The Hungry Earth
Encyclopedia
"The Hungry Earth" is the eighth episode in the fifth series
of British
science fiction
television series Doctor Who
, which was first broadcast on 22 May 2010 on BBC One
. It was written by Chris Chibnall
, who had previously written for Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood
. It is the first episode of a two-part story, the second episode being "Cold Blood
", and features the return of the Silurians
, a reptile-like humanoid
race last seen in 1984's Warriors of the Deep
.
In the episode, the Doctor
—a time travelling
alien played by Matt Smith—and his companions
Amy Pond
(Karen Gillan
) and her fiancé Rory Williams
(Arthur Darvill
) land in Wales in 2020, where a drilling operation headed by Nasreen Chaudhry (guest actress Meera Syal
) is drilling deep into the earth and disrupting a civilisation of Silurians who dwell beneath the earth. The Silurians cause holes to open in the earth, one of which consumes Amy. The Doctor and Rory capture one Silurian, Alaya (Neve McIntosh
), and the Doctor instructs Rory and a local family to not harm Alaya, as it could spark a war. He then takes Nasreen in the TARDIS
to the Silurian civilisation to rescue Amy and a local boy.
Executive producers Steven Moffat
and Piers Wenger
contacted Chibnall and asked him to write a two-part episode involving Silurians and a drill. Moffat wished to redesign the Silurians and worked together with Chibnall to create the idea of distinguising prosthetics for their faces. Being in the fourth production block
of the series, the episode was filmed in October and November 2009, with location filming in Llanwynno
, Wales
. The episode was watched by 6.49 million viewers on BBC One and BBC HD
and received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised the horror, some noted that the story was very simplistic, and critics disagreed on the redesigned Silurians.
, Amy
and Rory
land in the small Welsh village of Cwmtaff in 2020 instead of their intended destination, Rio de Janeiro
. They encounter a mining operation led by Doctor Nasreen Chaudhry, who is studying minerals deep in the earth that have not been seen for over 20 million years. Nasreen is assisted by a local, Tony Mack, whose daughter and grandson, Ambrose and Elliot, are examining the disappearance of bodies at the nearby church graveyard. An earth tremor causes the ground to open and sends Tony and Amy falling into it; Tony is rescued but Amy is pulled under by unknown forces. The Doctor surmises that the minerals form a bio-reactive defence system triggered by the drilling operation. The group is soon alerted to the presence of three life forms traveling up the drilling shaft from 21 kilometres below the earth, and they barricade themselves in the church. The Doctor explains Amy's disappearance to Rory and assures him he will get her back.
The three beings turn out to be reptilian humanoid
s, and in a scuffle, they capture Elliot and strike Tony with a venomous forked tongue
; the Doctor and Rory subdue one while the other two retreat with Elliot back into the earth. The Doctor realises the beings are a new form of Silurians
, and that they have relented in their attack since both sides hold a hostage. The captured Silurian calls herself Alaya; she is a member of the warrior caste, awoken by the drill. Alaya believes, as do all Silurians, that the Earth still belongs to them, that the drilling was a form of attack by the humans, and that they will defeat humanity eventually. Tony, suffering from the effects of the venom, says they should dissect Alaya, but the Doctor warns that it would be seen as an act of war
. The Doctor decides to travel in the TARDIS down the drilling shaft to talk to the rest of the Silurians and work out a truce; Nasreen accompanies him.
Amy awakens to find herself strapped to an examining table, near to where Ambrose's husband Mo is also ensnared. Mo explains that the Silurians intended to vivisect
her, as they have vivisected him - awake. The Doctor and Nasreen arrive underground in the TARDIS; the Doctor explains about the Silurians and says that he expects to encounter only a few of the creatures. The show ends on a cliffhanger as the Doctor and Nasreen behold an immense Silurian civilisation in the caverns below the earth.
e-mailed Chris Chibnall
, asking him to return to writing for Doctor Who. Chibnall had previously written the Doctor Who episode "42
" as well as episodes of the spin-off series Torchwood
. Moffat and executive producer Piers Wenger
gave him the brief of Silurians, a drill, and that it was a two-parter. The Silurians were villans who had previously appeared in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians
and the 1984 serial Warriors of the Deep
. For research, Chibnall read the original novel Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters and watched the original serial, noting the freedom writer Malcolm Hulke
took with the novel in things he could not have done in the television format. Chibnall wanted there to be a large Silurian city in contrast to the small human village on the surface. Knowing that the Silurians were not as popular and recurring as other villans, Moffat instructed Chibnall to bring the creatures to a new audience, and Chibnall decided to start out with knowing nothing abot them and then introducing them in "the most exciting and scary way possible for people who've never seen them before". Chibnall also considered bringing back the Silurians amphibious cousins the Sea Devils, but decided that doing two races of monster was much tougher and the story was "so clearly about the Silurians and what the Silurians want".
