Amy's Choice (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"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. It was written by sitcom writer Simon Nye
and directed by Catherine Morshead.
In the episode, lead characters the Doctor
, a time travelling
alien played by Matt Smith, and his human travelling companions
Amy
(Karen Gillan
) and her fiancé Rory
(Arthur Darvill
), are in a trap set by the mysterious "Dream Lord" (guest actor Toby Jones
), wherein they repeatedly fall asleep and wake up in a different reality. In one, Amy and Rory are happily married but pursued by elderly people possessed by aliens, while in another they are on board the Doctor's time machine, the TARDIS
, where they anticipate being frozen to death by a nearby astronomical phenomenon. They must decide which is the real reality and die in the phony one, to wake up in reality and escape the trap. At the episode's conclusion, the Dream Lord is ultimately revealed to be a manifestation of the Doctor's dark side and self-loathing.
Nye wrote the episode to explore and to test Amy's relationships with both the Doctor and Rory. Showrunner Steven Moffat
suggested that Nye, a comedy writer by trade, build the episode around a split dream concept, and encouraged Nye to create a "monster" for the episode, which influenced his writing of the retirement home dream. The dream scenes in Amy and Rory's village was filmed in Skenfrith
, Wales
and used CGI and prosthetics. "Amy's Choice" was seen by 7.55 million viewers on BBC One and BBC HD
and received generally mixed reviews from critics. The most positive praised the episode's surrealism and commended it as one of the year's strongest scripts, but other reviewers felt the episode's horror was unsatisfying, or that Morshead's direction was "flat".
, Amy
, and Rory
find themselves flickering between two realities, falling asleep at the sound of birdsong in one and waking in the other. In one, Amy and Rory stopped travelling with the Doctor five years previously; they are happily married and Amy is heavily pregnant. They find themselves in their hometown of Leadworth, chased by the Eknodine, an alien race that have disguised themselves as the elderly of the town and who are able to turn anyone else into dust by blowing a poisonous liquid on them. In the other, they are trapped in the powerless TARDIS
floating towards a freezing cold star which will kill them shortly. During one of their experiences in the TARDIS-reality, they are met by the "Dream Lord", who tells them that he created this trial, which they can only escape from by being killed in the false reality; death in the true reality will be permanent.
Eventually, the Dream Lord keeps Amy awake in the TARDIS-reality while the Doctor and Rory fall asleep and return to the Leadworth-reality. The Dream Lord questions Amy as to who she would choose between Rory and the Doctor; he states that she should choose between the worlds, because one leads to a peaceful married life with Rory while the other leads to adventure and excitement with the Doctor. Amy returns to Leadworth, and joins Rory and the Doctor defending her house from the Eknodine. As Amy believes she is going into labour, Rory is sprayed by the Eknodine and turns to dust. Amy decides that she is willing to risk her own life for the chance of seeing Rory again and concludes the Leadworth-reality is false; she and the Doctor drive a camper van into the house, leading to their assumed deaths. The three wake up again on the TARDIS where they are congratulated by the Dream Lord, who then reactivates the TARDIS. After the Dream Lord's departure, Amy and Rory are surprised by the Doctor when he directs the TARDIS to self-destruct, apparently killing them all.
The three wake up again on the TARDIS, no longer in any danger. The Doctor realises both realities were false since the Dream Lord had power in both and was a manifestation of his darker side. The three were influenced by psychic pollen that had fallen in the TARDIS, creating the Dream Lord and the false realities. As Amy and Rory reconfess their love for each other, the Doctor privately worries about the reappearance of the Dream Lord in his future.
the Dalek
s, and first mentioned in the Seventh Doctor
novel Love and War
and subsequently on-screen in "The Parting of the Ways
", where it was attributed to the Daleks. He also says to the Doctor, "I bet you're a vegetarian
!" in a butcher's shop and calls him "veggie", referring to The Two Doctors
, in which the Sixth Doctor
announced that he and Peri
would eat a vegetarian diet from then on. The Dream Lord also teases the Doctor's relationship with Elizabeth I. This began in "The Shakespeare Code
" where Elizabeth I wished to behead the Doctor
and was continued in The End of Time, which alluded to the possibility the two were married.
