The Long Game
Encyclopedia
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire. However, the Doctor senses things wrong on the station: there are no aliens, and those who are promoted to Floor 500 simply disappear.
, Rose
and Adam travel forward in time to the year 200,000 and land aboard Satellite 5, a space station
orbiting Earth. The Doctor investigates the station.
Meanwhile the Doctor and Rose try to get more information from Cathica. Cathica gives vague answers, but the Doctor deduces that something is holding the human race back, both in attitude and technology, for the last 91 years - ever since Satellite 5 started broadcasting. The Doctor hacks into the station computers. The Editor is aware of the Doctor's actions, and allows him to gain the password to come to Floor 500.
On floor 500, Rose and the Doctor encounter the Editor, The Editor explains that through Satellite 5, they have been able to change the Empire into a place where humans are allowed to live, using manipulated news to instill fear into the human race to keep them in a closed society. These actions have been controlled by a consortium of banks, and by the "Editor-in-Chief", the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe ("Max" for short), who hangs above their heads.
Adam has the port implanted, and, after recovery, goes to the newsroom and opens his port; he calls his parent's answering machine with the "superphone", and initiates a link with the computer. Cathica, hearing this, goes to the newsroom on Floor 500 and uses her link to sever Adam's connection and to reverse the flow of the environmental systems, sending heat to Floor 500, causing the Jagrafess to overheat. The Doctor and Rose escape while the Editor tries to sever Cathica's link, the Editor is then caught in the explosion of the Jagrafess.
The Doctor is furious with Adam. The Doctor takes Adam home in the TARDIS, destroys the answering machine and banishes Adam from the TARDIS.
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...
that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire. However, the Doctor senses things wrong on the station: there are no aliens, and those who are promoted to Floor 500 simply disappear.
Plot
The DoctorNinth 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....
, 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...
and Adam travel forward in time to the year 200,000 and land aboard Satellite 5, 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...
orbiting Earth. The Doctor investigates the station.
Meanwhile the Doctor and Rose try to get more information from Cathica. Cathica gives vague answers, but the Doctor deduces that something is holding the human race back, both in attitude and technology, for the last 91 years - ever since Satellite 5 started broadcasting. The Doctor hacks into the station computers. The Editor is aware of the Doctor's actions, and allows him to gain the password to come to Floor 500.
On floor 500, Rose and the Doctor encounter the Editor, The Editor explains that through Satellite 5, they have been able to change the Empire into a place where humans are allowed to live, using manipulated news to instill fear into the human race to keep them in a closed society. These actions have been controlled by a consortium of banks, and by the "Editor-in-Chief", the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe ("Max" for short), who hangs above their heads.
Adam has the port implanted, and, after recovery, goes to the newsroom and opens his port; he calls his parent's answering machine with the "superphone", and initiates a link with the computer. Cathica, hearing this, goes to the newsroom on Floor 500 and uses her link to sever Adam's connection and to reverse the flow of the environmental systems, sending heat to Floor 500, causing the Jagrafess to overheat. The Doctor and Rose escape while the Editor tries to sever Cathica's link, the Editor is then caught in the explosion of the Jagrafess.
The Doctor is furious with Adam. The Doctor takes Adam home in the TARDIS, destroys the answering machine and banishes Adam from the TARDIS.
Cast notes
- Features guest appearances by Simon PeggSimon PeggSimon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
and Tamsin GreigTamsin GreigTamsin Greig is an English actress principally known for two Channel 4 television comedy parts: Fran Katzenjammer in Black Books and Dr. Caroline Todd in Green Wing...
. Pegg had previously played Don Chaney in the audio play Invaders from Mars. See also Celebrity appearances in Doctor WhoCelebrity appearances in Doctor WhoThis is a list of actors who have made guest appearances in Doctor Who.-First Doctor stories:-Second Doctor stories:-Third Doctor stories:-Fourth Doctor stories:-Fifth Doctor stories:-Sixth Doctor stories:-Seventh Doctor stories:...
.
Continuity
- This is the time period of the "Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire". The first Earth Empire was featured in several Third DoctorThird DoctorThe Third Doctor is the third incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee....
stories in the 1970s. It lasted from around the mid-26th century (Frontier in SpaceFrontier in SpaceFrontier in Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 24 to March 31, 1973...
) to the early 31st century (The MutantsThe MutantsThe Mutants is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 8 April to 13 May 1972....
). - While this is not the first time that a companion has tried to change history (that distinction belongs to BarbaraBarbara Wright (Doctor Who)Barbara Wright is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and a companion of the First Doctor. She was one of the programme's very first regulars and appeared in the bulk of its first two seasons from 1963–65, played by Jacqueline Hill. In the film version...
in The AztecsThe Aztecs (Doctor Who)-VHS and DVD releases:*The serial was released on VHS in 1992.*On 21 October 2002, it was released on Region 2 DVD. This release was the first Doctor Who DVD to use the VidFIRE process throughout the whole production.-External links:Fan reviews...
), Adam is the first to try to exploit the future for personal gain. The issue of changing history would be dealt with more directly in the next episode, "Father's DayFather's Day (Doctor Who)"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005...
". - Rose's "superphone", which the Doctor modified to allow her to call back to her own time (c. 2005) in "The End of the WorldThe End of the World (Doctor Who)"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....
