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Boom Town (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"Boom Town" is an episode in the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
, which was first broadcast on 4 June 2005. The Doctor, Rose and Jack travel to modern-day Cardiff and meet up with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey. There, they discover that a recent enemy is very much alive, and is willing to destroy the planet to ensure her freedom.
has landed the TARDIS
in Cardiff
, using the energy of the Rift
to recharge the time machine. He, Rose
, and Jack
, along with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey
who has met them there, spend the afternoon relaxing, until the Doctor recognises the photo of Margaret Blaine, a Slitheen
in her human suit, who has become the new mayor of Cardiff. The four track and capture Margaret, suspecting her of nefarious deeds after escaping the destruction of the other Slitheen ("Aliens of London
"/"World War Three
"). The Doctor observes her scale model plans for a new nuclear power plant, but identifies it is purposely flawed to cause a meltdown that would open the Rift and destroy the Earth. He also discovers the model contains a functioning tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator that Margaret would have used to flee the Earth. The Doctor decides to take Margaret back to her home planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, but Margaret laments that she is considered a criminal there and will be executed. The Doctor offers her final request, to accompany her to a dinner meal. Though Margaret attempts to kill the Doctor at the dinner several times, the Doctor easily evades each time. Margaret then tries to play on the Doctor's sympathy, requesting him to take her to another planet. During this, Jack sees the potential to use the extrapolator to speed up the recharging of the TARDIS, and returns there to integrate it into the console. Meanwhile, Mickey explains to Rose that he is starting to date someone else as Rose has been absent for him.
The Cardiff area is soon struck by a large earthquake. The Doctor, Margaret, Rose and Jack regroup to find that the extrapolator was a trap, meant to lock onto the nearest alien power source when used - in this case, the TARDIS - and sending that energy to open the Rift. They enter the TARDIS to try to help Jack disable the unit to no avail. Margaret takes Rose hostage and demands the extrapolator, but the heart of the TARDIS opens and Margaret looks into its light. The Doctor and Jack use the opportunity to close the Rift and disable the extrapolator. When the light vanishes, Margaret's human suit is empty except for a Slitheen egg; the Doctor surmises that the TARDIS' telepathy sensed that Margaret wanted a second chance at life and gave it to her. As the TARDIS crew prepares to return the egg to Raxacoricofallapatorius, Rose realises Mickey has left without saying goodbye. Though the Doctor offers to wait for him to return, Rose declines, believing she should have a second chance.
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...
, which was first broadcast on 4 June 2005. The Doctor, Rose and Jack travel to modern-day Cardiff and meet up with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey. There, they discover that a recent enemy is very much alive, and is willing to destroy the planet to ensure her freedom.
Plot
The DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)
The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
has landed the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, using the energy of the Rift
Cardiff Rift
The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
to recharge the time machine. He, 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 Jack
Jack Harkness
Captain Jack Harkness is a fictional character played by John Barrowman in Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. He first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "The Empty Child" and reappeared in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series as a companion of the ninth incarnation of the...
, along with Rose's boyfriend, Mickey
Mickey Smith
Mickey 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...
who has met them there, spend the afternoon relaxing, until the Doctor recognises the photo of Margaret Blaine, a Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
in her human suit, who has become the new mayor of Cardiff. The four track and capture Margaret, suspecting her of nefarious deeds after escaping the destruction of the other Slitheen ("Aliens of London
Aliens of London
"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 16 April 2005. The Doctor takes Rose back to 21st century London, just in time to witness a spaceship crashing into the River Thames, triggering a...
"/"World War Three
World War Three (Doctor Who)
"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story. The first part, "Aliens of London", was broadcast on 16 April...
"). The Doctor observes her scale model plans for a new nuclear power plant, but identifies it is purposely flawed to cause a meltdown that would open the Rift and destroy the Earth. He also discovers the model contains a functioning tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator that Margaret would have used to flee the Earth. The Doctor decides to take Margaret back to her home planet Raxacoricofallapatorius, but Margaret laments that she is considered a criminal there and will be executed. The Doctor offers her final request, to accompany her to a dinner meal. Though Margaret attempts to kill the Doctor at the dinner several times, the Doctor easily evades each time. Margaret then tries to play on the Doctor's sympathy, requesting him to take her to another planet. During this, Jack sees the potential to use the extrapolator to speed up the recharging of the TARDIS, and returns there to integrate it into the console. Meanwhile, Mickey explains to Rose that he is starting to date someone else as Rose has been absent for him.
The Cardiff area is soon struck by a large earthquake. The Doctor, Margaret, Rose and Jack regroup to find that the extrapolator was a trap, meant to lock onto the nearest alien power source when used - in this case, the TARDIS - and sending that energy to open the Rift. They enter the TARDIS to try to help Jack disable the unit to no avail. Margaret takes Rose hostage and demands the extrapolator, but the heart of the TARDIS opens and Margaret looks into its light. The Doctor and Jack use the opportunity to close the Rift and disable the extrapolator. When the light vanishes, Margaret's human suit is empty except for a Slitheen egg; the Doctor surmises that the TARDIS' telepathy sensed that Margaret wanted a second chance at life and gave it to her. As the TARDIS crew prepares to return the egg to Raxacoricofallapatorius, Rose realises Mickey has left without saying goodbye. Though the Doctor offers to wait for him to return, Rose declines, believing she should have a second chance.
Continuity
- Continuing the Bad Wolf theme, the nuclear power station is named "Blaidd Drwg", which means "bad wolf" in the Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. This was the first reference to be explicitly addressed. (See Story arcs in Doctor Who.) - The plot features a device called a "tribophysical waveform macro-kinetic extrapolator". Tribophysics was first mentioned in The Pyramids of Mars, and also features in Davies' Virgin New AdventuresVirgin New AdventuresThe Virgin New Adventures were a series of novels from Virgin Publishing based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who...
novel Damaged Goods, where it is described as the result of two realities rubbing against one another, leading to variances and breakdowns in the laws of physics. In the novel a creature called an N-form is able to slip between dimensions, presumably in the same way Margaret intends. - Rose mentions that she and the Doctor have been to the Glass Pyramid of Sancleen, and to Justicia, which is the star system that they visit 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 Monsters Inside by Stephen ColeStephen Cole (writer)Stephen Cole is an author of children's books and science fiction. He was also in charge of BBC Worldwide's merchandising of the BBC Television series Doctor Who between 1997 and 1999: this was a role which found him deciding on which stories should be released on video, commissioning and editing...
(where they encounter other members of the Slitheen family, as well as other members of the same race, the Blathereen). This is the first time any of the spin-off novels have been referenced on-screen. - Margaret refers to being threatened with being fed to the venom grubs in her childhood. Similar creatures appeared in the First DoctorFirst DoctorThe First Doctor is the initial incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor William Hartnell from 1963 to 1966. Hartnell reprised the role in the tenth anniversary story The Three Doctors in 1973 - albeit in a...
serial The Web PlanetThe Web PlanetThe Web Planet is the fifth serial in the second season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 13 February 1965 to 20 March 1965...
(1965). - Mickey calls the Doctor "Big-Ears", a continuation of the running joke regarding the Doctor's ears started 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....
". - In "UtopiaUtopia (Doctor Who)"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series...
", when the Tenth DoctorTenth DoctorThe 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 Martha JonesMartha JonesMartha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...
stop on the Cardiff RiftCardiff RiftThe Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
to fuel up the TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, the Doctor refers to the events of this episode. - There are at least two, if not three, selves of Jack in Cardiff during this episode: the youngest is depicted working with the Doctor. Unbeknownst to him, his older future self is running Torchwood Three from the hub under the rift in Roald Dahl Plass, but may or may not actually be present in the city. Both are unaware that a still older future self is frozen in the corpse vault in the hub.
- A segment of the Torchwood spin-off novel The Twilight StreetsThe Twilight StreetsThe Twilight Streets is a BBC Books original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the British science fiction television, Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. It features all the regular cast of the show. It was published on 6 March 2008....
deals with how Jack stopped Torchwood's involvement with this event- due to his desire to avoid causing a temporal paradox by accidentally making contact with his younger self-, and expands upon the character of Idris Hopper. - Margaret tells the Doctor that he is "always looking on because you dare not look back". DavrosDavrosDavros 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...
echoes those words almost exactly three years laterJourney's End (Doctor Who)"Journey's End" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane...
.
The TARDIS
- The sealing of the Cardiff rift in 1869 left a scar, similar to the way the events of the 1996 Doctor Who television movieDoctor Who (1996)Doctor Who is a television movie based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Developed as a co-production amongst Universal Television, BBC Television, BBC Worldwide, and the American network FOX, the 1996 television film premiered on 12 May 1996 on CITV in Edmonton,...
left a "dimensional scar" in San Francisco in the Eighth Doctor AdventuresEighth Doctor AdventuresThe Eighth Doctor Adventures are a series of spin off novels based on the long running BBC science fiction television series Doctor Who and published under the BBC Books imprint. 73 books were published overall...
novel Unnatural HistoryUnnatural History (Doctor Who)Unnatural History is an original novel written by Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by Jonathan BlumJonathan BlumJonathan Blum is an American writer most known for his work for various Doctor Who spin-offs, usually with his wife Kate Orman although he has also been published on his own...
and Kate OrmanKate OrmanKate Orman is an Australian author, best known for her books connected to the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who.-Biography:...
; the fact that the TARDIS needs to "refuel" from energy from the scar suggests that it is no longer being powered by the Eye of HarmonyEye of HarmonyThe Eye of Harmony is an artificial black hole created by the Time Lords to provide energy for their home world of Gallifrey and their time travel technology in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-First appearances:...
. What connection the "soul" of the TARDIS has with the Eye is not mentioned. - The place where the TARDIS lands in Roald Dahl PlassRoald Dahl PlassRoald Dahl Plass is a public plaza in Cardiff Bay, part of Cardiff, Wales. It is named after Cardiff-born author Roald Dahl, and is located on the coast along the south of the city centre. The square is home to the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre, a performing arts centre...
develops unusual properties, as seen in "Everything ChangesEverything Changes (Torchwood)"Everything Changes" is the first episode of the British science fiction television programme Torchwood, which was first broadcast on 22 October 2006.-Synopsis:Police constable Gwen Cooper comes across the mysterious organisation known as Torchwood...
", the first episode of the spin-off series TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood 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...
. - Rose attributes the TARDIS's disguise to a "cloaking deviceCloaking deviceCloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
" (the term used in the Doctor Who television movie) and the Doctor clarifies that it is called the chameleon circuit. - The Doctor's retort to Mickey that humans do not notice odd things like the TARDIS echoes a similar sentiment expressed by the Seventh DoctorSeventh DoctorThe 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....
in Remembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
: that humans have an "amazing capacity for self-deception." - The movements of the Earth due to the rift's energies cause cracks to appear on the plaza where the TARDIS sits. However the slabs are not split and tilted — they just have gaps through them. Coincidentally, a year after the episode's broadcast, in September 2006 (the time the story is set), the decking on the real plaza was replaced by tarmac.
- The idea that the TARDIS console directly harnesses the energies which drive the ship, and is at least in some sense "alive" and self-aware, dates back to the 1964 serial The Edge of DestructionThe Edge of DestructionThe Edge of Destruction is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in two weekly parts on February 8 and February 15, 1964. The serial is distinguished as a rare "bottle episode", in that the entire story is shot on a single set, with just...
. - Although the TARDIS has never regressed a person to infancy as it did with Blaine, it has helped with the Doctor's regenerations (The Tenth PlanetThe Tenth PlanetThe Tenth Planet is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 8 October to 29 October 1966. It was William Hartnell's last regular appearance as the First Doctor, and the first story to feature the Cybermen...
(1966), The Power of the DaleksThe Power of the DaleksThe Power of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 5 November to 10 December 1966. It is Patrick Troughton's first full story as the Doctor.-Plot:...
(1966) and Castrovalva (1982)). In the television movie, the MasterMaster (Doctor Who)The Master is a recurring character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is a renegade Time Lord and the archenemy of the Doctor....
tries to harness the TARDIS's Eye of Harmony to give himself a new set of regenerations; later, the TARDIS somehow brings GraceGrace HollowayDr. Grace Holloway is a fictional character played by Daphne Ashbrook in the 1996 television movie Doctor Who, a continuation of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
and Chang Lee back to life. Time travel technology that could turn a chicken back into an egg was seen in City of DeathCity of Death-Pre-production:Writer David Fisher had contributed two scripts to Doctor Whos sixteenth season – The Stones of Blood and The Androids of Tara – and was asked by producer Graham Williams for further story ideas...
(1979). Nyssa and TeganTegan JovankaTegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1981 to...
suffered both age progression and regression during the events of Mawdryn UndeadMawdryn UndeadMawdryn Undead is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was originally broadcast in four twice weekly parts from 1 February to 9 February 1983...
due to travelling in the TARDIS, but this was the result of an external infection that rendered them susceptible to that effect while travelling.
Production
- In the accompanying Doctor Who ConfidentialDoctor Who ConfidentialDoctor 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...
episode, Russell T Davies stated that he originally intended to call this episode "Dining with Monsters". He joked that a much better name for this episode would be "What should we do with Margaret?" In the French languageFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of the show, this episode has the title L'Explosion de Cardiff ("The Explosion of Cardiff"); in the German languageGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
dubbing, it is called Der Spalt (The Fissure, a reference both to the time rift in Cardiff and to the earthquake seen in this episode). - According to an interview with Russell T Davies in issue #360 of Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
(August 2005), this episode was originally offered to his friend and former colleague, the critically acclaimed and award-winning scriptwriter Paul AbbottPaul AbbottPaul Abbott is a BAFTA award-winning English television screenwriter and producer. Abbott has become one of the most critically and commercially successful television writers working in Britain today, following his work on many popular series, including Coronation Street, Cracker and Shameless,...
. Abbott accepted and submitted a storyline (titled "The Void", according to Doctor Who: The Legend Continues by Justin RichardsJustin RichardsJustin Richards is a British writer. He has written science fiction and fantasy novels, including series set in Victorian or early-20th-century London, and also adventure stories set in the present day...
), revealing that Rose had been bred by the Doctor as an experiment in creating a perfect companion. However, his commitments to his own series Shameless and State of Play meant that Abbott was unable to develop the episode further and had to leave the project.
Cast notes
- The actor playing Mr Cleaver, William ThomasWilliam Thomas (actor)William Thomas is a Welsh actor, who has appeared in many TV episodes and films. He made his first appearance on TV in 1974, and his work, as an actor, is still ongoing...
, had previously appeared as Martin the undertaker in the 1988 classic series story Remembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the DaleksRemembrance of the Daleks is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 5 October to 26 October 1988....
. This made him the first performer to appear in both the classic and new series of Doctor Who. He later went on to play Geraint Cooper, the father of Gwen CooperGwen CooperGwen Cooper is a fictional character in the BBC television programme Torchwood, a spin-off to the long-running show Doctor Who, portrayed by Welsh actress Eve Myles. The series' lead female character, Gwen has featured in every episode of the sci-fi programme to date as well as two crossover...
, in the 2008 TorchwoodTorchwoodTorchwood 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...
episode "Something BorrowedSomething Borrowed (Torchwood)"Something Borrowed" is the ninth episode of the second series of British science fiction television series Torchwood. It was broadcast by BBC Three on 5 March 2008 and repeated on BBC Two one week later.-Synopsis:...
" and 2011 series Torchwood: Miracle Day. He is the first actor to appear in all three series.
External links
- UNIT Press Statement - "Cardiff Earthquake"
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 11: Unsung Heroes and Violent Death
- "And I was having such a nice day..." — Episode trailer for "Boom Town"