Chibnall, having enjoyed when the Doctor and his companion were separated, made the decision for Amy to be absent for most of the episode. Moffat also thought that, at the point in the middle of the series, it was appropriate to show the Doctor behave differently with other people. A deleted scene, parts of which shown on the accompaning behind-the-scenes show Doctor Who Confidential
, was filmed, depicting Amy discussing with the Doctor how she had seen herself with Rory ten years in the future, and if that would really happen.
With the absence of Amy, Chibnall thought that Nasreen became a "de facto
companion". Meera Syal
, who was cast as Nasreen, had been a fan of the series since childhood and had been trying to secure a role in the show since its revival in 2005 and was pleased when she received it. Syal described her character as "a very high-up, innovative geologist" who became good friends with the Doctor as the two admired each other's passion.
also had a third eye and he wanted the Silurians to be "completely different". They were intended to be a different branch of the same species, and so the original Silurians still existed. Chibnall wrote for the redesigned Silurians to be beautiful and it was intended for the redesign to capture the actors' features and allow them to give stronger performances and differentiate themselves. Chibnall believed that it complimented the theme in the two-parter about how the humans and Silurians were alike and different. Due to the expensive prosthetics needed, extra Silurians wore face masks which prevented the need for every actor portraying a Silurian to receive the facial prosthetics. Chibnall also incorporated a poisonous tongue into the new branch of Silurians.
"The Hungry Earth" and the second part, "Cold Blood
" made up the fourth production block
of the series and were filmed in late October and November 2009 in the Upper Boat Studios
and Llanwynno
, Wales
. In an interview, Syal stated that they did the location filming first. The drill itself was automatic and done by computer. For the scene in which Amy is dragged underneath the ground, Gillan stood on boxes and lowered herself into a stone compartment. Two pieces of rubber were at the opening of the compartment which expanded as she lowered herself down. A layer of soil was spread across the rubber; Gillan's ears were taped over to make sure the soil did not enter her ears. Gillan, initally scared at performing the stunt, put some of her fear and claustrophobia into the scene as she expected Amy felt the same way.
on 22 May 2010 at 6:15 p.m. The time was earlier than usual to make way for the finale of Over the Rainbow
, broadcast afterwards. Inital overnight ratings showed that the episode was watched by 4.39 million viewers on BBC One, a 30.8% audience share. Based on this figure, it was the lowest-rated episode since Doctor Who had returned to television in 2005. When final consolidated ratings were calculated, it was shown that the episode was watched by 6.49 million viewers; 6.01 on BBC One and an additional 0.48 million viewers on BBC HD
. The episode was the ninth most-watched programme on the week ending Sunday 23 May 2010, and the 20th programme across all channels. The episode also received an Appreciation Index
of 86, considered "excellent".
"The Hungry Earth" was released in Region 2 on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 August 2010 with the episodes "Amy's Choice
" and "Cold Blood
". It was then re-released as part of the Complete Fifth Series boxset on 8 November 2010.
, said that the episode set up an "interesting quandary" but, although many elements were introduced, "not a lot actually seems to happen". He was also critical of the family members and found he did not care about any of them besides Elliot and Nasreen, and although the scene in which Amy was pulled into the ground was "effective and poignant", it left a lack of "Pond-life" in the rest of the episode. However, he did commend the prosthetics department for their redesigned Silurians. Gavin Fuller of The Daily Telegraph
was pleased that it "didn't disappoint" him. He praised the choice to show the Doctor's pacifism and Amy's few but memorable "nightmarish" scenes. However, he was not favourable to Meera Syal's performance and considered the Silurian's redesign too "radical and divorced" from their original appearance, most notably the absence of their third eye.
Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times
gave the episode a positive review, saying that it felt "like proper, classic Doctor Who" in terms of "gripping storytelling, terrific pace, spooky direction, a grand idea...a small-scale Earth setting in the near future, characters worth caring about...plenty of meat for the three leads" and "a companion in real peril". He particularly praised the performances of Syal and Smith. He also enjoyed the Silurian's redesign, saying that the old one "would...look ridiculous today". Though he "missed" the old voice from Peter Halliday
, he said he adjusted to Neve McIntosh
. AOL
TV reviewer Brad Trechak was positive towards the comparisons that could be made between conflicts throughout history to the human-Silurian conflict, but called the episode a "wasted opportunity". He felt that it was "more suspense and adventure than horror", wishing that it was scarier, and also commented that it was "very simplistic" and did not re-introduce the Silurians as well as it would have if they was part of the overall storyline.
IGN
's Matt Wales rated the episode 8 out of 10, assessing it as a "slender but satisfying success". He said that the narrative was "simplistic" without much depth, but that the "strong supporting cast" and "sympathetic characters" made it a "refreshingly involving tale". He also praised Smith's Doctor, who "delivered admirably" and carried out the show with the absence of Amy. Ian Berriman for SFX magazine gave the episode three out of five stars, mainly displeased with the redesign of the Silurians, although he was positive toward their "venomous tongue lash" and costume. He also criticised the "clunky" scripting and questioned some technical aspects. However, he praised the scene of Amy being dragged into the earth, as well as Alaya's hunt for Elliot in the graveyard and the interaction between the Doctor and Elliot.
Doctor Who (series 5)
The fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who began on 3 April 2010 with "The Eleventh Hour" and ended with "The Big Bang" on 26 June 2010. The series was led by head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat, who took over after the departure of Russell T Davies. The...
of 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
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
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...
, which was first broadcast on 22 May 2010 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...
. It was written by Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall is a British playwright, television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction series Torchwood....
, who had previously written for Doctor Who and its spin-off series, 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...
. It is the first episode of a two-part story, the second episode being "Cold Blood
Cold Blood (Doctor Who)
"Cold Blood" is the ninth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on Saturday 29 May 2010...
", and features the return of the Silurians
Silurian (Doctor Who)
The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...
, a reptile-like humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
race last seen in 1984's Warriors of the Deep
Warriors of the Deep
Warriors of the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 5 January to 13 January 1984...
.
In the episode, the Doctor
Eleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
—a time travelling
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
alien played by Matt Smith—and his companions
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
Amy Pond
Amy Pond
Amelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(Karen Gillan
Karen Gillan
Karen Sheila Gillan is a Scottish actress and former model who is best known for her current portrayal of Amy Pond in the British science fiction series Doctor Who.-Early life:...
) and her fiancé Rory Williams
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
(Arthur Darvill
Arthur Darvill
Thomas Arthur Darvill is an English actor, known professionally as Arthur Darvill. He is noted for his work in the plays Terre Haute and Swimming with Sharks , but is probably best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor's Companion Rory Williams in the television series Doctor Who.-Early and...
) land in Wales in 2020, where a drilling operation headed by Nasreen Chaudhry (guest actress Meera Syal
Meera Syal
Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
) is drilling deep into the earth and disrupting a civilisation of Silurians who dwell beneath the earth. The Silurians cause holes to open in the earth, one of which consumes Amy. The Doctor and Rory capture one Silurian, Alaya (Neve McIntosh
Neve McIntosh
-Early life:Born in Paisley, Neve McIntosh grew up in Edinburgh, where she attended Boroughmuir High School. She moved to Glasgow to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, after which she was in repertory companies at Perth and at The Little Theatre on the Isle of Mull.-Theatre:She...
), and the Doctor instructs Rory and a local family to not harm Alaya, as it could spark a war. He then takes Nasreen 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 Silurian civilisation to rescue Amy and a local boy.
Executive producers Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
and Piers Wenger
Piers Wenger
Piers Wenger is a British television producer who has been Head of Drama at BBC Wales since January 2009. His work includes the BAFTA-winning Victoria Wood drama Housewife, 49 and the 2007 adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's novel Ballet Shoes....
contacted Chibnall and asked him to write a two-part episode involving Silurians and a drill. Moffat wished to redesign the Silurians and worked together with Chibnall to create the idea of distinguising prosthetics for their faces. Being in the fourth production block
Production blocking
Production blocking is a common problem in brainstorming groups. It is a tendency for one individual to block or inhibit other people during a group discussion. For example, if six people are in a group and one person is talking about his or her idea, then the other five people are "blocked" and...
of the series, the episode was filmed in October and November 2009, with location filming in Llanwynno
Llanwynno
Llanwynno is a hamlet high up in the mountains between the historic mining valleys of the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys in Rhondda Cynon Taf deep in the heart of the South Wales Valleys ....
