1. New Earth

Series 2 - 2006

Writer: Russell T. Davies
Produced by: Phil Collinson
Director: James Hawes

Synopsis

The TARDIS takes Rose further than she has ever been before - by 20 years. In the year 5,000,000,020 some human descendants have settled on a planet that has been named 'New Earth', complete with a city called New New York and a gigantic hospital. The Doctor has received a message from someone via his psychic paper saying 'Please come.'

The hospital is, as Rose put it, 'not very NHS', and the nurses are the Sisters of Plenitude - an evolved feline lifeform. They claim to be able to cure any disease - even the incurable petrifold regression. The Doctor is also here to visit an old friend - the one who sent the message. He steps into a lift without waiting for Rose, and tells her to follow in another lift. As the doors close he realises he should of mentioned the decontamination.

In the basement someone recognises Rose, and orders her servant to to bring the lift to her. As the Doctor's lift goes up, Roses goes down. When the lift arrives Rose finds Chip - a bioengineered lifeform - and Cassandra. With the aid of Chip Rose is caught in a device that moves Cassandra's mind into Rose's body.

On an upper floor the Doctor finds it was the Face of Boe who called him. The Doctor sees the work that the Sisters are doing, and begins to suspect something is wrong. How can a hospital have a cure for every disease? Cassandra, using Rose's body, joins up with the Doctor.

The Doctor manages to find a hidden door leading to a more industrial area of the hospital, and finds the Sisters' sinister secret. They have been breeding humanoid lifeforms to give them every kind of disease known. By doing this they are able to find a cure. In essence a giant research complex, with no thought for the life of the subject. The Doctor confronts the SIsters and, thinking they had something to do with it, asks about Rose.

Cassandra, in an attempt to escape, traps the Doctor in one of the vats. In a few minutes he would also be injected with almost every disease going. The Sisters confront Cassandra, and in an attempt to escape she releases all the subjects - and the Doctor. As the diseased patients start rampaging the Doctor and Cassandra/Rose attempt to escape. Soon there is a stalemate, as the Doctor won't help until Rose is released. To this, Cassandra enters the Doctor, and Rose won't help until the Doctor is released. Cassandra has no choice to move into one of the patients. It is while she is inside one of the patients that she realises what suffering really is.

The Doctor uses the decontamination system on the lifts to provide an antidote to all diseases to all patients. Soon all are disease free, and a new lifeform is released on New Earth.

The Face of Boe was going to tell the Doctor a great secret, one which would be told upon his death. But now he has been cured, the secret can be told another day.

Cassandra finally gives up Roses body and moves into Chip. He has been bred to almost worship Cassandra, and welcomes her. Chip/Cassandra is dying, and the Doctor grants her last wish, and takes her to a party many years earlier, when Cassandra had human form. Chip was the last person to tell Cassandra she was beautiful, before collapsing into the arms of his/her earlier self.

Regular Cast

  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper

Guest Cast

  • Jackie Tyler: Camille Coduri
  • Mickey Smith: Noel Clarke
  • Cassandra: Zoe Wannamaker
  • Chip: Sean Gallagher
  • Matron Casp: Donna Croll
  • Duke of Manhattan: Michael Fitzgerald
  • Frau Clovis: Lucy Robinson
  • Sister Jatt: Adjoa Andoh
  • Novice Hame: Anna Hope
  • Patient: Simon Ludders
  • Face of Boe: Struan Rodger
Uncredited:
  • Visitors: Sam Stennett, Paul Burke, Emma Powell, Phillippa Daniels, Madog Davies, Owain Davies, Marianne Hemming, Elsie May, Rachel Williams, Matthew Williams
  • Cat Nuns: Liza Meggitt, Hazel Beauchamp, Jade Kenning, Natalie Cuzner, Nia Collier
  • Butler: Stuart Ashman
  • Red Lady: Claire Saddler
  • Zeph: White Man
  • Guests: Gareth Dixon, Ian Wooley, Kevin Hudson, Domenico Balsaco, Kwesi Gepi Attee, Nate Webb, Peter Simon, Jeremy Harvey, Sian Gunney, Sarah Williams, Becky Evans, Suraya Jina
  • Patients: Lucy Hassan, Andy Jackson, Nick Godding, Jo Dibble, Luke Zac, Beth Dibble, Nikki White, Jeannie Rebane, Jason Jones, John Evans, Richard Atkin, Sarah Davies, Linda John, Paul Starsky, Fred Smith, Annie Swainson, Joanna Crozier, Richard Beavis, John Walker, Dennis Gregory, Joanna Brown, Rick Manning, Louise Harrison, Sam Downie, Richard Tromans, Rebecca Rendell, James Saunders, Simon Frost, Melissa Stanton, Diane Lukins, Kirsty Alderton
  • Diseased Patients: Rebecca Tromans, Clare Bromage, Jo Ruiz, Lawrence Channon, Richard Heneghan, Heidi Scurlock, Oliver Hopkins, Gerrard Cooke, Sophia Cooke, Eddie Hunt, Eryl Vaughn, Steve Apelt, David Hanford, Sam Varna, Deborah Evans, Boby Tee, Sally Martin, William Adrian
  • Posh Mum: Helen Irving
  • Posh Dad: Dave Bremner
  • White Patients: Louisa Davis, Jodi Mulcahy, Andrew Hopkins, Oliver Hopkins, Carl Watson, Ash Croney, Gerard Cooke, Sophia Day
  • White Man: Mal Kearney
  • Double for Matron Casp: Dani Biernat
  • Stunt Doubles for Rose: Kim McGarrity, Juliette Cheveley
  • Stunt Double for the Doctor: Glenn Foster
  • Clean Patients: Rachel Williams, Matthew Williams, Elin Griffiths, Hannah Emelyn Jones, Abigail Apollonio, Gavin Jessop
  • NNY PD Cops: Dave Wong, Gareth Somers
  • Paramedics: Michael Tudor, Jitka Charyparova
  • Additional Dialogue Recording: Steven Bracken-Keogh, Nina Kit, Paul Ganny, Wendi Sheard, Nicholas Wilkes, Hannah Welch, Daryl Adcock, Jane Hunt

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 1. New Earth Saturday, 15 April 2006 19:15 - 20:00 8.62M 85

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • BBC Model Unit, Kendal Avenue, London
  • HTV Studios, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff
  • Unit Q2, Newport

Outside Locations

  • Bar Orient, Mermaid Quay, Cardiff
  • Loudoun Square, Gabalfa, Cardiff
  • Millennium Centre, Cardiff
  • The Paper Mill, Sanatorium Road, Cardiff
  • Tredegar House, Newport
  • Worm's Head, Rhossili, Gower