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Doomsday (Doctor Who)
Encyclopedia
"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. The two-part story features the Dalek
s, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series' finale
, and the Cybermen
, who appeared in "Rise of the Cybermen
" and "The Age of Steel
". Both species unexpectedly arrive on Earth at the conclusion of "Army of Ghosts".
The concept of the Daleks and the Cybermen both appearing on-screen was first proposed in 1967, but was vetoed by Terry Nation
, the creator of the Daleks. The episode is the first conflict between the two species in Doctor Whos 45-year history, and features Billie Piper
's last appearance in the lead companion
role as Rose Tyler
; the final regular appearance of Noel Clarke
as Rose's ex-boyfriend and previous companion Mickey Smith
; and the final regular appearances of Camille Coduri
and Shaun Dingwall
as Rose's parents, Jackie
and Pete Tyler
. The episode was filmed in December 2005 and January 2006, alongside the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel".
The plot consists mostly of the Daleks and Cybermen waging a global war, with humanity caught in the crossfire. The Doctor
, the Tyler family, and Mickey Smith fight for their lives trying to reverse the situation. They are successful, but at an emotional cost to the Doctor and Rose, as they are left in separate universes.
The episode is one of the most popular Doctor Who episodes since the show's revival. It was nominated, along with "Army of Ghosts", for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the award was won by the fourth episode in the series, "The Girl in the Fireplace
". It shared the revived series' highest Audience Appreciation
rating of 89 with "The Parting of the Ways
", "Silence in the Library
", and "Forest of the Dead
" until 28 June 2008—"The Stolen Earth
" gained a AI rating of 91—and is favoured by most critics for both the Cybermen–Dalek conflict and the farewell scene between the Doctor and Rose.
"; Dr Singh (Raji James
), Mickey Smith
(Noel Clarke
), and Rose Tyler
(Billie Piper
) are trapped in a sealed room within Torchwood
's Canary Wharf
. Four Daleks, accompanied by a device known as the "Genesis Ark", have emerged from the void ship. A Dalek Supreme called Dalek Sec extracts information about Earth from Singh, killing him in the process. He discovers that a separate invasion is in progress, and sends Dalek Thay to investigate. The Cybermen, who took control of Torchwood, detect the Dalek technology and offer an alliance. The Daleks decline, and the two species declare war.
While discussing humanity with the Doctor
(David Tennant
), the Cyber Leader is destroyed by a strike team led by Jake Simmonds
(Andrew Hayden-Smith
), from the same universe as the Cybermen. Jake takes the Doctor to his universe and a parallel Torchwood. Pete Tyler (Shaun Dingwall
) tells him that the Cybermen vanished and they have followed them. The breach is causing unprecedented global warming on the parallel Earth and must be closed before the damage destroys both worlds. They return to Earth and approach the Cybermen with a truce against the Daleks.
Meanwhile, Rose surmises that they were kept alive because, as time travellers, their touch would activate the Ark. Sec explains that they cannot open the Ark because it is stolen Time Lord
technology. He demands that Rose open it, but she refuses, and mocks the Daleks until the Doctor appears. Upon realising that the Daleks are the enigmatic Cult of Skaro
, he uses his sonic screwdriver to allow the Cybermen to attack the Daleks, letting the humans escape. Mickey accidentally activates the Ark when escaping, and the Daleks, after escaping the Cybermen, travel to the exterior of Canary Wharf to release the Ark's contents: millions of Daleks who were imprisoned during the Time War
. These Daleks encounter the Cybermen, and the two races begin fighting all over the world.
The Doctor and his companions flee into the tower. En route, Pete rescues Jackie from upgrading and the couple are reunited. As the Dalek–Cyberman war rages outside—with humans being massacred in the crossfire—the Doctor brings everyone to the breach room. He explains that crossing the Void causes a traveller to become saturated in Void material. If he opens the breach to the void, any being saturated will be pulled in. He will then close the breach forever. However, Rose and Mickey have crossed the Void and are contaminated and vulnerable.
