4.11. Turn Left

Series 4 - 2008

Writer: Russell T Davies
Produced by: Susie Liggat
Director: Graeme Harper
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

The Doctor and Donna are visting a market and sampling the local delicacies. A woman offers to read Donna's fortune; the woman says it is free for people with red-hair, and Donna accepts. Donna tells the fortune-teller about how she met the Doctor. She remembers about six months before she met the Doctor when she had two job offers. The fortune-teller asks Donna what made her choose. Donna chose to turn left at a junction. The fortune-teller asks what if Donna had chosen right. A beetle-like creature jumps on to Donna's back, and the fortune-teller gives Donna the opportunity to turn right instead of left.

Donna is at a Christmas party, and pays for drinks with new wage. One of her friends keeps looking at Donna's back, but can see nothing. Someone shouts about a Christmas star, and outside Donna sees the Racnoss spaceship attack London.

Donna runs to see what is happening, and see the Thames drained. She watches as a body is brought out. A limp arms drops a sonic screwdriver. As she walks away Rose Tyler comes running past and asks if they brought anyone out. Rose keeps looking at Donna's back. As Donna looks back Rose disappears.

Due to problems with the Thames the company Donna is working for starts to make staff redundant - including Donna. As she is arguing there is an explosion; on the news there is talk of a hopsital vanishing. At home her granddad - Wilf - is talking about aliens taking the hospital to the moon.

Donna offers to buy fish and chips with the last of her wages, and sets off to get them. In an alley there is a flash of light, and Rose Tyler emerges. Rose is still looking at Donna's back. Rose suggests that Donna and her family should go away for the following Christmas.

The following year, after winning a raffle, they all take a weekend break. On the news there is an announcement about a replica of the Titanic landing on Buckingham Palace. The hotel room shakes, and from the hotel grounds they can see a mushroom cloud in London.

With southern England flooded with radiation there is a massive relocation going on, and Donna and her family are relocated to Leeds. They are sent to live with many other families in a terraced house. There are met by an enthusiastic Rocco, who introduces everyone, and shows them to the kitchen, which is to be their room. Wilf has heard America was to come to Britain's aid - until America went in to crisis after people started dissolving into fat. Life is depressing, and even the bees have left. Donna and her Mum have problems sleeping with noise from the living room, and goes to complain until she realises her Granddad is in there.

Outside there is gunfire. Soldiers are shooting at ATMOS fitted cars which are spewing toxic smoke. One of the soldiers sees something on Donna's back and aims a gun at her. When she turns round there is nothing there. Again, Rose appears and talks to Donna. As they watch Torchwood destroy the Sontaran fleet. Rose explains that Donna was supposed to be there on Christmas Eve to save the Doctor underneath the Thames. Rose asks Donna to go with her. Donna refuses, and Rose says she will - in three weeks' time. She also tells Donna that if she does, she will die.

In a back garden Wilf and Donna are talking, when Wilf checks his telescope. He can no longer find Orion. Soon, as they look into the sky, stars start going out. Donna is ready for Rose, and is taken to a UNIT facility, where she meets Captain Erisa Magambo. Rose shows Donna a police box which is bigger on the inside that the outside.

Rose and Donna enter the deactivted TARDIS. Rose offers Donna the chance to see what is on her back. Standing in the centre of a ring of mirrors Donna is able to see the creature on her back. Whatever it is, it feeds of time and feeds of events that never where, such as when Donna turned right instead of left.

Rose tells Donna about the event that changed, and tells Donna they can send her back to that event to make herself turn left instead of right. Using the mirrors to reflect chronon energy UNIT sends Donna back in time. Donna thinks that if she sets things right she won't die; Rose simply says "I'm sorry." as Donna is sent back in time.

Donna arrives in the wrong place by half a mile, and has four minutes to get to the junction. Running Donna realises she is not going to get there in time. She sees a lorry coming, and steps out in front of it. Rose appears to tell Donna two words before she closes her eyes.

Meanwhile traffic to the right of the junction is backing up. In the car Donna turns left to avoid the traffic.

