Rose (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"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 the episode, Rose Tyler
meets a mysterious stranger called the Doctor
in the basement of the department store where she works while being attacked by shop window dummies called Autons. She then starts to investigate him and, in the process, uncovers an alien plot by the Nestene Consciousness to take over the Earth. Rose and the Doctor manage to beat the invasion together and she accepts his offer to travel through time and space with him in the TARDIS
.
The episode marked the debut of Christopher Eccleston
as the Ninth Doctor
and Billie Piper
as companion Rose Tyler
. This episode was the first episode of a series of Doctor Who since 1989 and was also the first episode of Doctor Who since the television movie in 1996. The episode was seen by 10.81 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews from critics.
, a young woman of 19 accidentally trapped one evening in the London
department store
where she works, finds herself surrounded by plastic
mannequin
s that have come to life in the basement. She is saved by a man who introduces himself as "the Doctor
" and tells her to flee the building. He then blows up the transmitter that controlled the mannequins from the store's roof, ravaging the building in the process. The Doctor visits the now unemployed Rose the next day and rescues her from a second attack by a mannequin's arm she had taken home unknowingly, but refuses to give her more explanations.
Rose talks with her boyfriend, Mickey Smith
, about her experience, and they find a conspiracy theory
website
that claims a man fitting the Doctor's description has appeared throughout history. Rose and Mickey visit Clive, the man who runs the website. While Rose is in Clive's house, Mickey is kidnapped by a wheelie bin and replaced with a plastic replicant. When the fake Mickey attempts to question Rose about the Doctor, the Doctor shows up and beheads the replicant. The Doctor takes Rose to his TARDIS
, which is disguised as a 20th century police box
, and attempts to use the fake Mickey's head to locate the controlling signal. The head melts, but Rose realises that the transmitter must be the London Eye
. The Doctor explains to Rose that the fake Mickey was an Auton
, controlled by the Nestene Consciousness, and that if he cannot stop it by using a vial of "anti-plastic" liquid, it will destroy all humans on Earth. He also explains to her that he is an alien.
The Nestene Consciousness has taken up residence beneath the London Eye
. The Doctor tries to negotiate with it, but it gets angry when he identifies himself as a Time Lord
, blaming him for the destruction of its home planet during "the time war
." The Nestene Consciousness activates all the autons at the Queens Arcade, where several shoppers are shot dead, including Clive. The Doctor is overpowered by the Autons, but Rose rescues him and drops the "anti-plastic" into the vat where the Nestene Consciousness resided, killing it.
After fleeing the underground complex with Mickey, who was held hostage by the Nestene Consciousness, the Doctor offers Rose more adventures with him. Though Rose initially refuses as she is concerned about her mother and Mickey, she ends up joining the Doctor when he explains that the TARDIS can also travel in time
as well as space.
The Doctor is travelling alone and already in his ninth incarnation as the story begins. His remarks about his appearance as he looks in the mirror in Rose's flat imply that the regeneration
was a very recent one. Jon Pertwee
's debut as the Third Doctor
in Spearhead from Space
also began with him already regenerated and without a companion. This is the first (and only) occasion, however, in which the series does not explain the circumstances behind the regeneration.
The photographs in Clive's shed show that the Ninth Doctor has travelled to Krakatoa
, the Kennedy assassination
and Southampton on the eve of the Titanics voyage. These adventures were never featured on screen and when they take place is not clear. The Doctor was present at Kennedy's assassination however in the novel Who Killed Kennedy
and the Third Doctor mentions being at the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa
in Inferno
.
The Doctor refers to an untelevised encounter with "the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan
." He also encountered Kublai Khan
in Marco Polo
(1964), and Batu
and Möngke Khan
in the spin-off novel Bunker Soldiers
by Martin Day
. In the television movie, the Master
tells Chang Lee that the Doctor was Genghis Khan.
As Rose enters the TARDIS
, a coat stand can be seen by the side of the doors, a piece of furniture that graced the console room in the original series. The materialisation and dematerialisation of the TARDIS is accompanied by a flurry of wind, as it was in the 1996 television movie. The TARDIS console room and sonic screwdriver
have also been redesigned.
This story also sees the first mention of The Shadow Proclamation, an intergalactic police force mentioned several times in the revived series and eventually seen in "The Stolen Earth
" (2008).
is credited as their creator. The Nestene Consciousness, as the controller of the Autons, also appears in this episode and is named on screen. Both the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness first appeared in his serial Spearhead from Space
(1970). The Autons reappeared in Terror of the Autons
(1971) (also written by Holmes) as well as the spin-off novels Business Unusual
by Gary Russell
and Synthespians by Craig Hinton
, though the Autons in this episode appear more mannequin-like, and the Nestene Consciousness, which can take any form it wishes, presents in a very different form.