The Tylers and Mickey cross into the parallel universe, but Rose decides she would rather be with the Doctor than her family and jumps back to help him. After being bought some time by an upgraded Yvonne, who has managed to regain her humanity, they open the breach and hold onto a pair of magnetic clamps as the Cybermen and Daleks are pulled in, though the Cult of Skaro escape via an "emergency temporal shift". Rose's lever slips; she pushes it back into position but loses her grip. Before she falls into the Void, Pete reappears, catches her, and jumps back to his world. The breach closes and leaves a devastated Rose trapped in the other world.
Some time later, Rose has a dream where she hears the Doctor's voice calling her. The Tyler family follow the voice to a remote bay in Norway called Bad Wolf Bay, where an image of the Doctor appears; he is harnessing the power of a supernova to transmit through one of the final breaches. Because the breach is to close permanently in two minutes, the pair share one last conversation. Rose breaks down in tears and tells him that she loves him, but as the Doctor starts to reply, the breach closes. In the TARDIS, a tearful Doctor regains his composure and sets a new course. He looks up to see a woman in a wedding dress
(portrayed by Catherine Tate
), who demands to know where she is.
to have both races in a serial, but Nation vetoed this idea. The concept came to Davies while mapping out the 2006 series: the story would both serve to resurrect the popular Daleks and provide a suitable exit for Piper, who had decided to leave Doctor Who. "Doomsday" is the first episode in the history of Doctor Who where the Cybermen and the Daleks appear on-screen together; Cybermen and Daleks were both featured in The Five Doctors
and "Army of Ghosts
", but in separate scenes.
The two-part finale was originally going to take place in Cardiff on the time rift
, which was the focus of the episodes "The Unquiet Dead
" and "Boom Town
". When Torchwood was commissioned in 2005, Davies decided to base the spin-off in Cardiff and relocate "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" to Canary Wharf
in London.
An item of discussion between the production staff was over who would rescue Rose; Davies and Julie Gardner wanted Pete to rescue her, while Clarke and Phil Collinson wanted Mickey. The role was ultimately given to Pete, to emphasise that he had accepted Rose as a surrogate daughter. The Doctor's intended reply to Rose was also discussed; Davies, who left the reply unspecified, stated he didn't know when asked by Collinson on the episode's commentary track, and Gardner vehemently believed the Doctor would reciprocate Rose's love.
Some elements of the story were inspired by Philip Pullman
's His Dark Materials
trilogy. Pullman was "flattered" by the references in the episode, and compared Davies' actions to his own practice of referencing works.
" and "The Age of Steel
". Filming for the story started on 2 November 2005 on location in Kennington
, London, but did not become the primary focus of the production crew until 29 November, when filming began on the scenes in and around the sphere chamber. The scene of the Tylers driving through Norway was filmed at Bridgend on 6 December. Scenes in the lever room, the main setting for the story, were filmed on 12–15 December and 3–5 January 2006. Greenscreen work for Rose being sucked into the void took place on 13 January, and the skirmish between the military and Cybermen on the bridge was filmed on 15 January.
Other location shooting took place at the Coal Exchange and Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay
.
The penultimate scene of the episode, the Doctor's farewell to Rose, was filmed on 16 January 2006; it was the last day of filming for Clarke and Dingwall. As with all scenes set at Bad Wolf Bay, these were in fact filmed at Southerndown
beach in the Vale of Glamorgan
. Piper's last scene was Rose's reunion with the Doctor in "The Satan Pit
" on 31 March, but the shoot was rather emotional, to the point there were several tears on set. The last scene of "Doomsday", Catherine Tate's appearance in the TARDIS as Donna Noble
(credited as "The Bride"), was filmed on 31 March during the wrap party. To ensure the secrecy of Rose's departure and Tate's appearance, only Piper and Tennant were given scripts of the departure scene, and director Graeme Harper was not informed of the final scene until the last possible second.