, 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...
. The episode was watched by 6.49 million viewers on BBC One and BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
and received mixed reviews from critics. While some praised the horror, some noted that the story was very simplistic, and critics disagreed on the redesigned Silurians.
Plot
The DoctorEleventh Doctor
The Eleventh Doctor is the eleventh incarnation of the protagonist of the BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. Matt Smith plays this incarnation, replacing David Tennant's Tenth Doctor in the 2010 episode "The End of Time, Part Two"...
, Amy
Amy Pond
Amelia Jessica 'Amy' Pond is a fictional character portrayed by Karen Gillan in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Rory
Rory Williams
Rory Williams is a fictional character portrayed by Arthur Darvill in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having been introduced at the start of the 5th series, Rory joins the Eleventh Doctor as a companion in the middle of Series 5...
land in the small Welsh village of Cwmtaff in 2020 instead of their intended destination, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. They encounter a mining operation led by Doctor Nasreen Chaudhry, who is studying minerals deep in the earth that have not been seen for over 20 million years. Nasreen is assisted by a local, Tony Mack, whose daughter and grandson, Ambrose and Elliot, are examining the disappearance of bodies at the nearby church graveyard. An earth tremor causes the ground to open and sends Tony and Amy falling into it; Tony is rescued but Amy is pulled under by unknown forces. The Doctor surmises that the minerals form a bio-reactive defence system triggered by the drilling operation. The group is soon alerted to the presence of three life forms traveling up the drilling shaft from 21 kilometres below the earth, and they barricade themselves in the church. The Doctor explains Amy's disappearance to Rory and assures him he will get her back.
The three beings turn out to be reptilian humanoid
Reptilian humanoid
Reptilian humanoids comprise a common motif in mythology, folklore, science fiction, fantasy, conspiracy theories, ufology, and cryptozoology.-Male:...
s, and in a scuffle, they capture Elliot and strike Tony with a venomous forked tongue
Forked tongue
A forked tongue is a tongue split into two distinct tines at the tip; this is a feature common to many species of reptiles. Reptiles smell using the tip of their tongue, and a forked tongue allows them to sense from which direction a smell is coming. Sensing from both sides of the head and...
; the Doctor and Rory subdue one while the other two retreat with Elliot back into the earth. The Doctor realises the beings are a new form of Silurians
Silurian (Doctor Who)
The Silurians are a fictional race of reptile-like humanoids in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The species first appeared in Doctor Who in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians...
, and that they have relented in their attack since both sides hold a hostage. The captured Silurian calls herself Alaya; she is a member of the warrior caste, awoken by the drill. Alaya believes, as do all Silurians, that the Earth still belongs to them, that the drilling was a form of attack by the humans, and that they will defeat humanity eventually. Tony, suffering from the effects of the venom, says they should dissect Alaya, but the Doctor warns that it would be seen as an act of war
Casus belli
is a Latin expression meaning the justification for acts of war. means "incident", "rupture" or indeed "case", while means bellic...
. The Doctor decides to travel in the TARDIS down the drilling shaft to talk to the rest of the Silurians and work out a truce; Nasreen accompanies him.
Amy awakens to find herself strapped to an examining table, near to where Ambrose's husband Mo is also ensnared. Mo explains that the Silurians intended to vivisect
Vivisection
Vivisection is defined as surgery conducted for experimental purposes on a living organism, typically animals with a central nervous system, to view living internal structure...
her, as they have vivisected him - awake. The Doctor and Nasreen arrive underground in the TARDIS; the Doctor explains about the Silurians and says that he expects to encounter only a few of the creatures. The show ends on a cliffhanger as the Doctor and Nasreen behold an immense Silurian civilisation in the caverns below the earth.
Writing and casting
Steven MoffatSteven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
e-mailed Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall is a British playwright, television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction series Torchwood....
, asking him to return to writing for Doctor Who. Chibnall had previously written the Doctor Who episode "42
42 (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....
" as well as episodes of the spin-off series 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...