, who is known for writing the sitcom Men Behaving Badly
. Nye attended read-through
s of previous episodes to capture the character and "voice" of the Doctor and Amy. Nye admitted to restraining himself in the change from comedy to science fiction, but said it was "fun" and "hugely liberating". Showrunner Steven Moffat
originally gave Nye the premise of the episode for it to fit in the series arc, which was to challenge the Doctor and Amy's relationship. Nye states that Rory's "death" scene is essentially where Amy realizes her feelings for Rory. Nye wanted to prove that Amy really loved Rory, and he was "not just a cypher boyfriend or fiancé".
Moffat suggested the idea of the dream split to Nye, who was also influenced by his own dreams and sometimes wondering if they were real. Nye believed that the dream world was consistent with other alternate universes
within Doctor Who. Moffat also instructed Nye to come up with a monster, and Nye chose the elderly people possessed by the Eknodine, reflecting his own fear of old people as a child, but he made clear that he did not intend to make children scared of their grandparents.
for the episode took place on 17 February 2010 in the Upper Boat Studios
along with the read-through for episode eleven
, marking the final two read-throughs for the series. The dream sequences taking place in the fictional town of Upper Leadworth were filmed in Skenfrith
, Wales
.
Karen Gillan had to wear a latex prosthetic stomach bump for the scenes which depicted Amy as pregnant. She claimed it made her feel more mature and act ridiculously, and cited it as her favourite part of filming the series. Arthur Darvill wore a wig for the aged Rory, which was trimmed to look "more masculine" and pulled back in a ponytail. The Eknodine were CGI and the scenes were simply filmed with the actors opening their mouths. The scene in which Rory hits Eknodine-inhabited Mrs Hamil with a plank was filmed first of all with Darvill missing actress Joan Linder, and then again with Linder's stunt double, whom he was allowed to hit. There was only one prop of the plank, and fortunately all the necessary shots were completed before Darvill accidentally broke it.
's Third Doctor
in the stories The Curse of Peladon
and The Monster of Peladon
. Hobbs has also previously appeared as a lorry driver in The Claws of Axos
and operated the Wirrn prop for The Ark in Space
.
in the United Kingdom on Saturday, 15 May 2010 from 6:25 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. In the United States it was shown on sister station
BBC America
on 5 June 2010. In the UK, preliminary overnight ratings for the episode totalled 6.2 million viewers; 5.9 million on BBC One and 0.3 million on BBC HD
. Based on these estimated figures, viewership was about the same as the previous week
. When final ratings were calculated, it was shown BBC One held 7.063 million viewers, the sixth most viewed programme for the week, and 485,000 viewers on BBC HD, the highest viewed programme of the week for that channel. This gave "Amy's Choice" final consolidated ratings of 7.55 million viewers. The episode was also given an Appreciation Index
of 84.
"Amy's Choice" was released in Region 2 on DVD and Blu-ray format with the following episodes "The Hungry Earth
" and "Cold Blood
" on 2 August 2010. It was then re-released as part of the complete series five DVD on 8 November 2010.
, was positive about the episode, calling it "probably the strongest all-round script we've had this year, chock full of good lines". He added, "The concept of aliens inhabiting elderly people and turning them psychotic was wittily realised, particularly the bizarre sight of them laying siege to Amy and Rory's cottage with household and gardening implements". He concluded that it "was one of those stories that you would only find in Doctor Who, and shows once again that the series can provide genuine thought-provoking, interesting drama alongside its thrills and spills".