specially composed a piece of music for Rose's farewell entitled "Doomsday", which featured vocal work from Melanie Pappenheim
. Instead of using the swelling violins that Davies and the rest of the production team had expected, Gold took a minimalist approach. When pitching the track to the production team, Gold described the track as representing Rose's unbridled energy and determination as she searches for the Doctor. He later said, "I wanted to get that kind of throbbing, sort of hurt sound of quite emotional rock, because I thought that's what Rose would do if she was hurting and ran up to her bedroom and locked herself in her room and had a good old cry, really." The piece uses the same vocal work from "Rose
", when Rose first enters the TARDIS, thus creating a bookend effect
. It is a favourite among fans and of executive producer Julie Gardner, and is one of the reasons, along with Pappenheim's overall contribution and the "Song for Ten" from "The Christmas Invasion
", that the soundtrack of both series
was released several months later.
while the production team were collecting an award. A similar moratorium would be placed on the following series' finale, "Last of the Time Lords
".
The episode's finalised average viewing figure was 8.22 million viewers and was, excepting World Cup games, the second most-watched television programme of the week, behind an episode of Coronation Street
, and eighth most-watched overall. The companion episode of Doctor Who Confidential
gained just over one million viewers, making it the second most watched programme on a non-terrestrial channel that week. The ratings for the episode were higher than the following World Cup match between Germany
and Portugal
, which had a million fewer viewers.
(AI) of 89, which was the highest figure for nearly two years—it was later surpassed by "The Stolen Earth
", which had an AI of 91—and is the first episode of Doctor Who to receive a perfect 10 rating on IGN
, who congratulated Davies on making an action-packed episode so emotional. Television Without Pity gave the episode an A+ rating. The Stage
commented that the Dalek-Cybermen conflict was the "only thing worth watching" at the weekend, overshadowing even the World Cup Final, and that the parting scene was "beautifully written and movingly played," with "not a dry eye in the universe". Dek Hogan of Digital Spy
stated that the episode was "beautifully balanced and with moments of high excitement and touching poignancy" and that the single oil tear shed by the Cyberman version of Hartman was a "nice touch". He criticised Catherine Tate's appearance as being unnecessary to end the episode and for "breaking the mood". Stephen Brook of The Guardian
thought that the episode was "a highpoint of the modern series, highly emotional, scary and genuinely exciting", while Rose's departure was "brilliantly handled". He positively compared the episode's plot of a war between "the greatest monsters in the programme history" against the film Alien vs. Predator
.
After its initial airing, the episode was released on DVD, with "Fear Her
" and "Army of Ghosts
", on 25 September 2006. It was first aired on CBC Television
on 19 February 2007. The story ("Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday") was one of three from the second series of Doctor Who to be nominated for the 2007 Hugo Award
for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the other stories nominated were "School Reunion
" and "The Girl in the Fireplace
", the award was won by the latter.
. The effects of the "cyber-conversion" of humans to Cybermen were later explored in the 2006 Torchwood
episode "Cyberwoman
", which focused upon character Ianto Jones
(Gareth David-Lloyd
) keeping his partially-converted girlfriend away from his colleagues while he searches for a cure.
The loss of Rose was used several times in the third series: the memory was used in an attempt to weaken the Doctor in "The Shakespeare Code
", and was an annoyance to companion Martha Jones
. The loss of Rose upset him during "The Runaway Bride", but it also allowed him to "keep on fighting" several times.
The alternate universe and the Void were further explored in several episodes in 2008: the events of the last three episodes of the fourth series, "Turn Left
", "The Stolen Earth
", and "Journey's End
", weaken the divisions between the parallel universes, causing most of the beings in the Void to perish. A small group of Cybermen appear in "The Next Doctor", having stolen Dalek technology and escaped from the Void into Victorian London.
The Daleks and Cybermen appeared on screen together again in 2010 in "The Pandorica Opens
", alongside other classic Doctor Who villains.
Reviews
Doctor Who (series 2)
The second series of British science fiction series Doctor Who began on 25 December 2005 with the Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes was broadcast, starting with "New Earth" on 15 April 2006...
of the revival 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 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...
. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts
Army of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
", was broadcast on 1 July 2006. The two-part story features the Dalek
Dalek
The Daleks are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Within the series, Daleks are cyborgs from the planet Skaro, created by the scientist Davros during the final years of a thousand-year war against the Thals...
s, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series' finale
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...