. Moffat and executive producer Piers Wenger
Piers Wenger
Piers Wenger is a British television producer who has been Head of Drama at BBC Wales since January 2009. His work includes the BAFTA-winning Victoria Wood drama Housewife, 49 and the 2007 adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's novel Ballet Shoes....
gave him the brief of Silurians, a drill, and that it was a two-parter. The Silurians were villans who had previously appeared in the 1970 serial Doctor Who and the Silurians
Doctor Who and the Silurians
Doctor Who and the Silurians is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in seven weekly parts from January 31 to March 14, 1970. The story is the first appearance of a recurring family of Earth-dwelling reptiles...
and the 1984 serial Warriors of the Deep
Warriors of the Deep
Warriors of the Deep is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 5 January to 13 January 1984...
. For research, Chibnall read the original novel Doctor Who and the Cave Monsters and watched the original serial, noting the freedom writer Malcolm Hulke
Malcolm Hulke
Malcolm Hulke was a British television writer and author of the industry "bible" Writing for Television in the 70s...
took with the novel in things he could not have done in the television format. Chibnall wanted there to be a large Silurian city in contrast to the small human village on the surface. Knowing that the Silurians were not as popular and recurring as other villans, Moffat instructed Chibnall to bring the creatures to a new audience, and Chibnall decided to start out with knowing nothing abot them and then introducing them in "the most exciting and scary way possible for people who've never seen them before". Chibnall also considered bringing back the Silurians amphibious cousins the Sea Devils, but decided that doing two races of monster was much tougher and the story was "so clearly about the Silurians and what the Silurians want".
Chibnall, having enjoyed when the Doctor and his companion were separated, made the decision for Amy to be absent for most of the episode. Moffat also thought that, at the point in the middle of the series, it was appropriate to show the Doctor behave differently with other people. A deleted scene, parts of which shown on the accompaning behind-the-scenes show 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...
, was filmed, depicting Amy discussing with the Doctor how she had seen herself with Rory ten years in the future, and if that would really happen.
With the absence of Amy, Chibnall thought that Nasreen became a "de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
companion". Meera Syal
Meera Syal
Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
, who was cast as Nasreen, had been a fan of the series since childhood and had been trying to secure a role in the show since its revival in 2005 and was pleased when she received it. Syal described her character as "a very high-up, innovative geologist" who became good friends with the Doctor as the two admired each other's passion.
Filming and effects
Moffat wanted the Silurians to be redesigned and without their former third eye, as DavrosDavros
Davros is a character from the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Davros is an archenemy of the Doctor and is the creator of the Doctor's deadliest enemies, the Daleks...
also had a third eye and he wanted the Silurians to be "completely different". They were intended to be a different branch of the same species, and so the original Silurians still existed. Chibnall wrote for the redesigned Silurians to be beautiful and it was intended for the redesign to capture the actors' features and allow them to give stronger performances and differentiate themselves. Chibnall believed that it complimented the theme in the two-parter about how the humans and Silurians were alike and different. Due to the expensive prosthetics needed, extra Silurians wore face masks which prevented the need for every actor portraying a Silurian to receive the facial prosthetics. Chibnall also incorporated a poisonous tongue into the new branch of Silurians.
"The Hungry Earth" and the second part, "Cold Blood
Cold Blood (Doctor Who)
"Cold Blood" is the ninth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on Saturday 29 May 2010...
" made up the fourth production block
Production blocking
Production blocking is a common problem in brainstorming groups. It is a tendency for one individual to block or inhibit other people during a group discussion. For example, if six people are in a group and one person is talking about his or her idea, then the other five people are "blocked" and...
of the series and were filmed in late October and November 2009 in the Upper Boat Studios
Upper Boat Studios
Upper Boat Studios is a television studio complex operated by BBC Wales and based in Upper Boat, a village on the outskirts of Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf in Wales. The studios were officially opened on 27 July 2006 by Welsh Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies, for the purpose of producing Doctor...
and Llanwynno
Llanwynno
Llanwynno is a hamlet high up in the mountains between the historic mining valleys of the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys in Rhondda Cynon Taf deep in the heart of the South Wales Valleys ....
, 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...
. In an interview, Syal stated that they did the location filming first. The drill itself was automatic and done by computer. For the scene in which Amy is dragged underneath the ground, Gillan stood on boxes and lowered herself into a stone compartment. Two pieces of rubber were at the opening of the compartment which expanded as she lowered herself down. A layer of soil was spread across the rubber; Gillan's ears were taped over to make sure the soil did not enter her ears. Gillan, initally scared at performing the stunt, put some of her fear and claustrophobia into the scene as she expected Amy felt the same way.
