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World War Three (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series in the British
science fiction television series Doctor Who
that was first broadcast on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story. The first part, "Aliens of London
", was broadcast on 16 April. As the Doctor, Rose Tyler and their new friend Harriet Jones battle the murderous Slitheen while trapped in 10 Downing Street, the Doctor realises that the fate of the Earth rests on Rose's boyfriend, Mickey.
in "Aliens of London
", The Doctor
being an alien allows him to survive the electrical pulse administered by the Slitheen
Green, while Mickey Smith
is able to push aside the police inspector who was advancing on Jackie Tyler
. The Doctor attempts to get the police, but by the time he has returned, the Slitheen have got back into their suits. The Doctor escapes to the upper floors of 10 Downing Street
, and reunites with Rose and Harriet in the Cabinet Rooms. Before sealing off the rooms, the Doctor confronts the Slitheen and learns that they are a family rather than a race, and they are not invading Earth, but rather raiding it for some commercial purpose.
Although the Slitheen have shut all communications to the Cabinet Rooms, Rose's tampered phone allows her to make contact with Mickey and Jackie, now safely in the former's flat. The Doctor gives Mickey instructions on how to log on his computer into the UNIT
website, and uses that to determine that the Slitheen ship is presently in the North Sea
, transmitting some signal that Mickey attempts to decode.
Back at Downing Street, Green and the other Slitheen declare a matter of national security and request that the UN release the activation codes to strike against a fictitious mothership that is hanging over London. The Doctor realizes that the Slitheen actually plan to fire the weapons against other countries in order to start World War III
so they can sell the Earth's radioactive remains as a fuel source, which they have already begun advertising through the signal Mickey has decoded. Complying, the Doctor helps Mickey to hack online into the controls of the Royal Navy
HMS Taurean, a Trafalgar class submarine
, to fire a non-nuclear missile at 10 Downing Street, where all the Slitheen conspirators are now gathered. The Slitheen are caught in the explosion when the missile hits. The Doctor, Rose and Harriet all survive, and the press dismisses the event as a hoax.
Jackie is now impressed by the Doctor and wants to invite him for dinner to get to know him better, but he declines fiercely. Instead, he separately invites Rose and Mickey - who has now earned his respect - to go travelling some more immediately. Mickey, still overwhelmed by the Doctor's adventurous lifestyle, declines but Rose packs some belongings and boards the TARDIS.
book Back to the Vortex cites "10 Downing Street" as another working title. This decision has proved as a precedent, in the original series since the Third Doctor
all multi-episode stories shared a title. All multi-episode stories in the new series have continued to have individual titles until The End of Time, which has its two parts called "The End of Time, Part One" and "The End of Time, Part Two".
reappears as the American reporter seen in "Aliens of London". She is later seen in "The Christmas Invasion
", "The Sound of Drums", "The Poison Sky
", "Turn Left
", "The Stolen Earth
" and the Sarah Jane Adventures story Revenge of the Slitheen
. In "Turn Left
," it is revealed that her name is Trinity Wells.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
science fiction television series Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
that was first broadcast on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story. The first part, "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...
", was broadcast on 16 April. As the Doctor, Rose Tyler and their new friend Harriet Jones battle the murderous Slitheen while trapped in 10 Downing Street, the Doctor realises that the fate of the Earth rests on Rose's boyfriend, Mickey.
Plot
Following from the cliffhangerCliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
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...
", 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....
being an alien allows him to survive the electrical pulse administered by the Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
Green, while 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...
is able to push aside the police inspector who was advancing on Jackie Tyler
Jackie Tyler
In "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel" Coduri plays a parallel Earth version of Jackie. In this universe, she is still married to Pete, but they have no children, although she has a Yorkshire terrier named Rose. Despite Pete's success, which has led to Jackie becoming a celebrity, they...
. The Doctor attempts to get the police, but by the time he has returned, the Slitheen have got back into their suits. The Doctor escapes to the upper floors of 10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street, colloquially known in the United Kingdom as "Number 10", is the headquarters of Her Majesty's Government and the official residence and office of the First Lord of the Treasury, who is now always the Prime Minister....
, and reunites with Rose and Harriet in the Cabinet Rooms. Before sealing off the rooms, the Doctor confronts the Slitheen and learns that they are a family rather than a race, and they are not invading Earth, but rather raiding it for some commercial purpose.
Although the Slitheen have shut all communications to the Cabinet Rooms, Rose's tampered phone allows her to make contact with Mickey and Jackie, now safely in the former's flat. The Doctor gives Mickey instructions on how to log on his computer into the UNIT
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...
website, and uses that to determine that the Slitheen ship is presently in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, transmitting some signal that Mickey attempts to decode.
