Father's Day (Doctor Who)

Last updated

163 –"Father's Day"
Doctor Who episode
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Joe Ahearne
Written by Paul Cornell
Script editor Helen Raynor
Produced by Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Production code1.8
Series Series 1
Running time45 minutes
First broadcast14 May 2005 (2005-05-14)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"The Long Game"		Followed by →
"The Empty Child"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"Father's Day" is the eighth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who , first broadcast on 14 May 2005 on BBC One. It was written by Paul Cornell and directed by Joe Ahearne. It was one of three Doctor Who episodes that year to be nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. [1]

Contents

In the episode, alien time traveller the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) agrees to take his companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) back to the day her father Pete (Shaun Dingwall) died in 1987. When Rose intervenes and pulls her father out of the path of a car, time is wounded and dangerous Reapers attack, threatening to erase history. Pete eventually realises that to get rid of the Reapers, he must throw himself under the car that was originally meant to kill him.

Lead writer and executive producer Russell T Davies conceived "Father's Day" as an emotionally driven time travel story to explore Rose's character. He chose Cornell to write the episode; Cornell had written spin-off material during the years the programme was on hiatus. The monster element of the story was expanded based on suggestions from Cornell and BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter, and the Reapers went through many designs. The episode was filmed in November 2004 at St Paul's Church and streets in Cardiff. "Father's Day" was watched by 8.06 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the focus on character and emotion.

Plot

The Ninth Doctor takes Rose to the day her father Pete died so that he is not alone when he dies. Upon their arrival in London in 1987, they witness the accident, but Rose is unable to go to comfort Pete. Going back to try again, Rose suddenly runs out and pushes Pete aside, saving his life.

The younger versions of the Doctor and Rose vanish. The Doctor and Rose argue about her actions, with the Doctor rebuking Rose for potentially damaging the timeline. Rose decides to go with Pete to his friend's wedding, while the Doctor walks back to the TARDIS only to find that it is now an empty shell. Strange flying beasts called Reapers [N 1] appear and begin consuming people.

Rose and Pete drive to the wedding together, and the car that was meant to kill Pete appears and nearly collides with their car. A Reaper attacks the wedding guests, including Rose's mother Jackie and an infant Rose. The Doctor runs to the church and directs everyone inside, noting that the age of the church will protect them against the Reapers. The Doctor explains to Rose that "time has been damaged," and the Reapers have come to "sterilise the wound". Feeling that his TARDIS key is still warm, the Doctor sets it up in the middle of the church and the TARDIS slowly begins materialising around it.

Pete realises that Rose is his and Jackie's daughter, and when Rose is unable to answer questions about how good a father he was, Pete realises he was meant to die in the accident. Jackie thinks Rose is Pete's daughter with another woman. Pete hands the baby Rose to adult Rose in a fit of frustration, creating a paradox, and a Reaper is able to enter the church. The Doctor declares himself the oldest thing in the church and offers himself to the Reaper, which consumes him and disappears. The TARDIS key goes cold and drops to the ground.

Pete realises that he must die to restore the timeline. He runs in front of the car that was originally meant to kill him; it had continued to appear and disappear on the road just outside the church. After Pete is fatally injured, the timeline is repaired, and the Reapers' victims including the Doctor reappear. The Doctor sends Rose to be with Pete, and she holds his hand until he dies.

Outside references

"The Lamb and Flag", a pub from the sitcom Bottom , is referenced in the episode. [2] It also features the 2002 song "Don't Mug Yourself" by The Streets, indicating the damage to the timeline. [2] Rose believes Pete to be "a bit of a Del Boy", referring to the character from 1980s comedy Only Fools and Horses . [3] The 1987 song "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley and the 1987 Communards cover of the 1971 song "Never Can Say Goodbye" also feature in the episode. [4]

Production

The Reapers initially looked more like the Grim Reaper. (Pictured: an artist's representation of the Grim Reaper.) Death drawing plain.jpg
The Reapers initially looked more like the Grim Reaper. (Pictured: an artist's representation of the Grim Reaper.)