, and the Cybermen
Cyberman
The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs who are amongst the most persistent enemies of the Doctor in the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. Cybermen were originally a wholly organic species of humanoids originating on Earth's twin planet Mondas that began to implant more...
, who appeared in "Rise of the Cybermen
Rise of the Cybermen
"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
" and "The Age of Steel
The Age of Steel
"The Age of Steel" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story that was the first to feature the Cybermen since Silver Nemesis in 1988. The first part, "Rise of the Cybermen", was...
". Both species unexpectedly arrive on Earth at the conclusion of "Army of Ghosts".
The concept of the Daleks and the Cybermen both appearing on-screen was first proposed in 1967, but was vetoed by Terry Nation
Terry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
, the creator of the Daleks. The episode is the first conflict between the two species in Doctor Whos 45-year history, and features 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...
's last appearance in the lead companion
Companion (Doctor Who)
In the long-running BBC television science fiction programme Doctor Who and related works, the term "companion" refers to a character who travels with, and shares the adventures of the Doctor. In most Doctor Who stories, the primary companion acts as both deuteragonist and audience surrogate...
role as 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...
; the final regular appearance of Noel Clarke
Noel Clarke
Noel Anthony Clarke is an English actor, director and screenwriter from London. He is best known for playing Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who...
as Rose's ex-boyfriend and previous companion 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...
; and the final regular appearances of Camille Coduri
Camille Coduri
Camille Coduri is an English actress. She is best known for her role in Doctor Who as Jackie Tyler.-Career:She featured in the film comedies Nuns on the Run and King Ralph...
and Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall is a British actor and is known for his roles on British television.-Early life:Shaun Dingwall was born in 1972 and attended Ilford County High School for boys. His initial ambition was to become a photographer and for several years he worked as an assistant photographer within the...
as Rose's parents, Jackie
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...
and Pete Tyler
Pete Tyler
Pete Tyler, full name Peter Alan Tyler, is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Shaun Dingwall...
. The episode was filmed in December 2005 and January 2006, alongside the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel".
The plot consists mostly of the Daleks and Cybermen waging a global war, with humanity caught in the crossfire. 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....
, the Tyler family, and Mickey Smith fight for their lives trying to reverse the situation. They are successful, but at an emotional cost to the Doctor and Rose, as they are left in separate universes.
The episode is one of the most popular Doctor Who episodes since the show's revival. It was nominated, along with "Army of Ghosts", for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the award was won by the fourth episode in the series, "The Girl in the Fireplace
The Girl in the Fireplace
"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
". It shared the revived series' highest Audience Appreciation
Appreciation Index
The Audience Appreciation Index is a score out of 100 which is used as an indicator of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by BARB, the organisation that compiles television...
rating of 89 with "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...
", "Silence in the Library
Silence in the Library
"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story, followed by "Forest of the Dead", and is the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to...
", and "Forest of the Dead
Forest of the Dead
"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008...
" until 28 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...
" gained a AI rating of 91—and is favoured by most critics for both the Cybermen–Dalek conflict and the farewell scene between the Doctor and Rose.
Synopsis
The episode's opening continues from the final scene of "Army of GhostsArmy of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
"; Dr Singh (Raji James
Raji James
Rajesh Jhanji better known by his stage name Little Raji James That Used To Be In Eastenders But Ruined It, is a British Indian actor, club night promotor and podcast co-host, best known for his role as Ash Ferreira in EastEnders, he also played Abdul Khan in the 1999 British Film East Is East...
), 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...
(Noel Clarke
Noel Clarke
Noel Anthony Clarke is an English actor, director and screenwriter from London. He is best known for playing Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who...
), and 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...
(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...
) are trapped in a sealed room within Torchwood
Torchwood Institute
The Torchwood Institute is a fictional secret organization from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series Torchwood. It was established in 1879 by Queen Victoria after the events of "Tooth and Claw". Its prime directive, is to defend the earth against...
's Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
. Four Daleks, accompanied by a device known as the "Genesis Ark", have emerged from the void ship. A Dalek Supreme called Dalek Sec extracts information about Earth from Singh, killing him in the process. He discovers that a separate invasion is in progress, and sends Dalek Thay to investigate. The Cybermen, who took control of Torchwood, detect the Dalek technology and offer an alliance. The Daleks decline, and the two species declare war.
While discussing humanity with 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....
(David Tennant
David Tennant
David Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
), the Cyber Leader is destroyed by a strike team led by Jake Simmonds
Jake Simmonds
Jake Simmonds is a fictional character played by Andrew Hayden-Smith in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He originates from a parallel Earth....
(Andrew Hayden-Smith
Andrew Hayden-Smith
Andrew Hayden-Smith is a British actor and television presenter best known for his work with CBBC.-Early years:...
), from the same universe as the Cybermen. Jake takes the Doctor to his universe and a parallel Torchwood. Pete Tyler (Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall is a British actor and is known for his roles on British television.-Early life:Shaun Dingwall was born in 1972 and attended Ilford County High School for boys. His initial ambition was to become a photographer and for several years he worked as an assistant photographer within the...
) tells him that the Cybermen vanished and they have followed them. The breach is causing unprecedented global warming on the parallel Earth and must be closed before the damage destroys both worlds. They return to Earth and approach the Cybermen with a truce against the Daleks.
Meanwhile, Rose surmises that they were kept alive because, as time travellers, their touch would activate the Ark. Sec explains that they cannot open the Ark because it is stolen 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...
technology. He demands that Rose open it, but she refuses, and mocks the Daleks until the Doctor appears. Upon realising that the Daleks are the enigmatic Cult of Skaro
Cult of Skaro
In the television series Doctor Who, the Cult of Skaro was an elite order of Daleks, and the first individual Daleks whose recurring nature has been explicit.-Background:The Cult of Skaro first appeared in the double-episode "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday"...
, he uses his sonic screwdriver to allow the Cybermen to attack the Daleks, letting the humans escape. Mickey accidentally activates the Ark when escaping, and the Daleks, after escaping the Cybermen, travel to the exterior of Canary Wharf to release the Ark's contents: millions of Daleks who were imprisoned 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...
. These Daleks encounter the Cybermen, and the two races begin fighting all over the world.
The Doctor and his companions flee into the tower. En route, Pete rescues Jackie from upgrading and the couple are reunited. As the Dalek–Cyberman war rages outside—with humans being massacred in the crossfire—the Doctor brings everyone to the breach room. He explains that crossing the Void causes a traveller to become saturated in Void material. If he opens the breach to the void, any being saturated will be pulled in. He will then close the breach forever. However, Rose and Mickey have crossed the Void and are contaminated and vulnerable.
The Tylers and Mickey cross into the parallel universe, but Rose decides she would rather be with the Doctor than her family and jumps back to help him. After being bought some time by an upgraded Yvonne, who has managed to regain her humanity, they open the breach and hold onto a pair of magnetic clamps as the Cybermen and Daleks are pulled in, though the Cult of Skaro escape via an "emergency temporal shift". Rose's lever slips; she pushes it back into position but loses her grip. Before she falls into the Void, Pete reappears, catches her, and jumps back to his world. The breach closes and leaves a devastated Rose trapped in the other world.
Some time later, Rose has a dream where she hears the Doctor's voice calling her. The Tyler family follow the voice to a remote bay in Norway called Bad Wolf Bay, where an image of the Doctor appears; he is harnessing the power of a supernova to transmit through one of the final breaches. Because the breach is to close permanently in two minutes, the pair share one last conversation. Rose breaks down in tears and tells him that she loves him, but as the Doctor starts to reply, the breach closes. In the TARDIS, a tearful Doctor regains his composure and sets a new course. He looks up to see a woman in a wedding dress
Donna Noble
Donna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
(portrayed by Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
), who demands to know where she is.
