4.14. The Next Doctor
Series 4 - 2008
Synopsis
The TARDIS arrives in Victorian London on a snowy Christmas Eve, 1851. As he's wandering around a market someone shouts out 'Doctor'. He runs to find out who is in trouble. He finds a Rosita in front of a door where something is trying to get out. When the Doctor introduces him Rosita does not know who he is. Instead, another man appears claiming to be a Time Lord... known as the Doctor.
The doors burst open and out comes a creature with a bronze Cyberman's head. The new Doctor says he has been hunting it for two weeks, and lassos it. He holds on to the rope and is hoisted into the air as the creature runs up the side of a factory and in through a window. The Doctor grabs the rope, and both are carried into the factory. The creature jumps from another window, threatening to take the Doctors with it, when Rosita appears with an axe and cuts the rope. The two Doctors stand around laughing as the creature escapes.
Rosita is not happy about the Doctors taking things so lightly, and reminds the new Doctor that there are only 20 minutes to the funeral. Rosita leaves to dismantle traps they has set for the creature and the Doctor tries to work out who the new Doctor really is. Maybe the next Doctor, or the next Doctor plus one. The new Doctor has lost his memory of everything before the Cybermen arrived.
In a concealed base the Cybermen are watching the Doctors on a monitor. They are planning an attack for 14:00 that day. With the help of Miss Hartigan the Cyberking will rise. As the funeral of Reverend Fairchild is taking place the new Doctor enters the Reverend's residence, where he meets the Doctor inside. The new Doctor explains that it all began with the murder of Jackson Lake three weeks ago, but his body was never found. Since then there have been other murders, and children disappearing.
They both begin searching the house. The Doctor finds an info stamp. When activated it projects images on to a mirror containing the history of London from 1066 to 1851. The new Doctor is looking at the info stamp, and tells the Doctor he was holding one on the night he regenerated. Behind a door the Doctor finds a Cyberman, and it starts to attack as the Doctors try to find a way out. More Cybermen appearing. Even as they try to delete him the Doctor reveals he is the proper Doctor, but they don't recognise him. The new Doctor activates the info stamp, breaking the cyclo-Steinham core safety which feeds back into the Cybermen, destroying them.
Miss Hartigan is attending the funeral, standing out as she is wearing bright red clothes whilst everyone else wears black. She arranged for the Reverend to be killed so the mourners would all meet in one place. As she is talking more Cybermen arrive. Only a few of the mourners are required; the rest are killed by the Cybermen.
Later that evening the Doctors meet up with Rosita, and make their way to the new Doctor's base, an old stable. It contains the property of Jackson Lake. The Doctor scans the property with the sonic screwdriver. The Doctor finds the first info stamp. The Doctor wants to see the TARDIS. Instead of a police box it is a blue hot air balloon - the Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style.
The Doctor begins to explain about the Cybermen to the new Doctor. He surmises that as the void closed some of the Cybermen must have fallen through time to 1851. A man named Jackson Lake found the Cybermen, and an info stamp. The info stamp was a database about the Doctor; it backfired and streamed the information into Jackson Lake, making him believe he was the Doctor. But there is still something missing. On the night the Cybermen arrived, and Jackson became the Doctor, the Cybermen killed Jackson's wife.
Miss Hartigan has fitted the saved mourners - Mr. Cole, Mr. Scoones, Mr. Fetch and Mr. Milligan - with Cybermen ear implants, and has given them instructions. As Christmas Day begins the Doctor hears the unmistakable sound of Cybermen. He sees a number of children being marched through the streets, being led by Mr Cole. All around London children are being led from workhouses by Mr. Cole, Mr Scoones, Mr. Fetch and Mr. Milligan.
The Doctor and Rosita are watching the children being led into a sluice building. As they get up to leave the run into Miss Hartigan, with two Cybermen. The Doctor passes one of the Cybermen the info stamp, and they recognise the real Doctor as being the enemy of the Cybermen. Miss Hartigan orders the Cybermen to delete the Doctor and Rosita, when Jackson appears with more info stamps and destroys the Cybermen.
As Jackson was preparing to move to London he got the deeds to 15 Latimer Street. If that was where he met the Cybermen that could offer a way in to the sluice building.
Miss Hartigan decides to advance her plans. She addresses the children she has captured. They are all working in the sluice building to help generate electricity for the Cyberking. The Cyberleader shows Miss Hartigan a throne. The intention is for Miss Hartigan to become the Cyberking. She tries to protest as a head piece is lowered down. As she is linked to the machine Miss Hartigan fights back with emotions. As the Cyberleader tries to remove her she destroys it. The Cybermen pledge their allegiance to the Cyberking.
As the power reaches 100% the children are no longer needed. The Doctor, Rosita and Jackson get the children out before the Cybermen can dispose of them. One of the children is staring at Jackson; it is Jackson's son Frederic. The Doctor rescues Frederic and returns him to Jackson.
Rosita is returning to the sluice, and sees a huge robot, similar to a Cyberman, rise from the Thames. Inside is Miss Hartigan, and a Cyberfactory. It stalks to walk across London. Miss Hartigan demonstrates the power of the robot by firing lightning, and fire, bolts into London.
The Doctor takes more info stamps, and Jackson's 'TARDIS'. He flies the balloon after the robot. Inside the robot a proximity alarm sounds. When it is turned round Miss Hartigan can see the Doctor approaching. The Doctor gives her a choice: Life on a new planet, or he will stop them. When Miss Hartigan orders the Cybermen to fire, the Doctor fires an info stamp that breaks the connection between the Cybermen and Miss Hartigan.
