About
- Broadcast: 25 December 2005
- Viewers: 9.84m
- Availability: DVD Series 2: Volume 1
Synopsis
Christmas becomes a time of terror for Planet Earth, as the whole of mankind falls under the shadow of the alien Sycorax. Rose needs the Doctor’s help, but can she trust a man with a new face?
Credits
Written by Russell T. Davies
Directed by James Hawes
The Doctor – DAVID TENNANT
Rose Tyler – BILLIE PIPER
Mickey – NOEL CLARKE
Jackie – CAMILLE CODURI
Harriet Jones – PENELOPE WILTON
Alex Klein – ADAM GARCIA
Danny Llewellyn – DANIEL EVANS
Sycorax Leader – SEAN GILDER
Sally – ANITA BREIM
Major Blake – CHU ORNAMBALA
Sandra – SIAN McDOWALL
Jason – PAUL ANDERSON
Mum – CATHY MURPHY
Policeman – SEAN CARLSEN
Newsreader 1 – JASON MOHAMMED
Newsreader 2 – SAGAR ARYA
Newsreader 3 – LACHELE CARL
Quotes
Doctor: “I need–”
Jackie: “Liquid paraffin. Vitamin C? Vitamin D? Vitamin E?”
Doctor: “I need–”
Jackie: “Is it food? Something simple? Uh– a bowl of soup? A nice bowl of soup? Soup and a sandwich? Soup and a little ham sandwich?”
Doctor: “I need you to shut up!”
Jackie: “Oh, he hasn’t changed that much, has he?”
Major Blake: “I’m getting demands from Washington, ma’am. The President’s insisting that he takes control of the situation.”
Harriet Jones: “You can tell the President- and please use these exact words- he’s not my boss and he’s certainly not turning this into a war.”
Jackie: “Right, here we go. Nice cup of tea.”
Rose: “Hmm, the solution to everything.”
Harriet Jones: “Did we asked about the Royal Family?… Oh. They are on the roof.”
Harriet Jones: “Help us. Please, Doctor. Help us.”
The Doctor: “Am I… ginger?”
The Doctor: “No, you’re just sort of brown.”
Doctor: “Ah, I wanted to be ginger. I’ve never been ginger. ”
Sycorax Leader: “I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE!”
The Doctor: [Mimics] “I DON’T KNOW!”
The Doctor: “These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun. There is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than– no, hold on… Sorry… that was the Lion King”
Sycorax Leader: “Witchcraft”.
The Doctor: “Timelord”.
The Doctor: “When you talk of the earth, then make sure you tell them this. It is DEFENDED”
The Doctor: “Not bad for a man in his jim jams. Very Arthur Dent. Now there was a nice man. ”
The Doctor: “No second chances. I’m that sort of a man.”
Doctor: “Don’t challenge me, Harriet Jones. ‘Cause I’m a completely new man. I could bring down your Government with a single word.”
Harriet Jones: “You’re the most remarkable man I’ve ever met. But I don’t think you’re quite capable of that.”
Doctor: “No, you’re right. Not a single word…Just six. ”
Notes
Chronologically the events of this episode would take place December 2006. Some time after Rose travelled back in ‘The Parting of the Ways’.
Russell T Davies said that the film Independence Day was his inspiration for episode.
Penelope Wilton reprises her role as Harriet Jones. She was last seen in ‘World War Three’.
This episode was one hour long as opposed to the usual 45 minutes.
Look carefully when Rose and Mickey walk past Waterstones book store. A Doctor Who book can be seen in the window.
Both the opening and end credit music were new arrangements.
The end credits music restored a section of the theme tune refered to by fans as the ‘middle 8.’
The song, “Song for Ten”, playing during the wardrobe scene was written by series composer Murray Gold and performed by his friend, Tim Phillips.
This episode follows directly on from the 2005 Children in need special, although it is David Tennants first ‘proper’ full length episode.
Notice: Big Ben is still being repaired after the damage it received in ‘Aliens of London’.
We learn The Doctor can regenerate damaged body parts within 15 hours of the regeneration cycle.
When the Doctor is getting changed in the TARDIS costume room, notice all of the former Doctors outfits (in part) as well as some of the former companions from the classic series. The Doctor also sizes up Casanova’s costume from BBC’s 2005 TV series in which David Tennant also played the title role.
Torchwood is seeded in this episode. The organisation is given the go ahead by Harriet Jones.
This episode was immediately followed with a special interactive episode titled ‘ATTACK OF THE GRASKE‘. Viewers pressed the red button on their remotes in order to play.
The BBC launched a new tie-in website to coincide with this episode, www.guinevere.org.uk.
The Who is Doctor Who? tie-in website was updated with a new entry from Mickey.
Download an audio commentary track for this episode featuring Russell T Davies (writer), Julie Gardner (executive producer) and Phil Collinson (producer).