Doomsday (Doctor Who)

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181b – "Doomsday"
Doctor Who episode
File:Doomsdaywho.jpg
The Daleks, the Cybermen and Torchwood battle in Canary Wharf.
Cast
Others
Production
Directed byGraeme Harper
Written byRussell T. Davies
Script editorHelen Raynor
Produced byPhil Collinson
Executive producer(s)Russell T. Davies
Julie Gardner
SeriesSeries 2
Running time2nd of 2 episodes, 45 minutes
First broadcast8 July, 2006
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Army of Ghosts" 		Followed by →
"The Runaway Bride"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"Doomsday" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July. The finale of the 2006 series, it is the final regular appearance of Billie Piper as companion Rose Tyler until 2008,[1] Noel Clarke as Rose's ex-boyfriend and previous companion Mickey Smith, and Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall as parents Jackie and Pete Tyler. The two-part story features the return of the Daleks, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series' finale, and the Cybermen, who appeared "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel", both species having unexpectedly traversed the Void into "Torchwood Tower" in "Army of Ghosts".

The episode primarily focuses upon the Daleks and Cybermen waging a global war with humanity caught in the crossfire, with the Doctor, the Tyler family, and Mickey Smith fighting for their lives trying to revert the situation. They are successful in this goal, but at an emotional cost to the Doctor and Rose as they are split apart.

The episode is among the most popular Doctor Who episodes since the show's revival, with the highest Audience Appreciation rating (of "89") as of 2007,[2] and generally favoured by critics for both the Cybermen-Dalek conflict and the farewell between the Doctor and Rose.

Plot

Dr Singh, Mickey and Rose are trapped in a sealed room within Torchwood Tower, with four Daleks who have emerged from the void ship approach them. A Dalek Supreme, Dalek Sec extracts information about contemporary Earth from Singh's brain, killing him. He discovers that a "second species" has invaded Earth and sends out "Dalek Thay" out to investigate. Meanwhile, after the Cybermen have taken control of Torchwood and encouraged mankind around the world to upgrade, they detect the Dalek technology and offer an alliance. Thay denies, leading the two species to declare war on each other.

Requiring more troops, the Cyber Leader orders humans to be "upgraded", including Hartman and Jackie. When discussing the destructive nature of emotions with the Doctor, a strike team arrives and destroys the Cyber Leader, and teleports with a protesting Doctor back to the parallel universe. The ensuing chaos facilitates Jackie's escape.

In the parallel universe, Jake Simmonds explains that the People's Republic found out about Torchwood, took control, and shut it down. Pete Tyler then explains that the Cybermen crossed over while debate raged about their sentience, and implores the Doctor to close the breach to save both worlds.

In the Sphere Chamber, Rose tells Mickey they were kept alive because their touch would be able to activate the Genesis Ark. Sec explains that the Cult cannot open the Ark as it is stolen Time Lord technology, and demands Rose opens it. She accepts, but goads the Daleks about annihilating their Emperor,[3] until the Doctor appears in the doorway and realises the Daleks are the secretive Cult of Skaro. In order to save Rose and Mickey, the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to allow Cybermen to rush in. While escaping, Mickey accidentally activates the Ark. After the Daleks have defeated the Cybermen, they move into the Torchwood storage area and begin a three-way battle with Torchwood and the Cybermen, before levitating outside and releasing the contents of the Ark - millions of Daleks, who begin exterminating both Cybermen and humans alike.

The Doctor arrives in the lever room and explains his plan - in crossing the breach, both Daleks and Cybermen became saturated in background radiation. By reversing the void's effect, anything that crossed the breach would be sucked back in - including Rose and Mickey, which is why they must stay in the parallel universe. Rose refuses to leave the Doctor even after being teleported, and thus helps him open the breach. Once the breach is open, the pair hold onto a pair of magnetic clamps as the Cybermen and Daleks become drawn in. During this process, Rose's lever becomes damaged, forcing her to release the clamp to fix it, until she loses her grip and lets go. Before the breach closes upon her, Pete catches her and teleports her to his world.

Some time later, Rose has a dream where she hears the Doctor's voice calling her. The Tyler family follow the voice to fifty miles outside Bergen, Norway, on the coastline of Dårlig Ulv Stranden — Bad Wolf Bay. There, an image of the Doctor appears, who harnessed the power of a supernova to transmit an image through one of the final breaches. As the breach is to close permanently in two minutes, the pair share one last conversation, in which Rose breaks down in tears and tells him that she loves him, but before the Doctor can reciprocate, the breach closes. In the TARDIS, a tearful Doctor regains his composure and sets a new course. He looks up to see a woman in a wedding dress, who sharply demands that he tell her where she is.

Continuity

"Doomsday" is the first episode in the history of Doctor Who in which the Cybermen and the Daleks appear together on screen. Both Cybermen and Daleks were featured in The Five Doctors and "Army of Ghosts", but in separate scenes.