Free of Cybercontrol, but still linked to the machine, she fights back and destroys the Cybermen... and herself. Down below people flee as the robot breaks up. Using the dimension vault the Cybermen used to arrive, the Doctor fires the robot back into the void before it can fall on London.
Guest Cast
- Jackson Lake: David Morrisey
- Miss Hartigan: Dervla Kirwan
- Rosita: Velile Tshabalala
- Cybershade: Ruari Mears
- Cyberleader: Paul Kasey
- Mr Scoones: Edmund Kente
- Mr Cole: Michael Bertenshaw
- Vicar: Jason Morell
- Jed: Neil McDermott
- Lad: Ashley Horne
- Frederic: Tom Langford
- Urchin: Jordan Southwell
- Docker: Matthew Allick
- Cybervoices: Nicholas Briggs
- Rich Women: Samantha Alley, Colette Ashton, Joanne Lancastle, Catrin O'Neil, Rhiannon Ward, Victoria Feltham, Nicky Valentine
- Rich Men: Steve Bailey, Colin Galton, Richard Manning, Pete Symonds, Alan Medcraft, Will James, John Griffiths, John Herbert, Simon Challis, Gary Dobbs
- Vendors: Kwabena Amponsa, Stephen Barrett, Levi Crosdale, Mark Gottshalk, Steve McAfferty, Paul Wiggins, Michael Wright
- Crones: Margaret Swift, June Thomas, Margaret Baiton
- Carollers: Victoria Balster, Angela Bell, Samantha Hunt, Jonathan Hutchings, Rupert Randle
- Working Girls: Aleta Morgan, Catrin O'Neill, Rhiannon Ward, Samantha Alley, Collette Ashton, Joanne Lancastle
- Cocky Lads: Theo Daniels, Christopher Hoskins, Will James, Mike Wendall, Chris Shalders
- Beggars: John Griffiths, Nicky Valentine, Cathy Goodhead, Aleta Morgan, Abdelmajid Eharti, Robert Skinner, Jeremy Harvey, Phil Sutton, Andy Watts
- Working Class Men: Tat Wa Lay, Abdelmajid Elharti, Robert Skinner, Steve Bailey, Colin Galton, Richard Manning, Christopher Finsh, Alastair Sanderson
- Working Class Women: Maureen St Louis, Fionnula Rochford, Victoria Feltham, Cathy Goodhead
- Policeman: Kevin Mullen
- Maids: Christina Tom, Sarah Payne
- Horse Wranglers: Richard Moulding, Emily Moulding
- Children: John William Carter, Jordon Baker, Kayleigh Baker, Gaia Davies, Chris Jenkins, Jack Walker Williams, Shannon Langley, Amy Jenkins, Jack Palmer, Corey Evans, Mark Williams, Jordan Thomas, Hannah Jean Evans, Shelly Oram, Raychi Bryant, Shaheen Jarfarco, Amy Turner, Keely Morgan, Sion Rowcliffe, Hannah Rowcliffe, Jack Thomas, Cellan Wyn Evans, Amelia Williams, Steffan William Jones, Ju Yoo, NIck Evans, Jake Hoskins, Paaras Bhardwaj, Prisha Bhardwaj, Sam Ryan, Simon Morgan, Catrin James, Rachel Davies, John O'Gara, Alistaire James, Victoria Gourlay, Megan Langford, Scott Rice, Finn McCartney Hill, Max Harlow
- Cybermen: Matthew Doman, Karl Greenwood, Ken Hosking, John Davey, Kevin Hudson, Joe White, Adam Sweet, Paul Kasey, Rauri Mears
- Stunt double for the Doctor: Gordon Seed
- Stunt double for the Next Doctor: Nick Goodey
- Stunt Cybershade: Gordon Seed
- Mr Fetch: Roger Bailey
- Mr Milligan: Anthonay Brannan
- Mourners: Jeremy Harvey, John Herbert, Max Cahn, Claudio Laurini, Steve Walden, Simon Challis, James Welsh, Phil Sutton, Trevor Lacey, John Childs, Christopher Finch, Andy Watts, Martin Sackett, Alistair Sanderson, Richard Tunesi, Gary Dobbs
- Cybershade: Adam Sweet
- Factory Boys: Matt Doman, Chris Shalders
- Caroline Lake: Maria Honneker
- Dockers: Christopher Hoskins, Will James, Chris Shalders, John Ross, Theo Daniels, Max Cahn, Claudio Laurini, John Childs
- Crowd: Maureen St Louis, Fionnula Rochford
- Stunt Working Class Men: Jason Hunjan, Maurice Lee
- Sweep: Robert Skinner
- Flower Girl: Victoria Feltham
- Voice of Frederic: Misha Goodman
- Crowd Additional Dialogue Recording: Nick Wilkes, Darryl Adcock, Stephen Bracken-Keogh, Neil Gray, Paul Sparrowham, Nick Lupton, Jane Kyte Hunt, Nicole Clark, Hannah Welch, Emma Feeney, Lindsay Hollingsworth, Clair Hilda
Original broadcast on the BBC
Channel | Title | Date | Viewers | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
BBC 1 | 14. The Next Doctor |
|
13.10M | 86 |
Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC
Studios
- Upper Boat Studios, Treforrest
Outside Locations
- Building 658, Caerwent Training Area, Dinham Rd, Caldicot, Caerwent
- Fonmon Castle, Fonmon, Rhoose
- Hensol Castle, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan
- Millers Green, Gloucester Catherdral, Gloucester
- Shire Hall, Agincourt Square, Monmouth
- St Woolas Cemetery, Bassaleg Road, Newport
- The Maltings, East Tyndall Street, Cardiff Bay
- Tredegar House, Newport