Conception
The concept of the Daleks and Cybermen appearing together on screen is not new; in December 1967, the BBC approached Terry NationTerry Nation
Terry Nation was a Welsh screenwriter and novelist.He is probably best known for creating the villainous Daleks in the long-running science fiction television series Doctor Who...
to have both races in a serial, but Nation vetoed this idea. The concept came to Davies while mapping out the 2006 series: the story would both serve to resurrect the popular Daleks and provide a suitable exit for Piper, who had decided to leave Doctor Who. "Doomsday" is the first episode in the history of Doctor Who where the Cybermen and the Daleks appear on-screen together; Cybermen and Daleks were both featured in 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...
and "Army of Ghosts
Army of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
", but in separate scenes.
The two-part finale was originally going to take place in Cardiff on the time rift
Cardiff Rift
The Cardiff Rift is a fictional wormhole in the science fiction television series Doctor Who and Torchwood, one end of which is located in Cardiff Bay, Wales. The other end is apparently floating freely through spacetime, and matter and radiation can pass through the Rift, allowing extraterrestrial...
, which was the focus of the episodes "The Unquiet Dead
The 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 "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...
". When Torchwood was commissioned in 2005, Davies decided to base the spin-off in Cardiff and relocate "Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday" to Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is a major business district located in London, United Kingdom. It is one of London's two main financial centres, alongside the traditional City of London, and contains many of the UK's tallest buildings, including the second-tallest , One Canada Square...
in London.
An item of discussion between the production staff was over who would rescue Rose; Davies and Julie Gardner wanted Pete to rescue her, while Clarke and Phil Collinson wanted Mickey. The role was ultimately given to Pete, to emphasise that he had accepted Rose as a surrogate daughter. The Doctor's intended reply to Rose was also discussed; Davies, who left the reply unspecified, stated he didn't know when asked by Collinson on the episode's commentary track, and Gardner vehemently believed the Doctor would reciprocate Rose's love.
Some elements of the story were inspired by Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
's His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman comprising Northern Lights , The Subtle Knife , and The Amber Spyglass...
trilogy. Pullman was "flattered" by the references in the episode, and compared Davies' actions to his own practice of referencing works.
Filming
To ensure that Clarke and Dingwall were available for filming, the story was filmed in the season's third production block with "Rise of the CybermenRise of the Cybermen
"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
" and "The Age of Steel
The Age of Steel
"The Age of Steel" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story that was the first to feature the Cybermen since Silver Nemesis in 1988. The first part, "Rise of the Cybermen", was...
". Filming for the story started on 2 November 2005 on location in Kennington
Kennington
Kennington is a district of South London, England, mainly within the London Borough of Lambeth, although part of the area is within the London Borough of Southwark....
, London, but did not become the primary focus of the production crew until 29 November, when filming began on the scenes in and around the sphere chamber. The scene of the Tylers driving through Norway was filmed at Bridgend on 6 December. Scenes in the lever room, the main setting for the story, were filmed on 12–15 December and 3–5 January 2006. Greenscreen work for Rose being sucked into the void took place on 13 January, and the skirmish between the military and Cybermen on the bridge was filmed on 15 January.
Other location shooting took place at the Coal Exchange and Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
.
The penultimate scene of the episode, the Doctor's farewell to Rose, was filmed on 16 January 2006; it was the last day of filming for Clarke and Dingwall. As with all scenes set at Bad Wolf Bay, these were in fact filmed at Southerndown
Southerndown
Southerndown is a village in South Wales to the southwest of Bridgend, close to St Brides Major, Llantwit Major and Ogmore-by-Sea. It is mostly known for its beach , which is a popular tourist destination during the summer months and since 1972 has been designated a Heritage Coast and is part of...
beach in the Vale of Glamorgan
Vale of Glamorgan
The Vale of Glamorgan is a county borough in Wales; an exceptionally rich agricultural area, it lies in the southern part of Glamorgan, South Wales...
. Piper's last scene was Rose's reunion with the Doctor in "The Satan Pit
The Satan Pit
"The Satan Pit" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It is the second part of a two-part story, following "The Impossible Planet". With the TARDIS seemingly lost, Rose and the remaining humans are trapped on the base with the possessed Ood, while the planet...