The next episode, "The End of the World", establishes that "Rose" takes place in 2005. Although "Rose" does not give details as to how the Nestene Consciousness
came to be on Earth nor for how long it had been here, a trilogy of made-for-video films in the late 1990s produced by BBV
entitled Auton, Auton 2: Sentinel and Auton 3 feature the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
battling the Consciousness. The first film takes place in the year 2001, while the second (and possibly the third) take place in 2003 or 2004. As with most licensed productions, the canonicity
of these films is unclear.
The Doctor mentions that the Nestenes' protein planets were destroyed in a war, one that he also fought in. This is the first mention of the Time War
, which would be one of the running threads throughout the series.
actually exists and is maintained and updated by the BBC as if the events of the series were real. The site as published in the "real world" looks slightly different from that as seen in the episode, with a different coloured background and picture. On the published site, the caption beneath the Krakatoa drawing reads "DATELINE: 1880, Sumatra", contradicting the date of the actual eruption, Clive's dialogue in the episode and the date on the drawing itself. A subsequent note on the site stated that Clive was killed in the shop dummy massacre. Although his death was not actually seen on screen, it was very strongly implied.
Rose searches for information about the Doctor at a search engine
called search-wise.net. While the site actually exists, it was created specifically for use in television programmes and films.
The BBC-produced website for the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
indicates that the events of this story occur contemporaneously with its original broadcast, on 26 March 2005. However, a poster seen in "Aliens of London
" indicates that Rose has been missing since 6 March.
"Rose" was an in-house production by BBC Wales
for BBC One
, and produced in Cardiff
, Wales
over July and August 2004. Beginning with this episode, Doctor Who would be produced in widescreen for the first time, and returned to a 45-minute format for the first time since 1985. Officially, the BBC considers this episode to be "Series 1, Episode 1" as the corporation restarted the numbering of the programme from scratch. Some fans, however, consider this episode to be "Season 27, Episode 1" to reflect the prior history of the programme. The episode was storyboarded by artist Anthony Williams
.
Although this episode is set in London, Queens Arcade, where we see the Autons come to life, is actually in Cardiff
. Most of the Cardiff locations for this episode are a short walk from each other. Henrik's is actually the department store Howells, the pizza restaurant is La Fosse, next to St David's Hall
and the street where Rose joins the Doctor is St David's Market.
As the Nestene Consciousness unveils the TARDIS toward the end of the episode, and the Doctor confirms it as his ship, the animation of the Consciousness's "lips" combined with the sounds it makes have led some fans to believe that it is saying the words "Bad Wolf", a phrase that recurs throughout the rest of the 2005 series. However, this episode is not listed among the references on the BBC Bad Wolf website, nor does the phrase occur in the shooting script. In addition, Russell T Davies notes in the DVD commentary that the Consciousness is given the line "Time Lord" purely for reasons of pacing and timing; he makes no mention of any other lines. See Story Arcs in Doctor Who.
For the first time, the names of two of the actors (Eccleston and Piper) preceded the series name in the opening titles. Also, for the first time in the regular series since the last episode of the Second Doctor
story The Moonbase
, the current Doctor's face was not used in the titles. Paul McGann
's name (although not his face) did appear in the opening credits of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie
, but only after the series title.
This is the only Ninth Doctor
episode not to have a precredits sequence; the next episode which did not have such a sequence was the Tenth Doctor
episode "Smith and Jones
" (another season opener that introduced a companion).
Murray Gold
's new arrangement of the theme contains sounds and elements from the Delia Derbyshire
arrangement of the theme introduced in 1963 and replaced in 1980 with an arrangement by Peter Howell
, who had worked extensively on the series previously. The Derbyshire theme was last heard on television in 1983, over the end credits of the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors
. An early version of Gold's arrangement, which lacks the Derbyshire sound effects, can be heard on the official BBC trailer for the series.
The music played at the very beginning of the episode, while Rose's sped-up day was shown, is a running theme throughout the series, appearing also while the Doctor and Rose cross Westminster Bridge
and in chords when the Doctor opens the trapdoor
in this episode. It also appears at the start of "The Long Game
," in "Previously
" in "The Doctor Dances
," several times during "Boom Town
," and twice in "The Parting of the Ways
." In an interview in Doctor Who Magazine
#363, composer Murray Gold
said that it was influenced by "a tune by the Pixies called Cecilia Ann." A sidebar in that interview referred to it as the "Rose goes to work" music.