According to producer Phil Collinson, showrunner Russell T Davies came up with the concept for "Father's Day" at an early stage in the planning of the series, as it was a "perfect time travel story". [5] Davies wanted the storyline to be easy to follow and drawn from human emotions. [5] Additionally, the previous seven episodes had established why Rose was a good companion, and so "Father's Day" shows that she does make mistakes, but in a relatable way. [5] Davies chose Paul Cornell to write the episode; Cornell had written Doctor Who spin-off material, especially in novels for the Virgin New Adventures , which bridged the gap between the classic series and the new. [6] Davies originally intended that the episode be a small budget-saver character piece investigating the death of Rose's father, but Cornell suggested the addition of the Reapers and BBC Head of Drama Jane Tranter encouraged the additions of monsters to the new series. [3] Working titles for the episode included "Wounded Time" and "Wound in Time". [7]

Davies and Cornell debated whether it should have been Rose's plan all along to save her father; this is left ambiguous in the episode. Billie Piper felt that it did not occur to Rose until after she began travelling. [8] In the original script, in the scene where the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors and discovers only a police box interior, the police box fell apart. This was changed for reasons of cost, and Cornell has stated that he thinks the change is an improvement. [8] Cornell also states that the character of Pete Tyler is based on his own father, who attempted many different jobs and schemes (including, like Pete, selling health drinks) before eventually finding success running a betting shop. Pete's line "I'm your dad, it's my job for it to be my fault" is taken from something Cornell's father once said to him. [8] Originally Pete was to take a swig of wine before sacrificing himself, but this was removed because a correlation between alcohol and bravery was not thought to be a positive message. [8]

St. Paul's Church in Grangetown. Father's Day (1986863580).jpg
St. Paul's Church in Grangetown.

The entire episode was shot in Cardiff, [5] in November 2004. [8] [9] The weather changed frequently during filming, and the cast began to fall ill; Eccleston had a cold. [8] The production team selected several streets that looked similar. [5] Most of the streets were in the community of Grangetown. The streets did not require much work for them to resemble 1980s streets; only a few satellite dishes were taken down. [8] The church is St Paul's Church, also in Grangetown. [9] The set of the Tylers' flat was redressed for the time period. [8] For the 1980s style, members of the cast and crew brought in photographs of themselves from the 80s; for example, peach dresses and "big hair" were incorporated, but these elements were not meant to be distracting. Camille Coduri, who played Jackie, wore a wig for this episode. [5] Some of the conversation between Rose and her father in the car was cut because the car had made the dialogue delivery too "bouncy". [8] Piper was scared of holding the baby. Because the baby is present throughout the majority of the episode, but the number of hours they could work with the infant was limited, an "artificial baby" was used as a placeholder in some scenes. [8]

The Reapers went through many designs. Originally, they were supposed to be "men in cowls" based on the Grim Reaper; the final design retains some of this image with its "scythe-like tail". [10] The original design was deemed too similar to creatures seen in "The End of the World", and so were reworked into something more "otherworldly". [5] They were not originally intended to fly. There was also discussion of how much they should resemble animals as opposed to the Grim Reaper; the end result is a mixture of the two approaches. [8] The final design had a "shark quality", bat wings, and a mouth influenced by the praying mantis. Vulture sound effects were used for its screech. [5] The model was made over two months, being finished at the end of February 2005 rather than at the beginning of January as scheduled. [10] The special effects team then had two or three weeks to complete the "40-odd shots" of the completely CGI Reapers in the episode. [10] The episode ended up being more expensive than intended because of the CGI. [3]