" on 31 March, but the shoot was rather emotional, to the point there were several tears on set. The last scene of "Doomsday", Catherine Tate's appearance in the TARDIS as Donna Noble
Donna Noble
Donna Noble is a fictional character played by Catherine Tate in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A secretary from Chiswick, London, she is a companion of the Tenth Doctor, appearing in one scene at the end of the final episode of the 2006 series,...
(credited as "The Bride"), was filmed on 31 March during the wrap party. To ensure the secrecy of Rose's departure and Tate's appearance, only Piper and Tennant were given scripts of the departure scene, and director Graeme Harper was not informed of the final scene until the last possible second.
Music
As well as using existing music, such as the themes for the Daleks, Cybermen, and Rose, Murray GoldMurray 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...
specially composed a piece of music for Rose's farewell entitled "Doomsday", which featured vocal work from 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...
. Instead of using the swelling violins that Davies and the rest of the production team had expected, Gold took a minimalist approach. When pitching the track to the production team, Gold described the track as representing Rose's unbridled energy and determination as she searches for the Doctor. He later said, "I wanted to get that kind of throbbing, sort of hurt sound of quite emotional rock, because I thought that's what Rose would do if she was hurting and ran up to her bedroom and locked herself in her room and had a good old cry, really." The piece uses the same vocal work from "Rose
Rose (Doctor Who)
"Rose" is the first episode of Series One of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by show runner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak, the episode was first broadcast on 26 March 2005....
", when Rose first enters the TARDIS, thus creating a bookend effect
Framing device
The term framing device refers to the usage of the same single action, scene, event, setting, or any element of significance at both the beginning and end of an artistic, musical, or literary work. The repeated element thus creates a ‘frame’ within which the main body of work can develop.The...
. It is a favourite among fans and of executive producer Julie Gardner, and is one of the reasons, along with Pappenheim's overall contribution and the "Song for Ten" from "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...
", that the soundtrack of both series
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....
was released several months later.
Broadcast and pre-airing media blackout
To protect as much information concerning the episode as possible, the final scene of "Army of Ghosts" was withheld. The BBC website's Fear Forecasters, a panel who rate the episodes, were not allowed to see "Doomsday" before its airing, and access to copies was restricted; the website thus does not have a Fear Forecast for the episode. Despite this, the Dalek Sec prop, which had been previously unused in the series, had invaded the stage at the 2006 BAFTA Television AwardsBritish Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
while the production team were collecting an award. A similar moratorium would be placed on the following series' finale, "Last of the Time Lords
Last of the Time Lords
"Last of the Time Lords" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 30 June 2007, and is the thirteenth and final episode of Series 3 of the revived Doctor Who series...
".
The episode's finalised average viewing figure was 8.22 million viewers and was, excepting World Cup games, the second most-watched television programme of the week, behind an episode of Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, and eighth most-watched overall. The companion episode of Doctor Who Confidential
Doctor 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...
gained just over one million viewers, making it the second most watched programme on a non-terrestrial channel that week. The ratings for the episode were higher than the following World Cup match between Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, which had a million fewer viewers.
Critical reception and later release
"Doomsday" is one of the most popular episodes of the revived Doctor Who. It gained an audience Appreciation IndexAppreciation Index
The Audience Appreciation Index is a score out of 100 which is used as an indicator of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by BARB, the organisation that compiles television...
(AI) of 89, which was the highest figure for nearly two years—it was later surpassed by "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...
", which had an AI of 91—and is the first episode of Doctor Who to receive a perfect 10 rating on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, who congratulated Davies on making an action-packed episode so emotional. Television Without Pity gave the episode an A+ rating. The Stage
The Stage
The Stage is a weekly British newspaper founded in 1880, available nationally and published on Thursdays. Covering all areas of the entertainment industry but focused primarily on theatre, it contains news, reviews, opinion, features and other items of interest, mainly to those who work within the...