The music heard after the Doctor's speech about the "turn of the earth", as he walks towards the TARDIS, has a distinctive and eerie female vocal. On the DVD commentary of this episode, Russell T Davies and Phil Collinson jokingly call this voice "President Flavia", a reference to a Time Lady character from The Five Doctors
. Davies says that this voice is heard "whenever it gets too Time Lord-y". It was also heard during the course of Series 1 in "The End of the World
", "Boom Town
," "Bad Wolf
" and "The Parting of the Ways
."
Much of the music heard in this episode was released in December 2006 as part of the soundtrack
produced by Silva Screen. The vocal parts were sung by Melanie Pappenheim
. The music named "Doomsday" in the soundtrack first plays here when Rose Tyler enters the TARDIS for the first time.
Actor Mark Benton, who plays conspiracy theorist Clive, previously appeared as Ellis in the Big Finish Productions
audio play Invaders from Mars
, starring Paul McGann
as the Eighth Doctor
and featuring Simon Pegg
— who plays the Editor in "The Long Game
". Benton also has a prominent role — as the Earthly representative of the Devil — in Russell T Davies' apocalyptic drama The Second Coming, which stars Christopher Eccleston as the Son of God.
bus advertises The Lion King
musical. Large video screens in Piccadilly Circus
advertise Samsung
, Coca-Cola
, McDonald's
and TDK
. Rose eats a packet of Walkers Ready Salted
crisps and has a bottle of Oasis fruit juice, although efforts are made to hide the brand names as is often the convention with BBC programmes. A large banner promoting the Mayor of London
is seen in Trafalgar Square
. Henrick's is seen to sell ranges of Versace and D & G branded
clothes.
The Doctor says that he can feel the ground beneath his feet spinning at "a thousand miles an hour". The figure of 1,041 miles an hour would be accurate at the equator
. However, as the Earth spins at different speeds at different latitudes, for London it would actually be about 650 miles an hour.
The book the Doctor says has a "sad ending" is The Lovely Bones
. He also sings the title line "Luck Be a Lady" from Guys and Dolls.
, which was broadcast on BBC Three
at 7.45 PM, immediately after the Doctor Who episode on BBC One. This first episode of the revived series introduced the use of a "next time" teaser trailer, a practice not seen in the original series. These trailers feature in the majority of episodes from Series 1 onwards.
Unofficial overnight viewing figures from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board showed that the episode attracted an average of 9.9 million viewers — 43.2% of the available television audience — over the course of the evening. At its peak, it had 10.5 million viewers, a 44.3% share. In comparison, the last serial of the original series, Survival
, had an average rating of 4.93 million viewers, the 30th anniversary charity special Dimensions in Time
averaged 13.7 million viewers and the 1996 television movie
had 9.08 million. "Rose" was competing with ITV
's Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which attracted an audience of up to 8.5 million. The final figure for the episode, including video recordings watched within a week of transmission, was 10.81 million, No. 3 for BBC One that week and No. 7 across all channels. In some regions, the first few minutes of the original BBC broadcast of this episode on March 26 were marred by the accidental mixing of a few seconds of sound from Graham Norton
hosting Strictly Dance Fever
.
A French-language
version of this series of Doctor Who has been produced. The dubbed version of the episode "Rose" was first broadcast in French on the French
network France 4
on 5 November 2005 and on Canadian
speciality science fiction channel Ztélé
on 3 January 2006. The initial Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
broadcast of the episode included specially taped introduction and end comments by Christopher Eccleston, tying in with a contest the CBC sponsored. Each episode of the 2005 series, plus "The Christmas Invasion
", included such introductions (all by Eccleston except the Christmas episode which featured Billie Piper). The practice was dropped when the CBC began airing the 2006 series.
On 8 March 2005, Reuters
reported that a copy of the episode had been leaked onto the Internet, and was being widely traded via the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol. The leaked episode did not contain the new arrangement of the theme tune by Murray Gold. The leak was ultimately traced to a third party company in Canada
which had a legitimate preview copy. The employee responsible was fired by the company and the BBC considered further legal action.
On 30 March, four days after this episode was originally broadcast in the UK, the BBC announced that another full series had been commissioned. On the same day, the BBC released a statement, apparently from Eccleston, saying that he would be leaving the role at Christmas, for fear of being typecast
. The BBC later revealed this was not an official statement from Eccleston, whom they had failed to contact before responding to press questions after the story broke.
Reviews
Doctor Who (series 1)
The new first series of British science fiction series Doctor Who began on 26 March 2005 with the episode "Rose", which marked the end of the programme's 16-year absence from episodic television following its cancellation in 1989, and aired its finale episode "The Parting of the Ways" on 18 June 2005...
of the British
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
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
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...
. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak
Keith Boak
Keith Boak is a British television director, best known for his work on several popular continuing drama series during the 1990s and 2000s. His career began in 1991 when he directed a short feature 'The Return of Neville Dedd' for the youth programming strand Def II on the BBC Two network.Since...