Broadcast and reception
"The Hungry Earth" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC OneBBC 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 22 May 2010 at 6:15 p.m. The time was earlier than usual to make way for the finale of Over the Rainbow
Over the Rainbow (TV series)
Over The Rainbow is a South Korean TV drama, which had its first run from July 26, 2006 to September 14, 2006.-Synopsis:Over the Rainbow is about three people who love to dance. Jeong Hee-su ran away from her father in New Zealand and tried to make a go as a singer in Seoul. She ended up renting a...
, broadcast afterwards. Inital overnight ratings showed that the episode was watched by 4.39 million viewers on BBC One, a 30.8% audience share. Based on this figure, it was the lowest-rated episode since Doctor Who had returned to television in 2005. When final consolidated ratings were calculated, it was shown that the episode was watched by 6.49 million viewers; 6.01 on BBC One and an additional 0.48 million viewers on BBC HD
BBC HD
BBC HD is a high-definition television network provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
. The episode was the ninth most-watched programme on the week ending Sunday 23 May 2010, and the 20th programme across all channels. The episode also received an Appreciation Index
Appreciation Index
The Audience Appreciation Index is a score out of 100 which is used as an indicator of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by BARB, the organisation that compiles television...
of 86, considered "excellent".
"The Hungry Earth" was released in Region 2 on DVD and Blu-ray on 2 August 2010 with the episodes "Amy's Choice
Amy's Choice (Doctor Who)
"Amy's Choice" is the seventh episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 15 May 2010...
" and "Cold Blood
Cold Blood (Doctor Who)
"Cold Blood" is the ninth episode in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on Saturday 29 May 2010...
". It was then re-released as part of the Complete Fifth Series boxset on 8 November 2010.
Critical reception
The episode received mixed reviews from critics. Dan Martin, writing for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, said that the episode set up an "interesting quandary" but, although many elements were introduced, "not a lot actually seems to happen". He was also critical of the family members and found he did not care about any of them besides Elliot and Nasreen, and although the scene in which Amy was pulled into the ground was "effective and poignant", it left a lack of "Pond-life" in the rest of the episode. However, he did commend the prosthetics department for their redesigned Silurians. Gavin Fuller of The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
was pleased that it "didn't disappoint" him. He praised the choice to show the Doctor's pacifism and Amy's few but memorable "nightmarish" scenes. However, he was not favourable to Meera Syal's performance and considered the Silurian's redesign too "radical and divorced" from their original appearance, most notably the absence of their third eye.
Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio 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...
gave the episode a positive review, saying that it felt "like proper, classic Doctor Who" in terms of "gripping storytelling, terrific pace, spooky direction, a grand idea...a small-scale Earth setting in the near future, characters worth caring about...plenty of meat for the three leads" and "a companion in real peril". He particularly praised the performances of Syal and Smith. He also enjoyed the Silurian's redesign, saying that the old one "would...look ridiculous today". Though he "missed" the old voice from Peter Halliday
Peter Halliday
Peter Halliday is a Welsh actor.He is probably best known for his role as Dr. John Fleming in A for Andromeda and its sequel,...
, he said he adjusted to Neve McIntosh
Neve McIntosh
-Early life:Born in Paisley, Neve McIntosh grew up in Edinburgh, where she attended Boroughmuir High School. She moved to Glasgow to attend the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, after which she was in repertory companies at Perth and at The Little Theatre on the Isle of Mull.-Theatre:She...
. AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
TV reviewer Brad Trechak was positive towards the comparisons that could be made between conflicts throughout history to the human-Silurian conflict, but called the episode a "wasted opportunity". He felt that it was "more suspense and adventure than horror", wishing that it was scarier, and also commented that it was "very simplistic" and did not re-introduce the Silurians as well as it would have if they was part of the overall storyline.
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Matt Wales rated the episode 8 out of 10, assessing it as a "slender but satisfying success". He said that the narrative was "simplistic" without much depth, but that the "strong supporting cast" and "sympathetic characters" made it a "refreshingly involving tale". He also praised Smith's Doctor, who "delivered admirably" and carried out the show with the absence of Amy. Ian Berriman for SFX magazine gave the episode three out of five stars, mainly displeased with the redesign of the Silurians, although he was positive toward their "venomous tongue lash" and costume. He also criticised the "clunky" scripting and questioned some technical aspects. However, he praised the scene of Amy being dragged into the earth, as well as Alaya's hunt for Elliot in the graveyard and the interaction between the Doctor and Elliot.