When time is damaged, one of the effects is that mobile telephones all begin to repeat the message, "Watson, come here, I need you," purportedly Alexander Graham Bell's first words ever spoken over a telephone. However, historical records indicate the words to be "Watson, come here, I want you." [3] The error was not present in Paul Cornell's original script, but crept in at some point during production. Producer Phil Collinson speculated that it was because the line was rerecorded: it was originally recorded by someone who the production team felt put on too false a Scottish accent, and so it was rerecorded by a real Scot. [8]

Broadcast and reception

"Father's Day" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2005 on BBC One. [11] The episode received UK overnight ratings of 7.47 million viewers, an audience share of 42.74%. [12] When time-shifted viewers were taken into account, the number rose to 8.06 million. [13] The episode received an Audience Appreciation Index score of 83. [14]

"Father's Day" was met with a generally positive reception. Piper stated that this was her favourite episode of the first series, and the most emotionally taxing for her to perform. [8] SFX praised the way the concept of time was explored as well as the accurate representation of the '80s, and stated that Dingwall gave "one of the series' best performances" as Pete Tyler. However, the reviewer thought that the Reapers were the let-down of the episode, finding that "the episode doesn't feel as much like horror as it should". [15] Arnold T Blumburg of Now Playing gave the episode an A for the emotional impact and the acting. Blumburg did note, however, that there were "enormous logical gaps" involving "glowing TARDIS keys and under-explained paradoxes". [16] In 2013, Radio Times reviewer Mark Braxton described it as "a time-travel tale with immense heart" and highlighted the shift of identification from the Doctor to Rose and the acting of Piper and Dingwall. Braxton, on the other hand, felt that the Reapers were redundant and the episode would have done "equally well if you scythed the Reapers from the script". [17] Reviewing "Father's Day" for The A.V. Club in 2013, Alasdair Wilkins gave it a grade of "A", finding the story powerful. [18] In Who Is the Doctor, a guide to the revived series, Robert Smith praised the emotion and the dilemma, which he felt was not heavy-handed. He was also positive about the direction and Dingwall's performance, though he felt that removing the Doctor from the plot suggested that he would have done something else to resolve it, and he was not a fan of the scene where the Doctor tells two ordinary people how important their lives are, because it was "cheesy" and "disconnected" from the rest of the story. [3] Coauthor Graeme Burk was also positive, writing that it may be "the best story this season". He called the direction "wonderful" and the script "sublime", and noted how the story was more about family than time travel. [3]

"Father's Day" was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form, alongside other first series episodes "Dalek" and "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances". The latter won. [1] "Father's Day" topped the third place category in terms of votes. [19]

Notes

  1. ↑ The name Reaper does not appear on screen or in the credits list. It comes from the episode's script.

Related Research Articles

"Rose" is the first episode of the first series of the revived British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was directed by Keith Boak and written by Russell T Davies who was also one of the three executive producers. It was first broadcast in the UK on BBC One on 26 March 2005. "Rose" was the first Doctor Who episode to air since the Doctor Who television film in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Tyler</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Rose Tyler is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. She was created by series producer Russell T Davies and portrayed by Billie Piper. With the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, Rose was introduced as a new travelling companion of the series protagonist, the Doctor, in his ninth and tenth incarnations. The companion character, intended to act as an audience surrogate, was key in the first series to introduce new viewers to the mythos of Doctor Who, which had not aired regularly since 1989. Rose became the viewers' eyes into the new world of the series, from the companion's perspective. Piper received top billing alongside Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant for the duration of her time as a regular cast member. The character was a series regular for all of Series 1 (2005) and 2 (2006). Piper later reprised the role in a supporting capacity in Series 4 (2008) and the New Year's special "The End of Time" (2010). Piper further played a sentient weapon called the Moment, which utilises Rose's image, in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Unquiet Dead</span> 2005 Doctor Who episode

"The Unquiet Dead" is the third episode of the first series of the British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on 9 April 2005 on BBC One. It was written by Mark Gatiss and directed by Euros Lyn.