, the episode was first broadcast on 26 March 2005.
In the episode, Rose Tyler
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...
meets a mysterious stranger called 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....
in the basement of the department store where she works while being attacked by shop window dummies called Autons. She then starts to investigate him and, in the process, uncovers an alien plot by the Nestene Consciousness to take over the Earth. Rose and the Doctor manage to beat the invasion together and she accepts his offer to travel through time and space with him in the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
.
The episode marked the debut of Christopher Eccleston
Christopher Eccleston
Christopher 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...
as the Ninth Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
and Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
as companion Rose Tyler
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...
. This episode was the first episode of a series of Doctor Who since 1989 and was also the first episode of Doctor Who since the television movie in 1996. The episode was seen by 10.81 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews from critics.
Plot
Rose TylerRose 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...
, a young woman of 19 accidentally trapped one evening in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
where she works, finds herself surrounded by plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
s that have come to life in the basement. She is saved by a man who introduces himself as "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 tells her to flee the building. He then blows up the transmitter that controlled the mannequins from the store's roof, ravaging the building in the process. The Doctor visits the now unemployed Rose the next day and rescues her from a second attack by a mannequin's arm she had taken home unknowingly, but refuses to give her more explanations.
Rose talks with her boyfriend, Mickey Smith
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...
, about her experience, and they find a conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
that claims a man fitting the Doctor's description has appeared throughout history. Rose and Mickey visit Clive, the man who runs the website. While Rose is in Clive's house, Mickey is kidnapped by a wheelie bin and replaced with a plastic replicant. When the fake Mickey attempts to question Rose about the Doctor, the Doctor shows up and beheads the replicant. The Doctor takes Rose to his TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, which is disguised as a 20th century police box
Police box
A police box is a British telephone kiosk or callbox located in a public place for the use of members of the police, or for members of the public to contact the police...
, and attempts to use the fake Mickey's head to locate the controlling signal. The head melts, but Rose realises that the transmitter must be the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
. The Doctor explains to Rose that the fake Mickey was an Auton
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
, controlled by the Nestene Consciousness, and that if he cannot stop it by using a vial of "anti-plastic" liquid, it will destroy all humans on Earth. He also explains to her that he is an alien.
The Nestene Consciousness has taken up residence beneath the London Eye
London Eye
The London Eye is a tall giant Ferris wheel situated on the banks of the River Thames, in London, England.It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, visited by over 3.5 million people annually...
. The Doctor tries to negotiate with it, but it gets angry when he identifies himself as a 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...
, blaming him for the destruction of its home planet during "the time war
Time War (Doctor Who)
The Time War, more specifically called The Last Great Time War, is a conflict within the fictional universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
." The Nestene Consciousness activates all the autons at the Queens Arcade, where several shoppers are shot dead, including Clive. The Doctor is overpowered by the Autons, but Rose rescues him and drops the "anti-plastic" into the vat where the Nestene Consciousness resided, killing it.
After fleeing the underground complex with Mickey, who was held hostage by the Nestene Consciousness, the Doctor offers Rose more adventures with him. Though Rose initially refuses as she is concerned about her mother and Mickey, she ends up joining the Doctor when he explains that the TARDIS can also travel in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
as well as space.
Continuity
Regeneration (Doctor Who)
Regeneration, in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, is a biological ability exhibited by Time Lords, a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey. This process allows a Time Lord who is old or mortally wounded to undergo a transformation into a new...
was a very recent one. Jon Pertwee
Jon 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 debut as 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....
in Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1970. The serial opened Series 7 of the show and was the first to be produced in colour. The serial introduced Jon Pertwee as the...
also began with him already regenerated and without a companion. This is the first (and only) occasion, however, in which the series does not explain the circumstances behind the regeneration.
The photographs in Clive's shed show that the Ninth Doctor has travelled to Krakatoa
Krakatoa
Krakatoa is a volcanic island made of a'a lava in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. The name is used for the island group, the main island , and the volcano as a whole. The island exploded in 1883, killing approximately 40,000 people, although some estimates...
, the Kennedy assassination
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
and Southampton on the eve of the Titanics voyage. These adventures were never featured on screen and when they take place is not clear. The Doctor was present at Kennedy's assassination however in the novel Who Killed Kennedy
Who Killed Kennedy
Who Killed Kennedy is an original novel written by David Bishop and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who....
and the Third Doctor mentions being at the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa
1883 eruption of Krakatoa
The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa began in May 1883 and culminated with the destruction of Krakatoa on 27 August 1883. Minor seismic activity continued to be reported until February 1884, though reports after October 1883 were later dismissed by Rogier Verbeek's investigation.-Early phase:In the years...
in Inferno
Inferno (Doctor Who)
Don Houghton came to Terrence Dicks with an idea for the story based on the real life Project Mohole. A smaller budget for the serial drove the idea of a parallel world, where the studio could use the same actors in multiple roles...