Back at Downing Street, Green and the other Slitheen declare a matter of national security and request that the UN release the activation codes to strike against a fictitious mothership that is hanging over London. The Doctor realizes that the Slitheen actually plan to fire the weapons against other countries in order to start World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
so they can sell the Earth's radioactive remains as a fuel source, which they have already begun advertising through the signal Mickey has decoded. Complying, the Doctor helps Mickey to hack online into the controls of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
HMS Taurean, a Trafalgar class submarine
Trafalgar class submarine
The Trafalgar class is a class of nuclear-powered fleet submarines in service with the Royal Navy. They are a direct follow on from the Swiftsure class and were, until the introduction of the Astute class, the Royal Navy's most advanced nuclear fleet submarines.Seven boats were built and...
, to fire a non-nuclear missile at 10 Downing Street, where all the Slitheen conspirators are now gathered. The Slitheen are caught in the explosion when the missile hits. The Doctor, Rose and Harriet all survive, and the press dismisses the event as a hoax.
Jackie is now impressed by the Doctor and wants to invite him for dinner to get to know him better, but he declines fiercely. Instead, he separately invites Rose and Mickey - who has now earned his respect - to go travelling some more immediately. Mickey, still overwhelmed by the Doctor's adventurous lifestyle, declines but Rose packs some belongings and boards the TARDIS.
Continuity
- The Slitheen scheme is also what the Dominators were intending to do to the planet Dulkis in the Second DoctorSecond DoctorThe 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....
serial The DominatorsThe DominatorsThe Dominators is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which originally aired in five weekly parts from 10 August to 7 September 1968.-Plot:...
(1968). - The fact that the UN is the caretaker for the codes to launch a nuclear strike harkens back to the very first Fourth DoctorFourth DoctorThe Fourth Doctor is the fourth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC British television science-fiction series Doctor Who....
serial, RobotRobot (Doctor Who)Robot is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from 28 December 1974 to 18 January 1975...
(1974), where the UK was the guardian of the "destructor codes" that could launch the world's nuclear arsenals. - Although the Doctor asked Mickey to erase his presence from the Internet, Mickey's 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...
, http://www.whoisdoctorwho.co.uk, indicates that he may not have done so. In the 2006 episode "Love & MonstersLove & Monsters"Love & Monsters" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. In this episode, an ordinary man named Elton Pope becomes obsessed with a man called the Doctor and his strange blue box, and joins a group of like-minded people in hopes of finding him...
", reference is made to a "Bad Wolf" virus that deleted all mention of Rose Tyler; whether this is somehow related to the Doctor's virus is unclear. Another mention of a virus is on the UNIT website. - Continuing the "Bad Wolf" theme begun in "The End of the WorldThe 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....
", the American newsreader announcing the UN's decision is named "Mal Loup", a literal FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
translation of "Bad Wolf". ("Bad Wolf" true French translation is "Méchant Loup".) The name appears not in the televised clip, but the version on Mickey's website. (See Story arcs in Doctor Who.) - The "World War Three" of the episode's title is averted by the Doctor's plan. However, a World War Three may be presumed to occur at some point in the Doctor Who universeFictional universeA fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
, since the Doctor has referred to World War Five (in "The Unquiet DeadThe Unquiet Dead"The Unquiet Dead" is an episode in the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 9 April 2005 and is the first episode of the revival to be set in the past. In Victorian Cardiff, the dead are walking, and creatures made of gas are on the loose...
") and the almost-starting of World War Six (in The Talons of Weng-ChiangThe Talons of Weng-ChiangThe Talons of Weng-Chiang is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in six weekly parts from 26 February to 2 April 1977.-Synopsis:...
). - As well as a reappearance in the episodes "Boom TownBoom 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 "Attack of the GraskeAttack of the Graske"Attack of the Graske" is an interactive mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on the BBC Red Button service on 25 December 2005. It is now available as an online game on the official Doctor Who website.-Synopsis:The human race is in...
" the SlitheenSlitheenThe Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
also return in the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
books The Monsters Inside along with another family of the same race, called the Blathereen, and The Slitheen Excursion. They also appear in The Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane AdventuresThe Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
episodes "Revenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the SlitheenRevenge of the Slitheen is the second story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It comprises the first and second episodes of the show's first series, aired on BBC1, broadcast in two parts on September 24 and October 1, 2007, with the second being broadcast a...
", "The Lost BoyThe Lost Boy (The Sarah Jane Adventures)The Lost Boy is the sixth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the ninth and tenth episodes of the show's first series...