Daniel Martin, reviewing the episode on guardian.co.uk
, described it as "at least partially successful". He praised Karen Gillan's performance, saying that she "is capable of more than one-liners and physical comedy – and brings something to your eye, too". However, he thought that the episode lacked ideas and storylines usually found in the show, and criticised the sitcom-style dialogue. Patrick Mulkern, writing for the Radio Times
, was "distinctly underwhelmed", comparing it to "one of the more disappointing episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures
". He "particularly disliked the demonising of elderly people". Upon rewatching, however, although "previous gripes" remained, he did appreciate some the "more subdued" background music from Murray Gold
, the script's "tight structure and several amusing lines", and "the realisation that, for the first time, the Doctor is travelling with a couple in love".
Matt Wales of IGN
rated the episode 8.5 out of 10 and described it as "surreal, fantastical, intriguing, witty, emotional and, at times, genuinely unsettling". Unlike Martin, he said it was "impressive enough on pacing alone" and made a "brisk, refreshing 45-minute episode". However, he critisied the ending for being "glossed over so quickly" and considered the fact that the familiar TARDIS setting was the reality a bit predictable. Keith Phipps, writing on The A.V. Club
, graded the episode a B and stated it was "a solid ... entry in what's been a generally terrific season of Doctor Who". He praised Toby Jones' performance as the Dream Lord, saying that "in lesser hands, he might have come off as a copycat version of Star Trek
Q
, but Jones makes the part his own". However, he thought its weakness was the pace and "the retirement home-dwelling bad guys, who ultimately seem like a geriatric, and not that frightening, variation on the same old shambling zombies."
SFX Magazine
Jordan Farley gave the episode 3 and a half out of 5 stars, saying the direction "never quite [struck] the right balance between absurdist humour and sinister nightmare" and the camera was "a little flat" with a strange angle. He was displeased with the discovery that it had all been a hallucination and stated that Rory's death and other instances of horror "never shock in the way you might expect". However, he praised Smith for being "on blindingly good form" while portraying the Doctor's quirkier traits, considered that Gillan and Darvill were "fast becoming the most likeable companion couple in Doctor Who history", and said Jones was "a lot of fun to watch" despite not seeming to be completely the Doctor's dark side.
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 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...
, first broadcast 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...
on 15 May 2010. It was written by sitcom writer Simon Nye
Simon Nye
Simon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
and directed by Catherine Morshead.
In the episode, lead characters 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 human travelling 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
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
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...
), are in a trap set by the mysterious "Dream Lord" (guest actor Toby Jones
Toby Jones
Toby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor.-Early life:Jones was born in Hammersmith, London, the son of actors Jennifer and Freddie Jones...
), wherein they repeatedly fall asleep and wake up in a different reality. In one, Amy and Rory are happily married but pursued by elderly people possessed by aliens, while in another they are on board the Doctor's time machine, the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, where they anticipate being frozen to death by a nearby astronomical phenomenon. They must decide which is the real reality and die in the phony one, to wake up in reality and escape the trap. At the episode's conclusion, the Dream Lord is ultimately revealed to be a manifestation of the Doctor's dark side and self-loathing.
Nye wrote the episode to explore and to test Amy's relationships with both the Doctor and Rory. Showrunner 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...
suggested that Nye, a comedy writer by trade, build the episode around a split dream concept, and encouraged Nye to create a "monster" for the episode, which influenced his writing of the retirement home dream. The dream scenes in Amy and Rory's village was filmed in Skenfrith
Skenfrith
Skenfrith is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is located on the River Monnow, close to the border between Wales and England, about 6 miles north-west of Monmouth.- History and amenities :...
, 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...
and used CGI and prosthetics. "Amy's Choice" was seen by 7.55 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 generally mixed reviews from critics. The most positive praised the episode's surrealism and commended it as one of the year's strongest scripts, but other reviewers felt the episode's horror was unsatisfying, or that Morshead's direction was "flat".