.
The Doctor refers to an untelevised encounter with "the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
." He also encountered Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan
Kublai Khan , born Kublai and also known by the temple name Shizu , was the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from 1260 to 1294 and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China...
in Marco Polo
Marco Polo (Doctor Who)
-CD and DVD releases:*In 2003, a three-CD set of the audio soundtrack was released, as part of Doctor Who's 40th anniversary. This CD set is unique in containing a map of Cathay as represented during the period of the Doctor's visit to China, and also explaining historical inaccuracies...
(1964), and Batu
Batu Khan
Batu Khan was a Mongol ruler and founder of the Ulus of Jochi , the sub-khanate of the Mongol Empire. Batu was a son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan. His ulus was the chief state of the Golden Horde , which ruled Rus and the Caucasus for around 250 years, after also destroying the armies...
and Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan
Möngke Khan , born Möngke, , was the fourth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire from July 1, 1251 – August 11, 1259. He was the first Great Khan from the Toluid line, and made significant reforms to improve the administration of the Empire during his reign...
in the spin-off novel Bunker Soldiers
Bunker Soldiers
Bunker Soldiers is a BBC Books original novel written by Martin Day and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the First Doctor, Steven and Dodo.-Synopsis :...
by Martin Day
Martin Day
Martin Day is a screenwriter and novelist best known for his work on various spin-offs related to the BBC Television series Doctor Who, and many episodes of the daytime soaps Doctors and Family Affairs.-Work:...
. In the television movie, the Master
Master (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....
tells Chang Lee that the Doctor was Genghis Khan.
As Rose enters the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
, a coat stand can be seen by the side of the doors, a piece of furniture that graced the console room in the original series. The materialisation and dematerialisation of the TARDIS is accompanied by a flurry of wind, as it was in the 1996 television movie. The TARDIS console room and sonic screwdriver
Sonic screwdriver
The sonic screwdriver is a fictional tool in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spinoffs. It is a multifunctional tool used by The Doctor. Its most common function is that of a lockpick, but can be used to perform other operations such as performing medical scans,...
have also been redesigned.
This story also sees the first mention of The Shadow Proclamation, an intergalactic police force mentioned several times in the revived series and eventually seen in "The Stolen Earth
The Stolen Earth
"The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was written by show runner and head writer Russell T Davies and is the first of a two-part crossover story; the concluding episode is...
" (2008).
Autons
The Autons appear in this episode as plastic mannequins. Although they are not named on screen as such, they are credited as "Autons" in the closing credits, and Robert HolmesRobert Holmes (scriptwriter)
This entry is about the television scriptwriter. For other people with the same name, see Robert Holmes .Robert Colin Holmes was an English television scriptwriter, who for over twenty-five years contributed to some of the most popular programmes screened in the UK...
is credited as their creator. The Nestene Consciousness, as the controller of the Autons, also appears in this episode and is named on screen. Both the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness first appeared in his serial Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space
Spearhead from Space is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 3 January to 24 January 1970. The serial opened Series 7 of the show and was the first to be produced in colour. The serial introduced Jon Pertwee as the...
(1970). The Autons reappeared in Terror of the Autons
Terror of the Autons
Terror of the Autons is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast in four weekly parts from 2 to 23 January 1971...
(1971) (also written by Holmes) as well as the spin-off novels Business Unusual
Business Unusual
Business Unusual is a BBC Books original novel written by Gary Russell and based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It features the Sixth Doctor, Melanie Bush, and the Brigadier....
by Gary Russell
Gary Russell
Gary James Russell is a freelance writer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media...
and Synthespians by Craig Hinton
Craig Hinton
Craig Paul Alexander Hinton was a British writer best known for his work on various spin-offs from the BBC Television series Doctor Who....
, though the Autons in this episode appear more mannequin-like, and the Nestene Consciousness, which can take any form it wishes, presents in a very different form.
The next episode, "The End of the World", establishes that "Rose" takes place in 2005. Although "Rose" does not give details as to how the Nestene Consciousness
Auton
The Autons are an artificial life form from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and adversaries of the Doctor. First appearing in Jon Pertwee's first serial as the Doctor, Spearhead from Space in 1970, they were the first monsters on the show to be presented in colour.Autons...
came to be on Earth nor for how long it had been here, a trilogy of made-for-video films in the late 1990s produced by BBV
BBV
BBV is a video and audio production company specialising in science fiction drama, known for its links with the British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
entitled Auton, Auton 2: Sentinel and Auton 3 feature the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
battling the Consciousness. The first film takes place in the year 2001, while the second (and possibly the third) take place in 2003 or 2004. As with most licensed productions, the canonicity
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
of these films is unclear.
