love" and platinum debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret...
and later "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. "Toxic" was not actually released as a 7" 45 rpm vinyl single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. The production team mocked up a 7" single for use in the episode.
Jabe's scan of the Doctor displays an animation by Drew Berry
Drew Berry (animator)
Drew Berry is a biomedical animator at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia. His scientifically accurate and aesthetically rich visualizations are elucidating cellular and molecular processes for a wide range of audiences...
of translation
Translation (genetics)
In molecular biology and genetics, translation is the third stage of protein biosynthesis . In translation, messenger RNA produced by transcription is decoded by the ribosome to produce a specific amino acid chain, or polypeptide, that will later fold into an active protein...
, a process wherein a protein molecule is synthesised according to the genetic code carried by messenger RNA
Messenger RNA
Messenger RNA is a molecule of RNA encoding a chemical "blueprint" for a protein product. mRNA is transcribed from a DNA template, and carries coding information to the sites of protein synthesis: the ribosomes. Here, the nucleic acid polymer is translated into a polymer of amino acids: a protein...
. A production sketch of the scanner drawn by Matthew Savage shows a scan of the Doctor indicating nine different DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
samples — one for each incarnation.
Cast notes
Cassandra is a CGIComputer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
creation voiced by actress Zoë Wanamaker. Writer Russell T Davies revealed that Cassandra was inspired by the appearance of various female celebrities at the Oscars. He said, "It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Mary Kidman, AC is an American-born Australian actress, singer, film producer, spokesmodel, and humanitarian. After starring in a number of small Australian films and TV shows, Kidman's breakthrough was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm...
struck me in particular." Wanamaker reprised the role of Cassandra in the 2006 series' first episode, "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...
." See also List of guest appearances in Doctor Who.
Yasmin Bannerman
Yasmin Bannerman
Yasmin Bannerman is an English actress. Bannerman was born and brought up in Gloucestershire and attended the Rose Bruford College in London until 1993...
later played Kathy Swanson in the Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
episode "They Keep Killing Suzie
They Keep Killing Suzie
"They Keep Killing Suzie" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Torchwood. It is the eighth episode of the first series, which was broadcast on 3 December 2006.-Synopsis:...
" and Pandora in the audio play The Bride of Peladon
The Bride of Peladon
The Bride of Peladon is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Cast:*The Doctor — Peter Davison*Peri — Nicola Bryant*Erimem — Caroline Morris*Beldonia — Phyllida Law...
.
Broadcast
This episode begins with a cold openCold open
A cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
, which from here on became a standard feature. This is a first for the series, which previously used pre-credits teaser sequences sparingly in special episodes such as the post-regeneration
Regeneration (Doctor Who)
Regeneration, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey. This process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new...
Castrovalva (1982); the 20th anniversary special, The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...
(1983); and the 25th anniversary story, Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance of the Daleks
Remembrance 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....
(1988). According to a March 2006 interview with Russell T Davies, he requested for this episode to be broadcast back-to-back with "Rose", but the request was given to the BBC too close to transmission. In the U.S. the Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
did run the two episodes consecutively.
External links
- BBC Doctor Who Homepage
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 2: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly