Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death
Encyclopedia
Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death (commonly shortened to The Curse of Fatal Death) is a four-episode special of Doctor Who
made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom
, and broadcast on BBC One
on 12 March 1999. It follows in a long tradition of popular British television programmes producing short, light-hearted specials for such telethon events.
It has a special status amongst Doctor Who-themed charity productions. It has twice been featured on the cover of Doctor Who Magazine
- an unusual feat even for a regular episode of the programme. It is the only parodic
story to be covered by "DWM Archives", a section of DWM normally reserved for discussion of past episodes of the regular series. Similarly, it is the only parody to be given an extensive behind-the-scenes article on the BBC official website, and its own video release through BBC Video. It is also the only BBC-commissioned live-action Doctor Who production between the Doctor Who television movie and "Rose".
Finally, it serves as a production bridge - if not a narrative bridge - between the 1963 and 2005 versions of the programme. Most notable amongst the many connections between "old" and "new" versions is the fact that it showcases the first televised Doctor Who script by Steven Moffat
, the first post-production work of The Mill
on the programme, the only time a woman produced an episode of the programme between Verity Lambert
and Susie Liggat
, and the final performance by the longest-serving Dalek vocal artist, Roy Skelton
.
gloating over his latest scheme to destroy his arch-nemesis. However, instead of only spying on the Doctor
and his assistant Emma, he is actually in communication with them, so they hear his plans. The Doctor invites his old foe to meet him at an old castle on the planet Tersurus. The planet is in ruins, and was the home of a now-extinct race of supremely-enlightened beings shunned by all because they used flatulence
as their means of communication. They all died when one of them discovered fire.
The Master appears, gloating that he travelled a century back in time, and persuaded the architect of the castle to put in a secret death trap. The Doctor had anticipated this and travelled further back, persuading the same architect to sabotage the trap. The Master had also anticipated this, and arranged for an additional trap - with identical results because the Doctor had likewise anticipated his move. The Doctor informs the Master, having calculated that he "has saved every planet in the known universe a minimum of 27 times", and having grown tired of battles with aliens and "the endless gravel quarries
", that he is retiring, having found a Companion - Emma - with whom he has fallen in love. The Master springs yet another trap; a trap door under the Doctor's feet leading to the vast sewers
of Tersurus, which he intends to suggest to the architect
after going back in time again and buying him an expensive dinner. However, the Doctor had already bought the architect that dinner, so when the Master pulls the lever the trap door opens beneath him instead.
Seconds later, as the Doctor and Emma start to leave, the Master bursts in. Having taken him three centuries to crawl out, he emerges as an old man covered in sewage. Using his TARDIS to return to the present, he has brought allies - the Dalek
s (who, lacking noses, are the only race that will have anything to do with him). Additionally, he has been enhanced by superior Dalek technology, a Dalek SuctionCup Hand. To the Master's dismay he can not answer when Emma asks him what the suction cup is for. The Master throws himself at the Doctor but falls into the sewers again, and immediately bursts in again, another three hundred years older. The Daleks give chase to the Doctor, knocking the Master once more into the sewers. Having spent a total of 936 years in the sewers with only snail
s for food, companionship, and romance, he returns using a zimmer frame and is easily outpaced by the Daleks.
Emma and the Doctor, trying to escape, are captured when they run into a room full of Daleks. Rather than being exterminated immediately, they are tied to chairs aboard the Dalek ship. (Why the legless Daleks would have chairs, as well as leave the Doctor and Emma alive, is something they "will explain later".) The Master, now young again, exclaims that he has been enhanced with Dalek technology again - rejuvenating him and adding "Dalek bumps" attached to his chest. To make things worse the Doctor makes several comments, alluding to the "Dalek bumps" as breasts. In return for his enhancement, the Master intends to give the Daleks a weapon of vast power - the Zektronic energy beam - a weapon that would "allow the Daleks to conquer the universe in a matter of minutes"... by means that will be explained later.
When the Doctor tells the Daleks they'll have to share the universe "with the beard and the bosoms over there", they inform the Doctor that they plan to exterminate the Master after he has assisted them. The Doctor uses the Tersuran language (farting) to warn his fellow Time Lord
, undetected by the Daleks, who don't have noses. The Master helps the Doctor and Emma to escape, but not before the Doctor is fatally injured. He tells Emma (in Tersuran, which the Master translates) that he loves her, then dies. The Master notes that "this is only his ninth body", upon which the Doctor regenerates into a handsome and sexually eager new Doctor (Richard E. Grant
). Forced to fix the Dalek weapon, so that it won't explode and implode, he is electrocuted and becomes a shy, middle-aged and overweight Doctor (Jim Broadbent
). Another accident results in a handsome, smooth-mannered Doctor (Hugh Grant
), but this Doctor is also accidentally killed while fixing the weapon.
Time Lords can regenerate twelve times, but the weapon's energy prevents his twelfth regeneration, so it seems the Doctor is permanently dead. The Master vows to live a life of heroism in honour of his fallen foe's memory, as do the Daleks.
But (perhaps through the will of the universe itself) the Doctor does regenerate yet again, only this time as a woman (Joanna Lumley
). Emma is deeply disappointed, pointing out quite literally that "You're just not the man I fell in love with." The Master, however, is quite smitten with this new Doctor, who notices the sonic screwdriver has "three settings!" The story ends with them walking off together.
's era and a conscious effort was made to use cues taken directly from episodes of that era. However, the practical unavailability of these soundtracks forced the show's musical director, Mark Ayres
, to utilize material mostly from the Fifth Doctor
's era. Except for the reuse of the theme music, the majority of musical cues come from episodes between Meglos
and The Caves of Androzani
, with a brief excerpt also taken from the Third Doctor
serial The Sea Devils
as well as an excerpt from the Seventh Doctor
serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
. The music during the episode's final scene, for example, is the same as that which played at the conclusion of the Fourth Doctor
's regeneration into the Fifth
in Logopolis
.
Also, after each regeneration portrayed in the episode, music from Meglos
is employed.
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...
made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom
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...
, and 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 12 March 1999. It follows in a long tradition of popular British television programmes producing short, light-hearted specials for such telethon events.
It has a special status amongst Doctor Who-themed charity productions. It has twice been featured on the cover of Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
- an unusual feat even for a regular episode of the programme. It is the only parodic
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
story to be covered by "DWM Archives", a section of DWM normally reserved for discussion of past episodes of the regular series. Similarly, it is the only parody to be given an extensive behind-the-scenes article on the BBC official website, and its own video release through BBC Video. It is also the only BBC-commissioned live-action Doctor Who production between the Doctor Who television movie and "Rose".
Finally, it serves as a production bridge - if not a narrative bridge - between the 1963 and 2005 versions of the programme. Most notable amongst the many connections between "old" and "new" versions is the fact that it showcases the first televised Doctor Who script by 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...
, the first post-production work of The Mill
The Mill (post-production)
The Mill is a post-production and visual effects company launched in 1990 with offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.The Mill's Film special effects subsidiary, Mill Film, won an Oscar for its work on the film Gladiator. The Mill was the first UK-based post-production company to set up...
on the programme, the only time a woman produced an episode of the programme between Verity Lambert
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert, OBE was an English television and film producer. She is best known as the founding producer of the science-fiction series Doctor Who, a programme which has become a part of British popular culture, and for her association with Thames Television...
and Susie Liggat
Susie Liggat
Susie Liggat is a British television producer. Her career had predominantly been as a first assistant director, in which capacity she worked on popular series such as Teachers, Black Books, and Casanova, until she became a producer in 2006...
, and the final performance by the longest-serving Dalek vocal artist, Roy Skelton
Roy Skelton
Roy William Skelton was an English actor and voice artist, whose voice was more familiar to television viewers than his name...
.
Synopsis
A parody of the original series, Curse begins with 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....
gloating over his latest scheme to destroy his arch-nemesis. However, instead of only spying on the Doctor
Doctor (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....
and his assistant Emma, he is actually in communication with them, so they hear his plans. The Doctor invites his old foe to meet him at an old castle on the planet Tersurus. The planet is in ruins, and was the home of a now-extinct race of supremely-enlightened beings shunned by all because they used flatulence
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
as their means of communication. They all died when one of them discovered fire.
The Master appears, gloating that he travelled a century back in time, and persuaded the architect of the castle to put in a secret death trap. The Doctor had anticipated this and travelled further back, persuading the same architect to sabotage the trap. The Master had also anticipated this, and arranged for an additional trap - with identical results because the Doctor had likewise anticipated his move. The Doctor informs the Master, having calculated that he "has saved every planet in the known universe a minimum of 27 times", and having grown tired of battles with aliens and "the endless gravel quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
", that he is retiring, having found a Companion - Emma - with whom he has fallen in love. The Master springs yet another trap; a trap door under the Doctor's feet leading to the vast sewers
Sanitary sewer
A sanitary sewer is a separate underground carriage system specifically for transporting sewage from houses and commercial buildings to treatment or disposal. Sanitary sewers serving industrial areas also carry industrial wastewater...
of Tersurus, which he intends to suggest to the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
after going back in time again and buying him an expensive dinner. However, the Doctor had already bought the architect that dinner, so when the Master pulls the lever the trap door opens beneath him instead.
Seconds later, as the Doctor and Emma start to leave, the Master bursts in. Having taken him three centuries to crawl out, he emerges as an old man covered in sewage. Using his TARDIS to return to the present, he has brought allies - 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 (who, lacking noses, are the only race that will have anything to do with him). Additionally, he has been enhanced by superior Dalek technology, a Dalek SuctionCup Hand. To the Master's dismay he can not answer when Emma asks him what the suction cup is for. The Master throws himself at the Doctor but falls into the sewers again, and immediately bursts in again, another three hundred years older. The Daleks give chase to the Doctor, knocking the Master once more into the sewers. Having spent a total of 936 years in the sewers with only snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s for food, companionship, and romance, he returns using a zimmer frame and is easily outpaced by the Daleks.
Emma and the Doctor, trying to escape, are captured when they run into a room full of Daleks. Rather than being exterminated immediately, they are tied to chairs aboard the Dalek ship. (Why the legless Daleks would have chairs, as well as leave the Doctor and Emma alive, is something they "will explain later".) The Master, now young again, exclaims that he has been enhanced with Dalek technology again - rejuvenating him and adding "Dalek bumps" attached to his chest. To make things worse the Doctor makes several comments, alluding to the "Dalek bumps" as breasts. In return for his enhancement, the Master intends to give the Daleks a weapon of vast power - the Zektronic energy beam - a weapon that would "allow the Daleks to conquer the universe in a matter of minutes"... by means that will be explained later.
When the Doctor tells the Daleks they'll have to share the universe "with the beard and the bosoms over there", they inform the Doctor that they plan to exterminate the Master after he has assisted them. The Doctor uses the Tersuran language (farting) to warn his fellow Time Lord
Time Lord
The Time Lords are an ancient extraterrestrial race and civilization of humanoids in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, of which the series' eponymous protagonist, the Doctor, is a member...
, undetected by the Daleks, who don't have noses. The Master helps the Doctor and Emma to escape, but not before the Doctor is fatally injured. He tells Emma (in Tersuran, which the Master translates) that he loves her, then dies. The Master notes that "this is only his ninth body", upon which the Doctor regenerates into a handsome and sexually eager new Doctor (Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
). Forced to fix the Dalek weapon, so that it won't explode and implode, he is electrocuted and becomes a shy, middle-aged and overweight Doctor (Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
). Another accident results in a handsome, smooth-mannered Doctor (Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant
Hugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
), but this Doctor is also accidentally killed while fixing the weapon.
Time Lords can regenerate twelve times, but the weapon's energy prevents his twelfth regeneration, so it seems the Doctor is permanently dead. The Master vows to live a life of heroism in honour of his fallen foe's memory, as do the Daleks.
But (perhaps through the will of the universe itself) the Doctor does regenerate yet again, only this time as a woman (Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
). Emma is deeply disappointed, pointing out quite literally that "You're just not the man I fell in love with." The Master, however, is quite smitten with this new Doctor, who notices the sonic screwdriver has "three settings!" The story ends with them walking off together.
Continuity
This story is connected to a number of others by virtue of its narrative and its production elements. Many of the story's actors also have other connections to the programme, although most of these connections take the form of various actors almost getting a role in the main production.Narrative
- The planet Tersurus was first mentioned in The Deadly AssassinThe Deadly AssassinThe Deadly Assassin is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 October to 20 November 1976...
, where a severely deteriorated Master, at the end of his last regeneration, was found. The spin-off novel Legacy of the DaleksLegacy of the DaleksLegacy of the Daleks is an original novel written by John Peel and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
by John PeelJohn Peel (writer)John Peel is a British writer, best known for his books connected to several television series. He has written under several pseudonyms, including John Vincent and Nicholas Adams. He lives in Long Island, New York and his wife is a U.S...
relates the events leading up to the Master's arrival there.
Production
- The title sequence is the same as used during most of the Tom Baker era of Doctor Who, albeit edited to remove Tom Baker's face.
- The opening image of the TARDIS flying through space as the Master watches was taken from the beginning of the Doctor Who TV movie.
- Steven MoffatSteven MoffatSteven 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...
, best known at the time for the children's drama series Press GangPress GangPress Gang is a British children's television comedy-drama consisting of forty-three episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993...
(which starred Julia Sawalha), was well known as a fan of Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor 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...
and included many small continuity references in his script. He subsequently wrote several episodes for the series proper, and in 2010 became the programme's head writer and executive producer. - The title "Curse of Fatal Death" is a tautologyTautology (rhetoric)Tautology is an unnecessary or unessential repetition of meaning, using different and dissimilar words that effectively say the same thing...
(it being impossible to have a death that is not fatal), which parodies the sometimes melodramatic and tautological titles of the original series (an example being the 1976 serial The Deadly AssassinThe Deadly AssassinThe Deadly Assassin is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 30 October to 20 November 1976...
). - The TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
console room and three of the Daleks used in the production were sourced from the people who made the Doctor Who fan production DeviousDevious (Doctor Who)DEVIOUS is a fan-made Doctor Who story; though it has never been broadcast, a preview of it can be found on the Special Features DVD of the classic Doctor Who story "The War Games". In the final scene Jon Pertwee appears in what was to be his last appearance as the third Doctor...
. The console motor performed perfectly during rehearsal but gave a few problems during the final takes. A copy of the Doctor's 500-Year Diary was placed on the console and red or green lights were used to illuminate the walls when the set was used for, respectively, the Doctor or the Master. - This is the lone example of a BBC-only production prior to 2005 in which the TARDIS interior appears to be lit when viewed from the exterior. This continues a tradition begun in the 1996 television movie, and is common practice in the 2005 series. The visual effect was first seen in the film Dr. Who and the DaleksDr. Who and the DaleksDr. Who and the Daleks was the first of two Doctor Who films made in the 1960s. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D....
. - The exterior TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
prop was the same Mark II fibreglass version used in the 1980s and in the 30th-anniversary story Dimensions in TimeDimensions in TimeDimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...
; Curse was the last time the prop would be used. - Other specially made episodes of Doctor Who include Dimensions in TimeDimensions in TimeDimensions in Time is a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on 26 and 27 November 1993. It was filmed on the EastEnders Albert Square set, and features several of the stars of that programme...
(1993), the officially untitled 2005 special mini-episodeDoctor Who: Children in Need"Doctor Who: Children in Need", also known as "Born Again", is a 7-minute mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, and Time CrashTime Crash"Time Crash" is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on 16 November 2007, as part of the BBC One telethon for the children's charity Children in Need...
(2007) – all produced for Children in NeedChildren in NeedChildren in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
– and "Space / Time," a two-part mini-story produced for Comic Relief in 2011. "Time Crash" and "Space / Time" were written by Moffat.
Music
The production was deliberately based on the Fourth DoctorFourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
's era and a conscious effort was made to use cues taken directly from episodes of that era. However, the practical unavailability of these soundtracks forced the show's musical director, Mark Ayres
Mark Ayres
Mark Ayres is a television composer who is best known for his work on Doctor Who.Ayres's work on broadcast Doctor Who was during Sylvester McCoy's era as the Seventh Doctor, comprising The Greatest Show in the Galaxy, Ghost Light, and The Curse of Fenric.Ayres was hired after he sent producer John...