The Doctor mentions that the Nestenes' protein planets were destroyed in a war, one that he also fought in. This is the first mention of the Time War
Time War (Doctor Who)
The Time War, more specifically called The Last Great Time War, is a conflict within the fictional universe of the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, which would be one of the running threads throughout the series.
Fictional websites
Clive's "Who is Doctor Who?" fictional websiteDoctor Who tie-in websites
The 2005 series revival of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who features several tie-in websites produced by the BBC website team that viewers can access on the Internet...
actually exists and is maintained and updated by the BBC as if the events of the series were real. The site as published in the "real world" looks slightly different from that as seen in the episode, with a different coloured background and picture. On the published site, the caption beneath the Krakatoa drawing reads "DATELINE: 1880, Sumatra", contradicting the date of the actual eruption, Clive's dialogue in the episode and the date on the drawing itself. A subsequent note on the site stated that Clive was killed in the shop dummy massacre. Although his death was not actually seen on screen, it was very strongly implied.
Rose searches for information about the Doctor at a search engine
Search engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
called search-wise.net. While the site actually exists, it was created specifically for use in television programmes and films.
The BBC-produced website for the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
United Nations Intelligence Taskforce
UNIT is a fictional military organisation from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
indicates that the events of this story occur contemporaneously with its original broadcast, on 26 March 2005. However, a poster seen in "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...
" indicates that Rose has been missing since 6 March.
Production
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
for 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...
, and produced 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...
, 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...
over July and August 2004. Beginning with this episode, Doctor Who would be produced in widescreen for the first time, and returned to a 45-minute format for the first time since 1985. Officially, the BBC considers this episode to be "Series 1, Episode 1" as the corporation restarted the numbering of the programme from scratch. Some fans, however, consider this episode to be "Season 27, Episode 1" to reflect the prior history of the programme. The episode was storyboarded by artist Anthony Williams
Anthony Williams (comics)
Anthony Williams is a Welsh comic book artist.-Biography:He broke into comics at Marvel UK, drawing for the series Action Force, The Real Ghostbusters and Transformers, among others...
.
Although this episode is set in London, Queens Arcade, where we see the Autons come to life, is actually 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...
. Most of the Cardiff locations for this episode are a short walk from each other. Henrik's is actually the department store Howells, the pizza restaurant is La Fosse, next to St David's Hall
St David's Hall
St David's Hall is a performing arts and conference venue in the heart of Cardiff city centre, the capital of Wales...
and the street where Rose joins the Doctor is St David's Market.
As the Nestene Consciousness unveils the TARDIS toward the end of the episode, and the Doctor confirms it as his ship, the animation of the Consciousness's "lips" combined with the sounds it makes have led some fans to believe that it is saying the words "Bad Wolf", a phrase that recurs throughout the rest of the 2005 series. However, this episode is not listed among the references on the BBC Bad Wolf website, nor does the phrase occur in the shooting script. In addition, Russell T Davies notes in the DVD commentary that the Consciousness is given the line "Time Lord" purely for reasons of pacing and timing; he makes no mention of any other lines. See Story Arcs in Doctor Who.
For the first time, the names of two of the actors (Eccleston and Piper) preceded the series name in the opening titles. Also, for the first time in the regular series since the last episode of the Second Doctor
Second Doctor
The Second Doctor is the second incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by character actor Patrick Troughton....
story The Moonbase
The Moonbase
The Moonbase is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 11 February to 4 March 1967...
, the current Doctor's face was not used in the titles. Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
's name (although not his face) did appear in the opening credits of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie
Doctor 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,...
, but only after the series title.
This is the only Ninth Doctor
Ninth Doctor
The Ninth Doctor is the ninth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He is played by Christopher Eccleston....
episode not to have a precredits sequence; the next episode which did not have such a sequence was the Tenth 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...
episode "Smith and Jones
Smith and Jones (Doctor Who)
"Smith and Jones" is the first episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 March 2007. It sees the debut of Freema Agyeman as new companion Martha Jones...
" (another season opener that introduced a companion).
Music
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...
's new arrangement of the theme contains sounds and elements from the Delia Derbyshire
Delia Derbyshire
Delia Ann Derbyshire was an English musician and composer of electronic music and musique concrète. She is best known for her electronic realisation of Ron Grainer's theme music to the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and for her work with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.-Early...
arrangement of the theme introduced in 1963 and replaced in 1980 with an arrangement by Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Peter Howell is a musician and composer. He is best known for his work on Doctor Who as a member of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop....
, who had worked extensively on the series previously. The Derbyshire theme was last heard on television in 1983, over the end credits of the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...