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...
find themselves flickering between two realities, falling asleep at the sound of birdsong in one and waking in the other. In one, Amy and Rory stopped travelling with the Doctor five years previously; they are happily married and Amy is heavily pregnant. They find themselves in their hometown of Leadworth, chased by the Eknodine, an alien race that have disguised themselves as the elderly of the town and who are able to turn anyone else into dust by blowing a poisonous liquid on them. In the other, they are trapped in the powerless TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
floating towards a freezing cold star which will kill them shortly. During one of their experiences in the TARDIS-reality, they are met by the "Dream Lord", who tells them that he created this trial, which they can only escape from by being killed in the false reality; death in the true reality will be permanent.
Eventually, the Dream Lord keeps Amy awake in the TARDIS-reality while the Doctor and Rory fall asleep and return to the Leadworth-reality. The Dream Lord questions Amy as to who she would choose between Rory and the Doctor; he states that she should choose between the worlds, because one leads to a peaceful married life with Rory while the other leads to adventure and excitement with the Doctor. Amy returns to Leadworth, and joins Rory and the Doctor defending her house from the Eknodine. As Amy believes she is going into labour, Rory is sprayed by the Eknodine and turns to dust. Amy decides that she is willing to risk her own life for the chance of seeing Rory again and concludes the Leadworth-reality is false; she and the Doctor drive a camper van into the house, leading to their assumed deaths. The three wake up again on the TARDIS where they are congratulated by the Dream Lord, who then reactivates the TARDIS. After the Dream Lord's departure, Amy and Rory are surprised by the Doctor when he directs the TARDIS to self-destruct, apparently killing them all.
The three wake up again on the TARDIS, no longer in any danger. The Doctor realises both realities were false since the Dream Lord had power in both and was a manifestation of his darker side. The three were influenced by psychic pollen that had fallen in the TARDIS, creating the Dream Lord and the false realities. As Amy and Rory reconfess their love for each other, the Doctor privately worries about the reappearance of the Dream Lord in his future.
Continuity
The Dream Lord describes the Doctor sarcastically as "The Oncoming Storm", a name coined by his archenemiesArchenemy
An archenemy, archfoe, archvillain or archnemesis is the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction, often described as the hero's worst enemy .- Etymology :The word archenemy or arch-enemy originated...
the Dalek
Dalek
The 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, and first mentioned in 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....
novel Love and War
Love and War (Doctor Who)
Love and War is an original novel written by Paul Cornell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Seventh Doctor, Ace and introduces a new companion, Bernice Summerfield...
and subsequently on-screen in "The Parting of the Ways
The 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...
", where it was attributed to the Daleks. He also says to the Doctor, "I bet you're a vegetarian
Vegetarianism
Vegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...
!" in a butcher's shop and calls him "veggie", referring to The Two Doctors
The Two Doctors
The Two Doctors is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from 16 February to 2 March 1985. It starred Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as the Sixth Doctor and his companion Peri, respectively...
, in which the Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
announced that he and Peri
Peri Brown
Peri Brown, full name Perpugilliam Brown, is a fictional character played by Nicola Bryant in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
would eat a vegetarian diet from then on. The Dream Lord also teases the Doctor's relationship with Elizabeth I. This began in "The Shakespeare Code
The Shakespeare Code
"The Shakespeare Code" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 7 April 2007, and is the second episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. According to the BARB figures this episode was seen by 7.23 million viewers and was...
" where Elizabeth I wished to behead the Doctor
Tenth Doctor
The Tenth Doctor is the tenth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant, who appears in three series, as well as eight specials...
and was continued in The End of Time, which alluded to the possibility the two were married.
Writing
"Amy's Choice" was written by Simon NyeSimon Nye
Simon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, writing all of the four ITV Panto, co-writing the 2006 film Flushed Away, co-writing Reggie Perrin and creating the latest adaption of William Brown in the Just William CBBC...
, who is known for writing the sitcom Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly
Men Behaving Badly is a British comedy that was created and written by Simon Nye. It follows the lives of Gary Strang and his flatmates, Dermot Povey and Tony Smart It was first broadcast on ITV in 1992...