The Cult of Skaro's purpose, thinking as the enemy thinks, is to combat the limits of the Daleks' logic, and is a concept that was visited several times previously; in The Evil of the Daleks, the Daleks attempted to use "the Human Factor" to increase their strategic effectiveness,[4] while in Remembrance of the Daleks, the Renegade Dalek faction used a human schoolgirl as a battle computer.[5]

The episode's events created a minor story arc for the following series and spin-off series Torchwood. The effects of the "cyber-conversion" of humans to Cybermen were later explored in the Torchwood episode "Cyberwoman" and spin-off novella Made of Steel, The loss of Rose was used several times in the third series - the memory was used in an attempt to weaken the Doctor in "The Shakespeare Code",[6], and was an annoyance to companions Donna Noble[7] and Martha Jones.[8] The loss of Rose upset him during "The Runaway Bride",[7] but it also allowed him to "keep on fighting" several times.[6]

Production

Southerndown beach in Wales was used as the backdrop to the Doctor's farewell to Rose on Dårlig Ulv Stranden.

The concept of the Daleks and Cybermen appearing on screen is not new; in December 1967, the BBC approached Terry Nation to have both races in a serial, but Nation vetoed this idea. The concept came to Davies while mapping out the 2006 series - the story would both serve to resurrect the popular Daleks and provide a suitable exit for Piper, who had decided to leave Doctor Who after two series.[2]

The two-part finale was originally going to take place in Cardiff on the time rift which was the focus of the episodes "The Unquiet Dead" and "Boom Town". With the commission of the Torchwood series in 2005, Davies decided to base the spin-off in Cardiff and relocate "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" to Canary Wharf in London.[2]

To ensure that Clarke and Dingwall were available for filming, the story was filmed in the season's third production block along with "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel". Filming for the story started on 2 November 2005 on location in Kennington, but this story did not become the primary focus of the production crew until 29 November, when filming began on the scenes in and around the sphere chamber. The scene of the Tylers driving through Norway was filmed at Bridgend on 6 December, while the scenes in the lever room, the main setting for the story, were filmed between 12 December and 15 December, and 3 January and 5 January 2006. Greenscreen work for Rose being sucked into the void took place on 13 January and the skirmish between the military and Cybermen on the bridge was filmed on 15 January.[2]

The penultimate scene of the episode, the Doctor's farewell to Rose, was filmed on 16 January 2006, and was the last day of filming for Clarke and Dingwall. While Piper's last scene was Rose's reunion with the Doctor in "The Satan Pit" on 31 March,[9] the shoot was rather emotional,[10] to the point there were several tears on set.[11] The last scene, Catherine Tate's appearance in the TARDIS as Donna Noble, was filmed on 31 March during the wrap party, and was the last usage of the TARDIS set that had been used since 2005. To ensure the secrecy of Rose's departure and Tate's appearance, only Piper and Tennant were given scripts of the departure scene, and director Graeme Harper was not informed of the final scene until the last possible second.[2]

An item of discussion between the production staff was over who would rescue Rose; Davies and Julie Gardner felt that Pete should have rescued her to emphasise that Pete had accepted Rose as a surrogate daughter, while Noel Clarke and Phil Collinson felt the position should have been given to Mickey.[2]

Music

"Doomsday"
The beginning of the song "Doomsday".
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"I wanted to get that kind of throbbing, sort of hurt, sound of quite emotional rock, because I thought that's Rose would do if she was hurting and ran up to her bedroom and locked herself in her room and had a good old cry, really."
Murray Gold on the subject of "Doomsday"[12]

As well as using existing music such as the themes for the Daleks, Cybermen and Rose, Murray Gold specially composed a piece of music for Rose's farewell, entitled "Doomsday", which featured vocal work from Melanie Pappenheim. Instead of using swelling violins, which Davies and the rest of the production team had expected, Gold took a minimalist approach. The track represents Rose's unbridled energy and her heart beating as she searches for the Doctor.[12] The piece uses the same vocal work from "Rose" when Rose first enters the TARDIS.[12] The piece is a favourite among fans,[12] especially Julie Gardner,[10] and is among the reasons, along with Pappenheim's overall contribution and the song "Song for Ten" from "The Christmas Invasion", that the a soundtrack of both series was released several months later.[13][14]

Outside references

Davies has stated that elements of the story were inspired by Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, including the existence of rips between the universes having a negative effect and having to be closed and the protagonists staying permanently in separate universes. Pullman was "flattered" by the references in the episode, and compared Davies' actions to his own practice of referencing works.[15]

Broadcast and reception

To protect as much information concerning the episode as possible, the final scene of "Army of Ghosts" was withheld, the BBC website's Fear Forecasters were not allowed to see the episode before its airing,[16] and access to copies was restricted. Despite this, the Dalek Sec prop, which had been previously unused, had invaded the stage at the 2006 BAFTA Television Awards. A similar moratorium would be placed on the following series' finale "Last of the Time Lords".[17]

