The Giggle

Last updated

303 –"The Giggle"
Doctor Who episode
Doctor Who The Giggle.jpg
Promotional poster
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Chanya Button
Written by Russell T Davies
Script editor Scott Handcock
Produced byVicki Delow
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Series 2023 specials
Running time62 minutes
First broadcast9 December 2023 (2023-12-09)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Wild Blue Yonder"		Followed by →
"The Church on Ruby Road"
List of Doctor Who episodes (2005–present)

"The Giggle" is the third and final of the 2023 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who , written by Russell T Davies, directed by Chanya Button and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 December 2023. It features the final regular appearances of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, introduces Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and guest stars Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, a character last seen in The Celestial Toymaker (1966). The episode also features the return of Jemma Redgrave and Bonnie Langford as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Mel Bush, respectively.

Contents

Set directly after the events of "Wild Blue Yonder", the episode sees the Doctor, Donna and UNIT confronting the return of the Doctor's old enemy, the Toymaker, who is behind a series of signals in a form of a "giggle" being transmitted, causing the human race to go insane over their opinions.

The episode was watched by 6.85 million viewers and received positive reviews from critics, who praised Harris’ performance and the writing.

Plot

The Doctor and Donna are taken by UNIT to its headquarters, as the world's population has become inexplicably violent. The Doctor is reunited with Shirley, head of UNIT Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, and former companion and friend Melanie Bush. The Doctor determines the cause of the violence is a giggle from a Stooky Bill film from 1925, which John Logie Baird had recorded to demonstrate his invention, television.

The Doctor and Donna travel to 1925 and discover that the Toymaker had sold Stooky Bill to Baird's assistant. The Toymaker traps the two in his domain and reveals that he transmitted the signal to make humanity play a never-ending game of debate, by making them aggressively convinced of the absolute correctness of all their beliefs. The Doctor and the Toymaker play a game of cards, with the latter winning. However, the Doctor states that since he won the game at their last meeting, [lower-alpha 1] they are tied. The Toymaker resolves to have one final game with him and transports himself to the present day, with the Doctor and Donna in pursuit.

The Toymaker attacks UNIT before taking control of a laser cannon. He reasons that since he faced separate incarnations of the Doctor for each game, he must face another, and uses the beam to kill the Doctor, triggering his regeneration. However, to everyone's surprise, the Doctor instead splits into two incarnations via "bi-generation". Both the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors challenge the Toymaker to a basic game of catch. The Doctors emerge victorious, and the Toymaker is banished from existence.

Aboard the TARDIS, the Fifteenth Doctor advises his predecessor that he needs to recover from the extensive traumas that his past incarnations have accumulated across their lives. Donna suggests to the Fourteenth Doctor that his old face returned because he is emotionally exhausted and has subconsciously recognized this need. She invites him to consider retiring from travelling and staying with her and her family, but he is reluctant to leave the TARDIS behind. The Fifteenth Doctor, realizing that the Toymaker's rules of play still apply – when one wins a contest, one gets a prize – uses a mallet from within the TARDIS to create a second identical TARDIS, in which he departs after a cheerful farewell. The Fourteenth Doctor settles down with Donna and her family, while the Fifteenth Doctor travels the universe.

Continuity

The Toymaker taunts the Doctor by reminding him of the unfortunate fates of three of his companions: Amy Pond, Clara Oswald and Bill Potts, all of whom he met after leaving Donna behind. He responds to the Doctor's attempts to explain the nuances of each woman's departure with a dismissive "Well, that's all right, then!" [1]

Production

Chanya Button directed the episode. [2] Filming for the specials commenced in May 2022, and wrapped at the end of July 2022. [3]

Casting

David Tennant and Catherine Tate returned to the series as part of the 60th anniversary specials. [4] Tennant and Tate makes their final regular appearances as the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble respectively. [5] Ncuti Gatwa made his first appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor. [6] Neil Patrick Harris appears as the Toymaker, last seen in The Celestial Toymaker (1966), then portrayed by Michael Gough. [7] [8] An uncredited double stood in as Wilfred for "The Giggle", which featured usage of an archival audio recording of Cribbins from "The Poison Sky" (2008). [9]