. Nye attended read-through
Read-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted....
s of previous episodes to capture the character and "voice" of the Doctor and Amy. Nye admitted to restraining himself in the change from comedy to science fiction, but said it was "fun" and "hugely liberating". Showrunner 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...
originally gave Nye the premise of the episode for it to fit in the series arc, which was to challenge the Doctor and Amy's relationship. Nye states that Rory's "death" scene is essentially where Amy realizes her feelings for Rory. Nye wanted to prove that Amy really loved Rory, and he was "not just a cypher boyfriend or fiancé".
Moffat suggested the idea of the dream split to Nye, who was also influenced by his own dreams and sometimes wondering if they were real. Nye believed that the dream world was consistent with other alternate universes
Parallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
within Doctor Who. Moffat also instructed Nye to come up with a monster, and Nye chose the elderly people possessed by the Eknodine, reflecting his own fear of old people as a child, but he made clear that he did not intend to make children scared of their grandparents.
Filming and effects
"Amy's Choice" was the last episode of the fifth series to be filmed, and the editing finished the week it aired. The read-throughRead-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted....
for the episode took place on 17 February 2010 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...
along with the read-through for episode eleven
The Lodger (Doctor Who)
"The Lodger" is the eleventh episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 12 June 2010...
, marking the final two read-throughs for the series. The dream sequences taking place in the fictional town of Upper Leadworth were filmed in Skenfrith
Skenfrith
Skenfrith is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is located on the River Monnow, close to the border between Wales and England, about 6 miles north-west of Monmouth.- History and amenities :...
, 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...
.
Karen Gillan had to wear a latex prosthetic stomach bump for the scenes which depicted Amy as pregnant. She claimed it made her feel more mature and act ridiculously, and cited it as her favourite part of filming the series. Arthur Darvill wore a wig for the aged Rory, which was trimmed to look "more masculine" and pulled back in a ponytail. The Eknodine were CGI and the scenes were simply filmed with the actors opening their mouths. The scene in which Rory hits Eknodine-inhabited Mrs Hamil with a plank was filmed first of all with Darvill missing actress Joan Linder, and then again with Linder's stunt double, whom he was allowed to hit. There was only one prop of the plank, and fortunately all the necessary shots were completed before Darvill accidentally broke it.
Cast notes
Nick Hobbs, who appeared as Mr Nainby in this episode, previously played Aggedor alongside Jon PertweeJon Pertwee
John Devon Roland Pertwee , was an English actor. Pertwee is best known for his role in the BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who, in which he played the third incarnation of the Doctor from 1970 to 1974, and as the title character in the series Worzel Gummidge...
's Third Doctor
Third Doctor
The 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....
in the stories The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 29 January to 19 February 1972.-Synopsis:...
and The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 23 March to 27 April 1974.-Synopsis:...
. Hobbs has also previously appeared as a lorry driver in The Claws of Axos
The Claws of Axos
-Writing:In late 1969, script editor Terrance Dicks contacted new writing duo Bob Baker and Dave Martin after reading a draft script they had sent around the BBC for another production, A Man's Life. After offering the duo a seven-part story in November 1969 for Doctor Whos eighth season, Baker and...
and operated the Wirrn prop for 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...
.
Broadcast and reception
"Amy's Choice" was first broadcast 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...
in the United Kingdom on Saturday, 15 May 2010 from 6:25 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. In the United States it was shown on sister station
Sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio and/or television stations operated by the same ownership....
BBC America
BBC America
BBC America is an American television network, owned and operated by BBC Worldwide, and available on both cable and satellite.-History:The channel launched on March 29, 1998, broadcasting comedy, drama and lifestyle programs from BBC Television and other British television broadcasters like ITV and...
on 5 June 2010. In the UK, preliminary overnight ratings for the episode totalled 6.2 million viewers; 5.9 million on BBC One and 0.3 million 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...
. Based on these estimated figures, viewership was about the same as the previous week
The Vampires of Venice
"The Vampires of Venice" is the sixth episode in the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was broadcast on 8 May 2010. It was written by Toby Whithouse, who previously wrote "School Reunion". Rory Williams returns to the series in this episode, this time...