" appears to be intelligent enough to realise who is using it, as it allows Adam to call back to his own time period of 2012 as well as back to Earth without the need for an area code. - When Adam first calls back to the 21st century, the establishing shot for his parents' home uses the same house that MickeyMickey SmithMickey Smith is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Noel Clarke.Mickey is introduced as the boyfriend of the Ninth and Tenth Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, and a recurring character on the programme...
was in front of when he was captured by the NesteneAutonThe Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
-animated dustbin in "RoseRose (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....
". - The related update of Mickey's "Who is Doctor Who?" websiteDoctor Who tie-in websitesThe 2005 series revival of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who features several tie-in websites produced by the BBC website team that viewers can access on the Internet...
has an essay from a 14-year-old Adam Mitchell. - Adam is the first on-screen companion in Doctor Who history to be evicted from the TARDIS for bad behaviour.
- The junk food vendor on board Satellite 5 is selling "kronkburgers". Kronkburgers were consumed by the guards of an alternate Roman EmpireRoman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
that had conquered the galaxy in the Doctor Who comic strip story, Doctor Who and the Iron Legion, that ran in Doctor Who Weekly #1-#8. They are also mentioned in the New Series AdventuresNew Series Adventures (Doctor Who)The New Series Adventures are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, Doctor Who. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published in the spring and autumn of each year. Beginning and concluding with...
novel The Resurrection CasketThe Resurrection CasketThe Resurrection Casket is a BBC Books original novel written by Justin Richards and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was published on April 13, 2006, alongside The Stone Rose and The Feast of the Drowned...
. - Following the "bad wolf" theme begun in earlier episodes of the season, one of the broadcast channels featuring the Face of BoeFace of BoeThe 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...
(from "The End of the WorldThe End of the World (Doctor Who)"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....
") is named "BAD WOLFTV". (See Story arcs in Doctor Who.) This news story states that the Face of Boe has become pregnant. - In the two-part finale of the 2005 series ("Bad WolfBad Wolf"Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games...
" and "The Parting of the WaysThe Parting of the Ways"The Parting of the Ways" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story that featured Christopher Eccleston making his last appearance as the Ninth Doctor...
") the "people" behind the Jagrafess are revealed to be the DalekDalekThe Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s. The finale is set on Satellite 5, now named the Game Station, a hundred years after "The Long Game". The Doctor claims in "Bad WolfBad Wolf"Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games...
" that "someone has been playing a long game", referring to the manipulation of humanity both before and after "The Long Game" took place.
Production
- In the book The Shooting Scripts, Russell T Davies claims that he had originally set out to write this episode from Adam's perspective, watching the adventure unfolding from his point of view (exactly as Rose did in "Rose") and seeing both the Doctor and Rose as enigmatic, frightening characters. He even gave this outline a working title: "Adam".
- According to the reproduction of the original series outline in Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
s Series One Special, another working title for this story was The Companion Who Couldn't. - When the Editor announces the Jagrafess's name to the Doctor and Rose, he pronounces it as "The Mighty Jagrafress of the Holy Hadrajassic Maxaraddenfoe". Actor Simon Pegg has admitted during interviews that he found this an extremely difficult line to say; so to avoid inconsistencies, the Jagrafess roars throughout the announcement (although the subtitles spell the name with the most common spelling). However, during the pre-credits sequence of "Bad Wolf", Pegg's "wrong" pronunciation can be clearly heard.
- In the DVDDVDA 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....
commentary for this episode, director Brian GrantBrian GrantBrian Wade Grant is a retired American basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions for five teams during 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association. He was known for his tenacious rebounding and blue-collar defense...
and actor Bruno LangleyBruno LangleyBruno Langley is an English actor. He is best known for playing Todd Grimshaw in Coronation Street and Adam Mitchell in Doctor Who.- Early life :...
refer to an additional motivation for Adam's actions. Apparently, in earlier drafts of the script, Adam's father suffered from a disease that was incurable in his time (2012) and he hoped to learn about a cure which had been discovered between that year and 200,000 (in the shooting script the condition is arthritisArthritisArthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints....
). No trace of this motivation remains in the finished programme, although Grant discusses it as if it were still present. - Langley and Grant also reveal in the DVD commentary that the "frozen vomit" that Adam spits out in one scene was in fact a "kiwi and orange ice cube".
- Voice artist Nicholas Briggs mentions on the DVD commentary for the episode "DalekDalek (Doctor Who episode)"Dalek" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek serial, The Daleks...
" that he recorded voice work for the Jagrafess, but his contribution was not used because it sounded too similar to the Nestene ConsciousnessAutonThe Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
(which Briggs had voiced in "RoseRose (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....
"). - According to Russell T Davies in his "Production Notes" column in Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#350 and later in the official preview for the story in #356, "The Long Game" was originally written in the early 1980s and submitted to the Doctor Who production office. Whether it was ever read by the production team of the time is unclear, as Davies received a rejection from the BBC Script Unit, who advised him to write more realistic television about "a man and his mortgage" instead. Davies reworked the story for the new series.
Outside references
- All of the logos of news channels shown in the corners of the television screens feature a symbol consisting of three concentric circles with the first two divided by six lines, possibly Satellite 5's logo. Many of the signs and documents on Satellite 5 also appear to contain a stylised script resembling HebrewHebrew languageHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
. - In finance, "playing a long game" refers to implementing a long-term strategy rather than focusing on short-term gains. This refers to the subtle scheme to enslave the human race without its knowledge over a period of decades, or even centuries, implemented by the Jagrafess, and also the even longer game later revealed as being played by the Daleks.
External links
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 7: The Dark Side
- "I'm the Editor." — Episode trailer for "The Long Game"