. An early version of Gold's arrangement, which lacks the Derbyshire sound effects, can be heard on the official BBC trailer for the series.
The music played at the very beginning of the episode, while Rose's sped-up day was shown, is a running theme throughout the series, appearing also while the Doctor and Rose cross Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge
Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster on the north side and Lambeth on the south side, in London, England....
and in chords when the Doctor opens the trapdoor
Trapdoor
A trapdoor is a door set into a floor or ceiling .Originally, trapdoors were sack traps in mills, and allowed the sacks to pass up through the mill while naturally falling back to a closed position....
in this episode. It also appears at the start of "The Long Game
The Long Game
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire...
," in "Previously
Previously (television)
A recap sequence is a narrative device used by many television series to bring the viewer up to date with the current events of the stories' plot...
" in "The Doctor Dances
The Doctor Dances
"The Doctor Dances" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 28 May 2005. It is the second of a two-part story and saw Jack Harkness, played by John Barrowman, join the Doctor as a companion. The first part, "The Empty Child", was...
," several times during "Boom Town
Boom Town (Doctor Who)
"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...
," and twice 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...
." In an interview in Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
#363, composer 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...
said that it was influenced by "a tune by the Pixies called Cecilia Ann." A sidebar in that interview referred to it as the "Rose goes to work" music.
The music heard after the Doctor's speech about the "turn of the earth", as he walks towards the TARDIS, has a distinctive and eerie female vocal. On the DVD commentary of this episode, Russell T Davies and Phil Collinson jokingly call this voice "President Flavia", a reference to a Time Lady character from The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors
The Five Doctors is a special feature-length episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, produced in celebration of the programme's twentieth anniversary. It had its world premiere in the United States, on the Chicago PBS station WTTW and various other PBS member stations...
. Davies says that this voice is heard "whenever it gets too Time Lord-y". It was also heard during the course of Series 1 in "The End of the World
The End of the World (Doctor Who)
"The End of the World" is the second episode of Series One of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn, the episode was first broadcast on 2 April 2005....
", "Boom Town
Boom Town (Doctor Who)
"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...
," "Bad Wolf
Bad Wolf
"Bad Wolf" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on June 11, 2005. The TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in the Gamestation, also known as Satellite 5, where they must battle to survive the cruel games...
" and "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...
."
Much of the music heard in this episode was released in December 2006 as part of the soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack
Doctor Who: Original Television Soundtrack is a soundtrack album released on 4 December 2006, containing incidental music composed by Murray Gold and used in the 2005 and 2006 series of Doctor Who....
produced by Silva Screen. The vocal parts were sung by Melanie Pappenheim
Melanie Pappenheim
Melanie Pappenheim is an English soprano singer and composer, notable for her vocal work with various British cross-disciplinary composers, with avant-garde theatre companies and on soundtracks .-Contemporary music:Pappenheim is a frequent collaborator with contemporary composer-performers Simon...
. The music named "Doomsday" in the soundtrack first plays here when Rose Tyler enters the TARDIS for the first time.
Cast notes
Christopher Eccleston is credited as "Doctor Who" in the end credits, the first time the character had been listed with that name since the end of Season 18.Actor Mark Benton, who plays conspiracy theorist Clive, previously appeared as Ellis in the Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions
Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and audio plays based, primarily, on cult British science fiction properties...
audio play Invaders from Mars
Invaders from Mars (Doctor Who audio)
Invaders from Mars is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, starring Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
as the Eighth Doctor
Eighth Doctor
The Eighth Doctor is the eighth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Paul McGann...
and featuring Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg
Simon Pegg is an English actor, comedian, writer, film producer, and director. He is best known for having co-written and stared in various Edgar Wright features, mainly Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and the comedy series Spaced.He also portrayed Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the 2009 Star Trek film...
— who plays the Editor in "The Long Game
The Long Game
"The Long Game" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on May 7, 2005. Along with new companion Adam, the TARDIS deposits the Doctor and Rose on Satellite 5, a space station that broadcasts across the entire human empire...
". Benton also has a prominent role — as the Earthly representative of the Devil — in Russell T Davies' apocalyptic drama The Second Coming, which stars Christopher Eccleston as the Son of God.
Outside references
The opening montage of this episode features many contemporary advertisements and products. A poster on a route 14London Buses route 14
London Buses route 14 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
bus advertises The Lion King
The Lion King (musical)
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well...
musical. Large video screens in Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
advertise Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
and TDK
TDK
, formerly , is a Japanese company which manufactures electronic materials, electronic components, and recording and data-storage media, and markets them globally. Their motto is "Contribute to culture and industry through creativity"...