commented that the Dalek-Cybermen conflict was the "only thing worth watching" at the weekend, overshadowing even the World Cup Final, and that the parting scene was "beautifully written and movingly played," with "not a dry eye in the universe". Dek Hogan of Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
stated that the episode was "beautifully balanced and with moments of high excitement and touching poignancy" and that the single oil tear shed by the Cyberman version of Hartman was a "nice touch". He criticised Catherine Tate's appearance as being unnecessary to end the episode and for "breaking the mood". Stephen Brook of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
thought that the episode was "a highpoint of the modern series, highly emotional, scary and genuinely exciting", while Rose's departure was "brilliantly handled". He positively compared the episode's plot of a war between "the greatest monsters in the programme history" against the film Alien vs. Predator
Alien vs. Predator (film)
Alien vs. Predator is a 2004 American science fiction film directed by Paul W. S. Anderson for 20th Century Fox and starring Sanaa Lathan and Lance Henriksen. The film adapts the Alien vs. Predator crossover imprint bringing together the eponymous creatures of the Alien and Predator series, a...
.
After its initial airing, the episode was released on DVD, with "Fear Her
Fear Her
"Fear Her" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 24 June 2006.The episode takes part on the day of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, almost exclusively on a fictitious cul-de-sac named after the British athlete...
" and "Army of Ghosts
Army of Ghosts
"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who which was first broadcast on 1 July 2006...
", on 25 September 2006. It was first aired on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
on 19 February 2007. The story ("Army of Ghosts" and "Doomsday") was one of three from the second series of Doctor Who to be nominated for the 2007 Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...
for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the other stories nominated were "School Reunion
School Reunion (Doctor Who)
"School Reunion" is the third episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It first aired on 29 April 2006. The episode's narrative takes place some time after the events of "The Christmas Invasion"...
" and "The Girl in the Fireplace
The Girl in the Fireplace
"The Girl in the Fireplace" is the fourth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 6 May 2006, and is the only episode in the 2006 series written by Steven Moffat...
", the award was won by the latter.
Impact on the show's continuity
The episode's events created a minor story arc for the following series and spin-off series TorchwoodTorchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
. The effects of the "cyber-conversion" of humans to Cybermen were later explored in the 2006 Torchwood
Torchwood
Torchwood is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. The series is a spin-off from Davies's 2005 revival of the long-running science fiction programme Doctor Who. The show has shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growing audience, moving from...
episode "Cyberwoman
Cyberwoman
"Cyberwoman" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television series Torchwood. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by James Strong, the episode was first broadcast on the digital channel BBC Three on 5 November 2006, and later repeated on terrestrial channel...
", which focused upon character Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones
Ianto Jones is a fictional character in the BBC television series Torchwood, played by Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd. A series regular, Ianto appears in every episode of the programme's first three series, as well as two crossover episodes of Torchwoods parent show, Doctor Who...
(Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth David-Lloyd
Gareth David-Lloyd is a Welsh actor best known for his role as Ianto Jones in the British science fiction television programme Torchwood.- Early life :...
) keeping his partially-converted girlfriend away from his colleagues while he searches for a cure.
The loss of Rose was used several times in the third series: the memory was used in an attempt to weaken the Doctor in "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...
", and was an annoyance to companion Martha Jones
Martha Jones
Martha Jones is a fictional character played by Freema Agyeman in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off series, Torchwood. She is a companion of the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, replacing Rose Tyler...
. The loss of Rose upset him during "The Runaway Bride", but it also allowed him to "keep on fighting" several times.
The alternate universe and the Void were further explored in several episodes in 2008: the events of the last three episodes of the fourth series, "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 "Journey's End
Journey's End (Doctor Who)
"Journey's End" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane...
", weaken the divisions between the parallel universes, causing most of the beings in the Void to perish. A small group of Cybermen appear in "The Next Doctor", having stolen Dalek technology and escaped from the Void into Victorian London.
The Daleks and Cybermen appeared on screen together again in 2010 in "The Pandorica Opens
The Pandorica Opens
"The Pandorica Opens" is the twelfth episode, and first in a two-part story, in the fifth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, broadcast on 19 June 2010. The Doctor's friends send him a warning; he deals with a message on a cliff, a mysterious box and a love story that...
", alongside other classic Doctor Who villains.
External links
- TARDISODE 13
- Episode trailer shown at the end of "Army of Ghosts"
- Episode commentary by Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson (MP3)
- "Doomsday" episode homepage
Reviews