Back in the market the creature drops off Donna's back. She tells the Doctor all about her events, and the Doctor begins to think there is too much co-incidence around her. Donna tells the Doctor the two words: Bad Wolf. The Doctor rushes out in to the market and everything has changed to read Bad Wolf - even on the TARDIS...

Regular Cast

  • Donna Noble: Catherine Tate
  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper

Guest Cast

  • Wilfred Mott: Bernard Cribbins
  • Sylvia Noble: Jacqueline King
  • Rocco Colasanto: Joseph Long
  • Captain Magambo: Noma Dumezwni
  • Fortune Teller: Chipo Chung
  • Mooky Kahari: Maria Lecky
  • Veena Brady: Suzann McLean
  • Alice Coltrane: Natalie Walter
  • Man in Pub: Neil Clench
  • UNIT Soldier: Clive Standen
  • Jival Chowdry: Bhasker Patel
  • Female Reporter: Catherine York
  • Morgenstern: Ben Righton
  • Spanish Maid: Loraine Velez
  • Studio Newsreader: Jason Mohammad
  • Housing Officer: Sanchia McCormack
  • Soldier #1: Lawrence Stephenson
  • Woman in Doorway: Teri-Ann Brumby
  • Trinity Wells: Lachele Carl
  • Soldier #2: Paul Richard Biggin
Uncredited:
  • Driving Double for Donna: Marianne Hemming
  • Lorry Driver: Bob Gurney
  • Bar Staff: Paul Bailes
  • Donna's Friends: Frances V Pillay, Eva Gray
  • Double for the Doctor: Colum Sanson-Regan
  • Daniels Dad: Richard Tunesi
  • Daniels Mum: Marianna Moors
  • Mr Obego: Simon Hamilton
  • Mrs Obego: Elizabeth Negro
  • Miss Coltrane: Nicky Valentine
  • Woman in Doorwar: Lisa Thompson
  • Army Soldier: Jai Gomer
  • Army Soldier (with clipboards): Barbara Fadden
  • Mr Colsanto's Mother: June Simmonds
  • Mr Colsanto's Sister-in-law: Camilla Diacono
  • Mr Colsanto's Nephew: Joe Lippat
  • Mr Merchandani: Meena Sawhney
  • Mr Colsanto's Niece: Louise Poolman
  • Mr Merchandani's Grandma: Maureen St Louis
  • Mr Merchandani's Grandpa: Roy Rahaman
  • UNIT driver in Jeep: Brian Bowen
  • Screaming Woman: Mandie Garrigan
  • Crowd / Additional dialogue recording: Jane S R Kyte-Hunt, Daryl Adcock, Paul Sparrowham, Paul Ganney, Lindsay Hollingsworth, Matthew Jones, Nicholas Lupton, Nicholas Wilkes, Holly Cracknell, Nicole Casey

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 11. Turn Left Saturday, 21 June 2008 18:40 - 19:30 8.1M 88

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • C2 News Studio, Broadcasting House, Llantrisant Road, Cardiff
  • Upper Boat Studios, Treforrest

Outside Locations

  • Back car park, off Orbit Street, Cardiff Royal Infirmary, Cardiff
  • Bay Chambers, West Bute Street, Cardiff
  • Cardiff Royal Infirmary Car Park, off Longcross Street, Cardiff
  • Clearwater Parade, Cyncoed
  • Court Road, Gwan Tredoa, Cardiff
  • Egerton Grey Country House, Porthkerry
  • Franklen Road, Gwan Tredoa, Cardiff
  • Hamadryad Road, Butetown, Cardiff
  • Lady Mary Allotments, Lady Mary Rd, Roath Park
  • Machen Street, Penarth
  • Nant Fawr Road, Cyncoed, Cardiff
  • Panteg Steelworks, Avendale Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool
  • Road adjacent to Days Inn, Port Road, Rhoose
  • Sophia Gardens, off Cathederal Road, Cardiff
  • St Isan Road, Heath, Cardiff
  • The Conway, Conway Road, Pontcanna
  • Upper Boat Studios, Treforrest - Studio 1