. Rose eats a packet of Walkers Ready Salted
Walkers (snack foods)
Walkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
crisps and has a bottle of Oasis fruit juice, although efforts are made to hide the brand names as is often the convention with BBC programmes. A large banner promoting the Mayor of London
Mayor of London
The Mayor of London is an elected politician who, along with the London Assembly of 25 members, is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London. Conservative Boris Johnson has held the position since 4 May 2008...
is seen in Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. Henrick's is seen to sell ranges of Versace and D & G branded
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
clothes.
The Doctor says that he can feel the ground beneath his feet spinning at "a thousand miles an hour". The figure of 1,041 miles an hour would be accurate at the equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
. However, as the Earth spins at different speeds at different latitudes, for London it would actually be about 650 miles an hour.
The book the Doctor says has a "sad ending" is The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. The novel received much critical...
. He also sings the title line "Luck Be a Lady" from Guys and Dolls.
Broadcast
The new series was complemented by a 13-part documentary series, Doctor Who ConfidentialDoctor Who Confidential
Doctor 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...
, which was broadcast on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
at 7.45 PM, immediately after the Doctor Who episode on BBC One. This first episode of the revived series introduced the use of a "next time" teaser trailer, a practice not seen in the original series. These trailers feature in the majority of episodes from Series 1 onwards.
Unofficial overnight viewing figures from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board showed that the episode attracted an average of 9.9 million viewers — 43.2% of the available television audience — over the course of the evening. At its peak, it had 10.5 million viewers, a 44.3% share. In comparison, the last serial of the original series, Survival
Survival (Doctor Who)
-Writing:Writer Rona Munro approached script editor Andrew Cartmel at a BBC scriptwriting workshop and said that she'd "kill to write for Doctor Who." The story Munro developed incorporated themes including the morals of hunting...
, had an average rating of 4.93 million viewers, the 30th anniversary charity special Dimensions in Time
Dimensions in Time
Dimensions 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...
averaged 13.7 million viewers and the 1996 television movie
Doctor 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,...
had 9.08 million. "Rose" was competing with ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, which attracted an audience of up to 8.5 million. The final figure for the episode, including video recordings watched within a week of transmission, was 10.81 million, No. 3 for BBC One that week and No. 7 across all channels. In some regions, the first few minutes of the original BBC broadcast of this episode on March 26 were marred by the accidental mixing of a few seconds of sound from Graham Norton
Graham Norton
Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton , is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist...
hosting Strictly Dance Fever
Strictly Dance Fever
Strictly Dance Fever is a British television programme, broadcast on BBC One on Saturday evenings. It was an amateur dance talent competition, hosted by Graham Norton, which ran during Spring 2005 and Spring 2006. It was, in many ways, similar to the BBC's popular Strictly Come Dancing, a celebrity...
.
A French-language
French language
French 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 this series of Doctor Who has been produced. The dubbed version of the episode "Rose" was first broadcast in French on the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
network France 4
France 4
France 4 is a french public channel owned by France Télévisions, dedicated to the entertainment. At first named Festival, the channel took its current name in 2005, to mark better its membership to the group France Télévisions...
on 5 November 2005 and on Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
speciality science fiction channel Ztélé
Ztélé
Ztélé is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media. Ztélé focuses on programming primarily from the science fiction, fantasy, and technology genres consisting of dramas, films, documentaries, and more.-History:...
on 3 January 2006. The initial Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
broadcast of the episode included specially taped introduction and end comments by Christopher Eccleston, tying in with a contest the CBC sponsored. Each episode of the 2005 series, plus "The Christmas Invasion
The Christmas Invasion
"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is Christmas, but there is little cause for celebration as planet Earth is invaded by aliens known as the Sycorax...
", included such introductions (all by Eccleston except the Christmas episode which featured Billie Piper). The practice was dropped when the CBC began airing the 2006 series.
On 8 March 2005, Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
reported that a copy of the episode had been leaked onto the Internet, and was being widely traded via the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol. The leaked episode did not contain the new arrangement of the theme tune by Murray Gold. The leak was ultimately traced to a third party company in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
which had a legitimate preview copy. The employee responsible was fired by the company and the BBC considered further legal action.
On 30 March, four days after this episode was originally broadcast in the UK, the BBC announced that another full series had been commissioned. On the same day, the BBC released a statement, apparently from Eccleston, saying that he would be leaving the role at Christmas, for fear of being typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
. The BBC later revealed this was not an official statement from Eccleston, whom they had failed to contact before responding to press questions after the story broke.
External links
- BBC Doctor Who homepage
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 1: Bringing Back the Doctor
- "Lots of planets have a North." — Episode clip from "Rose"
- Who is Doctor Who? - tie-in websiteDoctor Who tie-in websitesThe 2005 series revival of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who features several tie-in websites produced by the BBC website team that viewers can access on the Internet...
featured in the episode
Reviews