Overnight ratings showed that 7.72 million people watched "Doomsday" with a 43% share of the audience. The episode peaked at 8.58 million viewers in the last five minutes of the episode.[18] The episode's final viewing figures was 8.22 million viewers and was, excepting World Cup games, the second most watched television programme of the week, behind an episode of Coronation Street, and eighth most-watched overall.[18] The companion episode of Doctor Who Confidential gained just over one million viewers, making it the second most watched programme on a non-terrestrial channel that week.[18] The ratings for the episode were higher than the following World Cup match between Germany and Portugal, which had a million less viewers.[19]

"Doomsday" is one of the most popular episodes of the revived Doctor Who. It gained an audience Appreciation Index of 89, the highest for all new series episodes,[2] and is the only episode of Doctor Who to receive a perfect "10" rating on IGN,[20] who congratulated Davies on making an action-packed episode so emotional.[21] Television Without Pity gave the episode an "A+" rating.[22] The Stage commented that the Dalek-Cybermen conflict was the "only thing worth watching" at the weekend, overshadowing even the World Cup Final, and that the parting scene was "beautifully written and movingly played", with "not a dry eye in the universe".[23] Dek Hogan of Digital Spy stated that the episode was "beautifully balanced and with moments of high excitement and touching poignancy" and that the single oil tear shed by the Cyberman version of Hartman was a "nice touch", but criticised Catherine Tate's appearance as being unnecessary to end the episode and for "breaking the mood".[24]

After its initial airing, the episode was released on DVD with "Fear Her" and "Army of Ghosts" on 25 September 2006.[25] It was first aired on CBC Television on 19 February 2007.[26] The story ("Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday") was nominated for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.[27]

References

  1. ^ "Billie Piper to return to Dr Who". BBC. 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Template:Brief
  3. ^ Writer Russell T. Davies, Director Joe Ahearne, Producer Phil Collinson (2005-06-18). "The Parting of the Ways". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Writer David Whitaker, Director Derek Martinus, Producer Innes Lloyd. The Evil of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Writer Ben Aaronovitch, Directors Andrew Morgan, John Nathan-Turner (uncredited), Producer John Nathan-Turner. Remembrance of the Daleks. Doctor Who. BBC. BBC1. {{cite serial}}: Unknown parameter |began= ignored (|date= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |ended= ignored (|date= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Writer Gareth Roberts, Director Charles Palmer, Producer Phil Collinson (2007-04-07). "The Shakespeare Code". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ a b Writer Russell T. Davies, Director Graeme Harper, Producer Phil Collinson (2006-12-25). "The Runaway Bride". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Writer Russell T. Davies, Director Richard Clark, Producer Phil Collinson (2007-04-14). "Gridlock". Doctor Who. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Template:Brief
  10. ^ a b Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson. Commentary for "Doomsday" (mp3). BBC. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  11. ^ "Episode 13: Finale" (Embedded Flash object). Doctor Who Confidential. BBC. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  12. ^ a b c d "Music and Monsters". Doctor Who Confidential. 2006-12-25. BBC. BBC One. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |city= ignored (|location= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Who soundtrack soon". BBC. 2006-07-17. Retrieved 2007-10-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Soundtrack details". BBC. 2006-11-06. Retrieved 2007-10-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Would Pullman write for Dr Who?". Newsround. 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-12-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Fear Forecast: "Army of Ghosts"". BBC Doctor Who website. BBC. Retrieved 2007-02-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  17. ^ "What did Lizo think of Doctor Who?". CBBC. 2007-06-18. Retrieved 2007-06-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ a b c Lyon, Shaun (2006-07-20). "Doomsday Final Ratings, and Series Two Recap". Outpost Gallifrey News Page. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Jane Hoskyn. "World Cup streaming fails to score". The Register; TV Scoop.
  20. ^ "Television reviews; Score: 10". IGN. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
  21. ^ "Doomsday review". IGN. 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
  22. ^ "Hold the Line With Me: Doomsday recap". Doctor Who reviews. Television Without Pity. 2006-12-23. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
  23. ^ Harry Venning (2006-07-17). "TV review". The Stage. Retrieved 2007-12-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ "Horses for Courses". Dek's TV Diary. Digital Spy. 2006-07-09. Retrieved 2007-12-22.
  25. ^ "Doctor Who: Series 2 Volume 5". BBC Shop. BBC. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
  26. ^ "Vol 10, No 6". This Week in Doctor Who. Outpost Gallifrey; Internet Archive. 2007-02-07. Retrieved 2008-01-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ "Nippon 2007 Hugo Nominees". World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2007-03-29.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to "Doomsday".

Reviews

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