. When final ratings were calculated, it was shown BBC One held 7.063 million viewers, the sixth most viewed programme for the week, and 485,000 viewers on BBC HD, the highest viewed programme of the week for that channel. This gave "Amy's Choice" final consolidated ratings of 7.55 million viewers. The episode was also given 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 84.
"Amy's Choice" was released in Region 2 on DVD and Blu-ray format with the following episodes "The Hungry Earth
The Hungry Earth
"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...
" 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...
" on 2 August 2010. It was then re-released as part of the complete series five DVD on 8 November 2010.
Critical reception
"Amy's Choice" received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Gavin Fuller, writing for The Daily TelegraphThe 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 positive about the episode, calling it "probably the strongest all-round script we've had this year, chock full of good lines". He added, "The concept of aliens inhabiting elderly people and turning them psychotic was wittily realised, particularly the bizarre sight of them laying siege to Amy and Rory's cottage with household and gardening implements". He concluded that it "was one of those stories that you would only find in Doctor Who, and shows once again that the series can provide genuine thought-provoking, interesting drama alongside its thrills and spills".
Daniel Martin, reviewing the episode on guardian.co.uk
Guardian.co.uk
guardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
, described it as "at least partially successful". He praised Karen Gillan's performance, saying that she "is capable of more than one-liners and physical comedy – and brings something to your eye, too". However, he thought that the episode lacked ideas and storylines usually found in the show, and criticised the sitcom-style dialogue. Patrick Mulkern, writing for the 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...
, was "distinctly underwhelmed", comparing it to "one of the more disappointing episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
". He "particularly disliked the demonising of elderly people". Upon rewatching, however, although "previous gripes" remained, he did appreciate some the "more subdued" background music from Murray Gold
Murray Gold
Murray Gold is an English composer for stage, film, and television and a dramatist for both theatre and radio.-Television:Gold has been nominated for a BAFTA four times in the category Best Original Television Music, for Vanity Fair , Queer as Folk , Casanova and Doctor Who...
, the script's "tight structure and several amusing lines", and "the realisation that, for the first time, the Doctor is travelling with a couple in love".
Matt Wales of 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...
rated the episode 8.5 out of 10 and described it as "surreal, fantastical, intriguing, witty, emotional and, at times, genuinely unsettling". Unlike Martin, he said it was "impressive enough on pacing alone" and made a "brisk, refreshing 45-minute episode". However, he critisied the ending for being "glossed over so quickly" and considered the fact that the familiar TARDIS setting was the reality a bit predictable. Keith Phipps, writing on The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, graded the episode a B and stated it was "a solid ... entry in what's been a generally terrific season of Doctor Who". He praised Toby Jones' performance as the Dream Lord, saying that "in lesser hands, he might have come off as a copycat version of Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
Q
Q (Star Trek)
Q is a fictional character who appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as in related products. In all of these programs, he is played by John de Lancie....
, but Jones makes the part his own". However, he thought its weakness was the pace and "the retirement home-dwelling bad guys, who ultimately seem like a geriatric, and not that frightening, variation on the same old shambling zombies."
SFX Magazine
SFX magazine
SFX is a British magazine covering the topics of science fiction and fantasy.-Description:SFX magazine is published every four weeks by Future Publishing and was founded in 1995. The magazine covers topics in the genres of popular science fiction, fantasy and horror, within the media of films,...
Jordan Farley gave the episode 3 and a half out of 5 stars, saying the direction "never quite [struck] the right balance between absurdist humour and sinister nightmare" and the camera was "a little flat" with a strange angle. He was displeased with the discovery that it had all been a hallucination and stated that Rory's death and other instances of horror "never shock in the way you might expect". However, he praised Smith for being "on blindingly good form" while portraying the Doctor's quirkier traits, considered that Gillan and Darvill were "fast becoming the most likeable companion couple in Doctor Who history", and said Jones was "a lot of fun to watch" despite not seeming to be completely the Doctor's dark side.