Attack of the Graske
Encyclopedia
"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.
welcomes the viewer into the TARDIS
. He tells them that he has been watching the viewer for some time, as they have been watching him, and that he has been impressed enough to want to take the viewer to help him on his next adventure. His current companion, Rose
, has been dropped off at Wembley in 1979 for an ABBA
concert. He then imbues the viewer's television
remote control
with the power of his sonic screwdriver
, allowing the viewer to take part in the proceedings.
To start, the Doctor shows his new assistant a family of six celebrating Christmas
in a living room
, by means of the TARDIS scanner — a family, it seems, like any other, except that one of them is an alien imposter. By alternating between two different viewpoints, namely from within the family's television set
and from the handheld digicam the daughter got for Christmas, the viewer has to determine who does not belong.
The mother's eyes glow for about half a second a few seconds into the sequence, revealing her as the imposter. She is now alone with the father in the house's kitchen. A small alien transmats
onto the kitchen table, where he uses a handheld device to zap the father. The Doctor tells the viewer that the alien is a Graske, a species that invades planets by replacing its population. When he is done, the Graske transmats away, leaving a changeling
of the father behind to join that of the mother.
As the Doctor tracks the Graske through time, the viewer takes command of the TARDIS's controls, and activates the vortex loop, dimensional stabiliser and vector tracker as requested. Eventually, the Graske is located about 120 years in the past, somewhere in Victorian
Britain
. The viewer must use a map on the TARDIS scanner to pinpoint its location, as the screen blips where the Graske's DNA
is found. After zooming in to the correct part of London
, Christmas 1883, the viewer takes a quick walk around a square and must then uncover the Graske from its hiding place.
Having been found, the Graske kidnaps a young street urchin by zapping him, and as before leaves a changeling in his place. Tracking the Graske, the Doctor takes the viewer to the Graske's base on Griffoth and guides them through the base. Having used number and logic puzzles to pass through the airlock
s, the viewer arrives in a room filled with various beings in stasis
pods; the Graske keep the originals to sustain the copies. The viewer also learns of the Graske's ultimate intention to replace every living, sentient creature in the universe with one of their doubles.
However, the viewer is spotted, and must duck to avoid a Graske's weapon fire. Fortunately, the blast ricochets around the room and frees a Slitheen
from a stasis pod, who then proceeds to vengefully chase the Graske who imprisoned it. The viewer thus has the opportunity to make one last crucial decision — either the teleport settings can be reversed, sending all the kidnapped beings back to their proper places in space and time, or the Graske's own stasis control can be used against them, freezing the Graske and everything else in their base.
Depending on the choice the viewer makes, there are two alternative endings to the episode:
As the Doctor takes the viewer home, the programme evaluates the viewer's "score". Depending on how well they did, either the Doctor decides that his new companion is not quite ready for the job (but was not far off and should try again), or the Doctor comments on how impressed he is with the viewer, saying that perhaps one day he will call on their help to save the universe again.
In either case, the Doctor then removes the sonic powers from the viewer's remote control and bids them farewell, firing up the TARDIS to go back for Rose, but warns the viewer that "if you turn the TV over to ITV
, the galaxy may implode," referencing the rivalry between ITV and BBC
.
told Doctor Who Magazine
that the mini-episode was treated as a "full-blooded, sophisticated production," with a new alien villain, new sets and new special effects. Writer Gareth Roberts went on to write the episodes "Invasion of the Bane
" (co-written with Russell T Davies), Revenge of the Slitheen
and Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
for the Doctor Who spin-off
The Sarah Jane Adventures
and the fully recognised Doctor Who episodes "The Shakespeare Code
", "The Unicorn and the Wasp
" and "Planet of the Dead
", the latter being co-written with Davies.
The countdown to the start of the segment uses a design based on the Gallifrey
an script seen in the series, and includes both Arabic numerals and the Gallifreyan numerals used in the New Series Adventures
. The countdown shown for the tasks is a simplified version of this which does not include the Gallifreyan numerals.
Unlike all other new series episodes, this episode is presented in 4:3 aspect ratio
.