"Aliens of London" is the fourth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television show Doctor Who after its revival in 2005. First broadcast on 16 April 2005 on BBC One, it was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak. It is the first in a two-part story, concluding with "World War Three".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Long Game</span> 2005 Doctor Who episode

"The Long Game" is the seventh episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who that was first broadcast on 7 May 2005 on BBC One. It was written by executive producer Russell T Davies and directed by Brian Grant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Smith</span> Fictional character in the TV series Doctor Who

Mickey Smith is a fictional character in the BBC One science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by British actor Noel Clarke and was the show's first televised black companion. The character is introduced as the ordinary, working class boyfriend of Rose Tyler, a London shopgirl who becomes a travelling companion to the Ninth and Tenth incarnations of an alien Time Lord known as the Doctor. Mickey first appears in the first episode of the 2005 revival, "Rose". Initially someone who struggles in the face of danger, Mickey nevertheless acts as an Earth-based ally to the Doctor and Rose. In the second series he joins the pair as a second companion of the Doctor's, though he leaves during the 2006 series to pursue his own adventures. He returns to aid the Doctor and Rose in the series finale later that year, and then again for the 2008 finale "Journey's End," as well as fleetingly in 2010 in the Tenth Doctor send-off "The End of Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Tyler</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

Jackie Tyler is a fictional character played by Camille Coduri in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The character, a resident of contemporary London, is introduced in the first episode of the 2005 revival as the mother of Rose Tyler, a travelling companion of the alien time traveller the Doctor. Jackie is a recurring character during Series 1 and 2 and later makes guest appearances in Series 4 and the 2010 New Year’s special, The End of Time. The character has also appeared in expanded universe material such as the Doctor Who New Series Adventures novels and the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip.

Adam Mitchell (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Fictional character in the Dr Who TV series

Adam Mitchell is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Bruno Langley. Adam is introduced in the first series of the programme's revival as the second television companion of the Ninth Doctor. However, unlike the Ninth Doctor's primary companion, Rose Tyler, who provided an effective human contrast to the Doctor's centuries-old alien, Adam was created to provide an example of an inept time traveller.

"The Empty Child" is the ninth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 21 May 2005. It was directed by James Hawes, and was the first official episode written by Steven Moffat, who previously wrote the Comic Relief mini-episode "The Curse of Fatal Death" in 1999. He would later become the showrunner and main writer of Doctor Who from the fifth to tenth series. "The Empty Child" is the first of a two-part story, which continued and concluded with "The Doctor Dances", on 28 May.

Boom Town (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2005 Doctor Who episode

"Boom Town" is the eleventh episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 June 2005. It was written by executive producer Russell T Davies and directed by Joe Ahearne.

"The Parting of the Ways" is the thirteenth episode and the season finale of the revived first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 June 2005. It was the second episode of the two-part story. The first part, "Bad Wolf", was broadcast on 11 June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Tyler</span> Fictional character from Doctor Who

Peter Alan Tyler is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Shaun Dingwall. He is the father of the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler and first appears in the episode "Father's Day". Writer Paul Cornell incorporated characteristics of his own father whilst writing Pete. This episode reveals that Pete died during Rose's childhood; though she attempts to change her past both she and Pete eventually realise that for the good of humanity he has to die. Rose later takes inspiration from her father in a time of need.

"The Christmas Invasion" is a 60-minute special episode of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, first broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2005. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies and was directed by James Hawes.

"The Satan Pit" is the ninth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 10 June 2006. It is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, "The Impossible Planet", was broadcast on 3 June.

"Army of Ghosts" is the twelfth and penultimate episode in the second series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who which was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 July 2006. It is the first episode of a two-part story; the concluding episode, "Doomsday", was first broadcast on 8 July.

Doomsday (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Episode of Doctor Who

"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television programme 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 Daleks, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series' finale, and the Cybermen, who appeared in a parallel universe in the 2006 episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel". Both species unexpectedly arrive on Earth at the conclusion of "Army of Ghosts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harriet Jones</span> Fictional character in the British television series Doctor Who

Harriet Jones is a fictional character played by Penelope Wilton in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Having worked previously with lead writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, Wilton was keen to involve herself with his 2005 revival of Doctor Who after he sought to cast her. Jones is introduced in the two-part story "Aliens of London" and "World War Three" as a Member of Parliament who aids the Ninth Doctor against an alien invasion of London. The episode establishes a running joke associated with the character which would see her frequently introduce herself by holding up her ID and stating her name and rank; in subsequent episodes this was usually met with the response "Yes, I/we know who you are," even occurring with the Daleks and the Sycorax.

Love & Monsters (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2006 Doctor Who episode

"Love & Monsters" is the tenth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 17 June 2006. It was written by executive producer and lead writer Russell T Davies and directed by Dan Zeff.

<i>Doctor Who</i> (series 1) 2005 series of Doctor Who

The first series of the 2005 revival of the British science fiction programme Doctor Who began on 26 March 2005 with the episode "Rose". This marked the end of the programme's 16-year absence from episodic television following its cancellation in 1989, and was the first new televised Doctor Who story since the broadcast of the television movie starring Paul McGann in 1996. The finale episode, "The Parting of the Ways", was broadcast on 18 June 2005. The show was revived by longtime Doctor Who fan Russell T Davies, who had been lobbying the BBC since the late 1990s to bring the show back. The first series comprised 13 episodes, eight of which Davies wrote. Davies, Julie Gardner and Mal Young served as executive producers, Phil Collinson as producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ninth Doctor</span> The ninth incarnation of the Doctor from long-running British serial Doctor Who.

The Ninth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Christopher Eccleston during the first series of the show's revival in 2005.

References

  1. 1 2 "2006 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Father's Day: Fact File". BBC. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Burk, Graeme; Smith?, Robert (6 March 2012). "Series 1". Who Is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who-The New Series (1st ed.). ECW Press. pp.  35–39. ISBN   978-1-55022-984-4.
  4. ↑ "Father's Day, Series 1, Doctor Who – The Fourth Dimension – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Time Trouble". Doctor Who Confidential . Series 1. Episode 8. 14 May 2005. BBC. BBC Three.
  6. ↑ Cohen-Kreshin, Levi (6 December 2014). "THE END OF DOCTOR WHO: AN ADVENTURE IN THE WILDERNESS". Doctor Who Tv. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  7. ↑ Lyon, J Shaun (2005). Back to the Vortex. Telos Publishing Ltd. ISBN   1903889782.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Collinson, Phil; Paul Cornell; Billie Piper (2005). Audio commentary for "Father's Day" (DVD). Doctor Who: The Complete First Series: BBC.
  9. 1 2 "The Parish of St Pauls". Doctor Who The Location Guide. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 "Creating the Reapers". Radio Times . May 2005. Archived from the original on 9 January 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Series 1, Father's Day: Broadcasts". BBC. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  12. ↑ "Father's Day Ratings Triumph". Outpost Gallifrey. 15 May 2005. Archived from the original on 19 May 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  13. ↑ Russell, Gary (2006). Doctor Who: The Inside Story. London: BBC Books. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-563-48649-7.
  14. ↑ "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. ↑ "Doctor Who: Father's Day". SFX. 14 May 2005. Archived from the original on 27 May 2006. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  16. ↑ Blumburg, Arnold T (18 May 2005). "Doctor Who – "Father's Day"". Now Playing . Archived from the original on 24 May 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  17. ↑ Braxton, Mark (12 March 2013). "Doctor Who: Father's Day". Radio Times . Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  18. ↑ Wilkins, Alasdair (15 December 2013). "Doctor Who: "The Long Game"/"Father's Day"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form". 2006 Hugo Award & Campbell Award Winners. 26 August 2006. Archived from the original on 28 June 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2006.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.