The episode features the return of Jemma Redgrave's Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, last seen in "The Power of the Doctor" (2022) and Bonnie Langford's Mel Bush who made her last major appearances in Dragonfire (1987). [lower-alpha 2] [11]

Broadcast and reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)100% [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
Empire Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [14]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
i Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [17]

Broadcast

"The Giggle" was broadcast on 9 December 2023 as the third and final of the three 2023 specials, released for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. [18]

The episode was released internationally on Disney+. [19]

Ratings

"The Giggle" was watched by 4.62 million viewers overnight, and had an Appreciation Index score of 85. [20] It was the third most watched programme of the day. [21] The consolidated ratings figures for the episode were 6.85 million viewers, making it the tenth most watched programme of the week behind episodes of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing . [22]

Critical reception

The special received positive reviews, with praise for Harris' performance and the writing. [15] [14] [23] On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, 100% of 7 critics gave "The Giggle" a positive review. The site's consensus reads "Capping off David Tennant's encore run, 'The Giggle' puts a twist on Doctor Who's regenerative conceit and gives fans the best of both worlds." [12]

In a review for Den of Geek , Chris Allcock praised the returning characters, though he felt disappointed that Mel did not have more to do comparing her to Ace and Tegan in "The Power of the Doctor". [24]

The "bi-generation" plot twist was met with a polarizing reaction from fans of the series, [25] with some praising it as an interesting concept, [26] while others felt it would undermine Gatwa's role as the Fifteenth Doctor in the upcoming fourteenth series. [27] [28] [29] Writing for Vox , Constance Grady felt that the twist was unnecessary and went against the point of regeneration. [30] In an article for Den of Geek , Andrew Blair felt that the bi-generation offered a clean slate for Doctor Who to continue. [26] In 2024, the scene was nominated for a BAFTA award for most memorable TV moment. [31] [32] It lost to Happy Valley . [33]

Home media

The Giggle
Author James Goss
Series Doctor Who book:
Target novelisations
Publisher BBC Books
Publication date
14 December 2023 (eBook)

11 January 2024 (paperback)

1 January 2024 (audiobook)
Pages224
ISBN 9781785948473

"The Giggle", along with the other two specials "Wild Blue Yonder" and "The Star Beast", were released together on DVD and Blu-ray on 18 December 2023 as part of the "60th anniversary collection". [34]

In print

A novelisation of the episode, written by James Goss, was released as an eBook 14 December 2023. [35] The paperback edition was made available for pre-order in July 2023 and was released on 11 January 2024 as part of the Target Collection. [36] [37] It was released as an audiobook read by Dan Starkey on 11 January 2024. [38] Starkey had previously appeared as various Sontarans, most notably Strax. [39] [40]

Notes

  1. ↑ As depicted in The Celestial Toymaker (1966)
  2. ↑ Langford made a brief cameo in the closing moments of "The Power of the Doctor" [10]

Related Research Articles

Doctor Who is a British television science fiction series, produced and screened by the BBC on the BBC TV channel from 1963 to 1964, and on BBC1 from 1964 to 1989 and since 2005. A one-off television film, co-produced with Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox Television, was screened on the Fox Network in the United States in 1996.

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

Melanie "Mel" Bush is a fictional character played by Bonnie Langford in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A computer programmer from the 20th century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1986 to 1987 and returned in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Mel appears in eight stories, and is the penultimate companion of the classic series.

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

The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. The character has also appeared in other Doctor Who spin-offs.

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

Wilfred "Wilf" Mott is a recurring fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, played by Bernard Cribbins. He is the grandfather of the Tenth Doctor's companion Donna Noble, and father of her mother, Sylvia Noble. As companion to the Doctor, an alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, Donna travelled through space and time in the show's 2008 series, having numerous adventures. A believer in extraterrestrial life himself, Wilfred was proud of his granddaughter's adventures and helped to keep them a secret from her overbearing mother. He later became the Tenth Doctor's final companion in "The End of Time".