, to utilize material mostly from the Fifth Doctor
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
's era. Except for the reuse of the theme music, the majority of musical cues come from episodes between Meglos
Meglos
* Working titles for this story included The Golden Pentangle and The Last Zolfa-Thuran.* This is one of only two multi-part stories to feature all credited cast members in all episodes, the other being The Edge of Destruction....
and The Caves of Androzani
The Caves of Androzani
The Caves of Androzani is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from 8–16 March 1984. It was Peter Davison's last regular appearance as the Doctor, and marks the first appearance of Colin Baker in the role...
, with a brief excerpt also taken from the 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....
serial The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils
The Sea Devils is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from February 26 to April 1, 1972.-Synopsis:...
as well as an excerpt from 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....
serial The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 14 December 1988 to 4 January 1989.-Plot:...
. The music during the episode's final scene, for example, is the same as that which played at the conclusion of the Fourth Doctor
Fourth Doctor
The Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
's regeneration into the Fifth
Fifth Doctor
The Fifth Doctor is the fifth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Peter Davison....
in Logopolis
Logopolis
Logopolis is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 February to 21 March 1981. It was Tom Baker's last story as the Doctor and marks the first appearance of Peter Davison in the role...
.
Also, after each regeneration portrayed in the episode, music from Meglos
Meglos
* Working titles for this story included The Golden Pentangle and The Last Zolfa-Thuran.* This is one of only two multi-part stories to feature all credited cast members in all episodes, the other being The Edge of Destruction....
is employed.
Actors
- Some of the actors playing the Doctor in the special had been previously rumoured to have been up for the regular role at some point or another, including Joanna Lumley.
- Richard E. GrantRichard E. GrantRichard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
was later cast as the Doctor in the animated 40th-anniversary adventure Scream of the ShalkaScream of the ShalkaScream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
in 2003, though his status was relegated to unofficialShalka DoctorThe Shalka Doctor is the common fan name given to the character that appeared as an alternate incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British science fiction television series,...
following the announcement of a new series in September 2003. - Jim BroadbentJim BroadbentJames "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
had previously played a spoof Doctor in a sketch on Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
, mocking the series' perceived sexism, cheapness, and use of technobabble. - Julia SawalhaJulia SawalhaJulia Sawalha is an English actress well known for her roles as Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous, Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in Press Gang and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 television miniseries of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She also played Dorcas Lane in the BBC's costume...
is best known as the long-suffering "Saffy" in Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(co-starring Lumley as Patsy Stone). Her first major role was Lynda Day, editor of youth newspaper The Junior Gazette in the series Press GangPress GangPress Gang is a British children's television comedy-drama consisting of forty-three episodes across five series that were broadcast from 1989 to 1993...
, created by Steven Moffat. According to several crew members who worked on the twenty-sixth and final season of the original series, she was being considered for the role of a new companion, a "cat burglar" who would have been introduced in the twenty-seventh season. Building on this, a "what if" article in Doctor Who MagazineDoctor Who MagazineDoctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#255 featured her in this role along with a hypothetical Eighth Doctor, played by Richard GriffithsRichard GriffithsRichard Griffiths, OBE is an English actor of stage, film and television. He has received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor...
, who was at one time considered for the role of the Fifth Doctor. - Hugh GrantHugh GrantHugh John Mungo Grant is an English actor and film producer. He has received a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and an Honorary César. His films have earned more than $2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide. Grant achieved international stardom after appearing in Richard Curtis's...
was offered the role of the Doctor again ahead of Christopher EcclestonChristopher EcclestonChristopher Eccleston is an English stage, film and television actor. His films include Let Him Have It, Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Others, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra...
, and later said publicly that he regretted dismissing it without much thought when he saw how good the series was – and that he was hoping to play a villain in the ongoing programme instead.
Broadcast and Releases
- When originally broadcast, the title of the story was Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death. The four episodes were later re-edited into a two-part story that was released to home video a few months following broadcast, with the proceeds again donated to Comic Relief. The opening credits were remade to include Rowan Atkinson's face. In the VHS release, the title was simply reduced to The Curse of Fatal Death.
- The serial was rebroadcast twice on UK Gold during their 40th anniversary marathon in 2003. Used as a five-minute "pause" between fan-chosen episodes of the classic era, it returned to its original title and four-episode format.
- The Curse of Fatal Death has been released digitally via iTunes (UK store only) and is available on the Red Nose DayComic ReliefComic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
channel on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. - There have not been any plans to bring Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death out on DVD.