" and "From Raxacoricofallapatorius with Love". - Harriet Jones reappears in "The Christmas InvasionThe 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...
", by which time she has become Prime Minister. She also re-appears in "The Stolen EarthThe 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...
" and names herself as former prime minister and surrenders herself to the Daleks in order to save mankind. A parallel universe's version of her is also mentioned in "DoomsdayDoomsday (Doctor Who)"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006...
". - In the episode "The Sound of DrumsThe Sound of Drums"The Sound of Drums" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007, and is the twelfth episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
", the Master sets up office in the newly rebuilt number 10, referring to its destruction in this episode.
Production
According to Russell T Davies (among others), this episode was called "Aliens of London, Part Two" until the last minute, when the name was changed to "World War 3", soon amended to "World War Three". The Telos Publishing Ltd.Telos Publishing Ltd.
Telos Publishing Ltd. is a publishing company, originally established by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker, with their first publication being a horror anthology based on the television series Urban Gothic in 2001...
book Back to the Vortex cites "10 Downing Street" as another working title. This decision has proved as a precedent, in the original series since 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....
all multi-episode stories shared a title. All multi-episode stories in the new series have continued to have individual titles until The End of Time, which has its two parts called "The End of Time, Part One" and "The End of Time, Part Two".
Cast notes
Lachele CarlLachele Carl
Lachele Carl is an American actress based in England.She has appeared in Grange Hill, Batman and Alien Autopsy.She also plays the recurring character of American news anchor Trinity Wells in Doctor Who, appearing in the episodes "Aliens of London", "World War Three", "The Christmas Invasion", "The...
reappears as the American reporter seen in "Aliens of London". She is later seen in "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...
", "The Sound of Drums", "The Poison Sky
The Poison Sky
"The Poison Sky" is the fifth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 3 May 2008. The episode features both former companion Martha Jones and the alien Sontarans...
", "Turn Left
Turn Left (Doctor Who)
"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008....
", "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...
" and the Sarah Jane Adventures story Revenge of the Slitheen
Revenge of the Slitheen
Revenge of the Slitheen is the second story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It comprises the first and second episodes of the show's first series, aired on BBC1, broadcast in two parts on September 24 and October 1, 2007, with the second being broadcast a...
. In "Turn Left
Turn Left (Doctor Who)
"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008....
," it is revealed that her name is Trinity Wells.
Outside references
- Elements of the story parody the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and the actions of the then-Prime Minister Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. This includes a pre-emptive strike based on information of the presence of "massive weapons of destruction" which could be deployed in 45 seconds, as opposed to Blair's "weapons of mass destructionWeapons of mass destructionA weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
" that could be deployed in "45 minutesSeptember DossierIraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Assessment of the British Government, also known as the September Dossier, was a document published by the British government on 24 September 2002 on the same day of a recall of Parliament to discuss the contents of the document...
". - The use of vinegar on calcium "just like Hannibal" references the story of how Hannibal's engineers, while crossing the Alps, heated boulders that blocked their way with wood fires, then poured vinegar over them. The rocks, weakened by the heat, were broken up by the vinegar into smaller pieces, which were then easily moved to clear a path.
- The Doctor mentions that the Slitheen scheme to make a profit will cost "5 billion lives". The human population of the Earth in reality, as of January 2005, is estimated at approximately 6.4 billion.
- When Sip Fel-Fotch Passameer-Day Slitheen, the Slitheen disguised as Police Commissioner Strickland, appears outside Mickey's flat, the word "Salford" appears as graffiti on the wall near the elevator. Salford is Christopher Eccleston's hometown.
Broadcast and DVD releases
- The episode's initial CanadianCanadaCanada 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...
broadcast on CBCCanadian Broadcasting CorporationThe 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...
had a programming error. The action before the title sequenceTitle sequenceA Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
which was supposed to resolve the previous episode's cliffhanger — by showing the Doctor turning the tables with the electrified ID badge — was omitted. This led to understandable confusion from Canadian viewers. The error was corrected on the repeat broadcast, although the sequence appeared after the opening titles. - This episode together with "Aliens of LondonAliens 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...
" and "DalekDalek (Doctor Who episode)"Dalek" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 30 April 2005. It should not be confused with the first Dalek serial, The Daleks...
" were the first released on the UMDUniversal Media DiscThe Universal Media Disc is an optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on their PlayStation Portable handheld gaming and multimedia platform...
format for the PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.
External links
- BBC Doctor Who Homepage
- Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 5: Why on Earth?
- "Planet Earth is at war." — Episode trailer for "World War Three"