Location shooting took place at the Coal Exchange and Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay.
which plays over the credits of "The Christmas Invasion
". The musical cue used during the later challenge sequences is from "The End of the World
".
repeat transmission of "The Christmas Invasion". As of 30 March 2006 the game had an average of 41,000 hits every week on the BBC's Doctor Who website.
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
mini-episode of the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
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 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 danger of being replaced by aliens (changelings). Only the Doctor's companion (the viewer) can stop them.Plot
The Tenth DoctorTenth 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...
welcomes the viewer into the TARDIS
TARDIS
The TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
. He tells them that he has been watching the viewer for some time, as they have been watching him, and that he has been impressed enough to want to take the viewer to help him on his next adventure. His current companion, Rose
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
, has been dropped off at Wembley in 1979 for an ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
concert. He then imbues the viewer's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
with the power of his 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,...
, allowing the viewer to take part in the proceedings.
To start, the Doctor shows his new assistant a family of six celebrating Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
in a living room
Living room
A living room, also known as sitting room, lounge room or lounge , is a room for entertaining adult guests, reading, or other activities...
, by means of the TARDIS scanner — a family, it seems, like any other, except that one of them is an alien imposter. By alternating between two different viewpoints, namely from within the family's television set
Television set
A television set is a device that combines a tuner, display, and speakers for the purpose of viewing television. Television sets became a popular consumer product after the Second World War, using vacuum tubes and cathode ray tube displays...
and from the handheld digicam the daughter got for Christmas, the viewer has to determine who does not belong.
The mother's eyes glow for about half a second a few seconds into the sequence, revealing her as the imposter. She is now alone with the father in the house's kitchen. A small alien transmats
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
onto the kitchen table, where he uses a handheld device to zap the father. The Doctor tells the viewer that the alien is a Graske, a species that invades planets by replacing its population. When he is done, the Graske transmats away, leaving a changeling
Changeling
A changeling is a creature found in Western European folklore and folk religion. It is typically described as being the offspring of a fairy, troll, elf or other legendary creature that has been secretly left in the place of a human child. Sometimes the term is also used to refer to the child who...
of the father behind to join that of the mother.
As the Doctor tracks the Graske through time, the viewer takes command of the TARDIS's controls, and activates the vortex loop, dimensional stabiliser and vector tracker as requested. Eventually, the Graske is located about 120 years in the past, somewhere in Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Britain
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...
. The viewer must use a map on the TARDIS scanner to pinpoint its location, as the screen blips where the Graske's DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
is found. After zooming in to the correct part of 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...
, Christmas 1883, the viewer takes a quick walk around a square and must then uncover the Graske from its hiding place.
Having been found, the Graske kidnaps a young street urchin by zapping him, and as before leaves a changeling in his place. Tracking the Graske, the Doctor takes the viewer to the Graske's base on Griffoth and guides them through the base. Having used number and logic puzzles to pass through the airlock
Airlock
An airlock is a device which permits the passage of people and objects between a pressure vessel and its surroundings while minimizing the change of pressure in the vessel and loss of air from it...
s, the viewer arrives in a room filled with various beings in stasis
Stasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
pods; the Graske keep the originals to sustain the copies. The viewer also learns of the Graske's ultimate intention to replace every living, sentient creature in the universe with one of their doubles.
However, the viewer is spotted, and must duck to avoid a Graske's weapon fire. Fortunately, the blast ricochets around the room and frees a Slitheen
Slitheen
The Slitheen are a family of massive, bipedal extraterrestrials from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and they are adversaries of the Doctor. They first appeared in the 2005 series episodes "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", and subsequently recur in later episodes of...
from a stasis pod, who then proceeds to vengefully chase the Graske who imprisoned it. The viewer thus has the opportunity to make one last crucial decision — either the teleport settings can be reversed, sending all the kidnapped beings back to their proper places in space and time, or the Graske's own stasis control can be used against them, freezing the Graske and everything else in their base.
Depending on the choice the viewer makes, there are two alternative endings to the episode:
- If the viewer decides to freeze the entire Graske base, the Graske and all of their victims become trapped. The changeling mother and father talk mechanically with the rest of their family, and the daughter storms off to her room, believing that her parents are trying to ruin Christmas.
- If the decision is made to send the victims back, the viewer sees all the stasis pods being emptied, and the mother and father of the family are quickly glimpsed livening up the party at their house whilst "Another Rock And Roll Christmas" by Gary GlitterGary GlitterGary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
plays in the background. The universe — and the family's Christmas — are saved.
As the Doctor takes the viewer home, the programme evaluates the viewer's "score". Depending on how well they did, either the Doctor decides that his new companion is not quite ready for the job (but was not far off and should try again), or the Doctor comments on how impressed he is with the viewer, saying that perhaps one day he will call on their help to save the universe again.
In either case, the Doctor then removes the sonic powers from the viewer's remote control and bids them farewell, firing up the TARDIS to go back for Rose, but warns the viewer that "if you turn the TV over to 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...
, the galaxy may implode," referencing the rivalry between ITV and BBC
BBC
The 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...
.
Production
This episode had the working title Changeling World. Executive producer Julie GardnerJulie Gardner
Julie Gardner is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of Doctor Who and its spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
told Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine
Doctor Who Magazine is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
that the mini-episode was treated as a "full-blooded, sophisticated production," with a new alien villain, new sets and new special effects. Writer Gareth Roberts went on to write the episodes "Invasion of the Bane
Invasion of the Bane
-Sladen and Doctor Who:Elisabeth Sladen, who previously played Sarah Jane between 1973 and 1976. In 1981, she was offered the role again to ease the transition between the Fourth and Fifth Doctors, which she declined, but agreed to star in the pilot for the spin-off series K-9 and Company, which...
" (co-written with Russell T Davies), 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...
and Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?
Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane? is the fifth story of the British science fiction television series The Sarah Jane Adventures. It forms the seventh and eighth episodes of the show's first series...
for the Doctor Who spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures
The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television series, produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies and starring Elisabeth Sladen...
and the fully recognised Doctor Who episodes "The Shakespeare Code
The Shakespeare Code
"The Shakespeare Code" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 7 April 2007, and is the second episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series. According to the BARB figures this episode was seen by 7.23 million viewers and was...
", "The Unicorn and the Wasp
The Unicorn and the Wasp
"The Unicorn and the Wasp" is the 7th episode in the revised fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was aired by BBC One on 17 May 2008 at 19:00. Perhaps due to its later broadcast, it received an overnight audience rating of 7.7 million, making it the...
" and "Planet of the Dead
Planet of the Dead
"Planet of the Dead" is the first 2009 special of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who that was simultaneously broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 11 April 2009. It was the second of five special episodes broadcast throughout 2009 and early 2010, which served as lead actor...
", the latter being co-written with Davies.
The countdown to the start of the segment uses a design based on the Gallifrey
Gallifrey
Gallifrey is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and is the homeworld of the Doctor and the Time Lords...
an script seen in the series, and includes both Arabic numerals and the Gallifreyan numerals used in the New Series Adventures
New Series Adventures (Doctor Who)
The New Series Adventures are a series of novels relating to the long-running BBC science fiction television series, Doctor Who. The 'NSAs', as they are often referred to, are published by BBC Books, and are regularly published in the spring and autumn of each year. Beginning and concluding with...
. The countdown shown for the tasks is a simplified version of this which does not include the Gallifreyan numerals.
Unlike all other new series episodes, this episode is presented in 4:3 aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
.
Location shooting took place at the Coal Exchange and Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay.
Music
The music played during the countdown is the orchestral arrangement of the Doctor Who theme musicDoctor Who theme music
The Doctor Who theme is a piece of music composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Created in 1963, it was one of the first electronic music signature tunes for television and after nearly five decades remains one of the most easily...
which plays over the credits of "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 musical cue used during the later challenge sequences is from "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....
".
Broadcast
A total of 496,000 viewers played Attack of the Graske on the BBC Red Button service. The episode was available again following the New Year's DayNew Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
repeat transmission of "The Christmas Invasion". As of 30 March 2006 the game had an average of 41,000 hits every week on the BBC's Doctor Who website.
External links
- "Attack of the Graske" The online version of the interactive episode at BBC Online.