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

Donna Noble is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a companion of the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors. Originally appearing in the closing scene of the show's 2006 series and as a special guest star in its following Christmas special, "The Runaway Bride", Tate was not expected to reprise her role as Donna; for series 3 (2007), the Doctor travelled alongside medical student Martha Jones. However, Tate expressed interest in returning to the role, and returned as a series regular in series 4 (2008), the subsequent 2009–2010 Christmas and New Year's special, and in the 60th anniversary specials in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ncuti Gatwa</span> Scottish actor (born 1992)

Mizero Ncuti Gatwa is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. Beginning his career on stage at the Dundee Repertory Theatre, he was a nominee for an Ian Charleson Award for his performance as Mercutio in a 2014 production of Romeo & Juliet at HOME.

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 14 2024 series of Doctor Who

The fourteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who premiered on 11 May 2024, and is expected to air through to 22 June. It is the fifth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer and the first since his return to the show, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is the fourteenth to air since the programme's revival in 2005, and the fortieth season overall. The fourteenth series was announced with Davies' return to the programme for its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond, with Bad Wolf becoming a co-producer for the series. The series is referred to in marketing and promotional material as "Season One" following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Power of the Doctor</span> 2022 Doctor Who episode

"The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and was broadcast on BBC One on 23 October 2022. The episode was ordered for the centenary of the BBC's launch, airing five days after. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.

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

The Fifteenth Doctor is the current incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. His first series companion is Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.

<i>Doctor Who</i> specials (2023) 2023 special episodes of Doctor Who

The 2023 specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who are three special episodes that aired between 25 November and 9 December 2023, to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. They were written by Russell T Davies and marked the start of his second tenure as showrunner, having served in the role from the start of Doctor Who's revival in 2005 until leaving in 2010. The specials were broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally.

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

The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.

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

Ruby Sunday is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, created by Russell T Davies and portrayed by Millie Gibson. In the show's fourteenth series, starting with the Christmas special, Ruby serves as the companion to the Fifteenth Doctor, an incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor.

The Star Beast (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2023 Doctor Who episode

"The Star Beast" is the first of three hour-long special episodes of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, marking its 60th anniversary. Based on a comic written by Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons for Doctor Who Magazine in 1980, the episode was written by returning head writer and showrunner Russell T Davies, directed by Rachel Talalay, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 25 November 2023. It serves as the reintroductions of David Tennant and Catherine Tate to the series, with Tennant making his first regular appearance as the Fourteenth Doctor, having previously played the Tenth Doctor during Davies' original tenure as showrunner, last seen in the 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor" (2013), while Tate reprises her role as Donna Noble. The episode also sees the return of Jacqueline King as Sylvia Noble and Karl Collins as Shaun Temple with newcomer Yasmin Finney as Rose Noble, and guest starring Miriam Margolyes as the voice of The Meep.

The fifteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who is expected to premiere in 2025. It will be the sixth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer, and the second since his return to the show in 2023, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is set to be the fifteenth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, and will be the forty-first season overall. Like with the changes introduced from series 14 onwards, this series is referred as "Season Two" following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+.

Wild Blue Yonder (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2023 Doctor Who episode

"Wild Blue Yonder" is the second of the 2023 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 December 2023, and was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Tom Kingsley. David Tennant stars as the Fourteenth Doctor, alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, with Bernard Cribbins posthumously guest starring as Wilfred Mott. The episode is dedicated to Cribbins' memory, following his death in July 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church on Ruby Road</span> 2023 Doctor Who episode

"The Church on Ruby Road" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2023 as the fourteenth Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005 and also the first since "Twice Upon a Time" (2017). It was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Mark Tonderai. It stars Ncuti Gatwa in his first regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor and introduces Millie Gibson as his new companion Ruby Sunday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Devil's Chord</span> 2024 Doctor Who episode

"The Devil's Chord" is the second episode of the fourteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Released alongside "Space Babies," it was written by Russell T. Davies, directed by Ben Chessell, and was released on BBC iPlayer and Disney+ on 11 May 2024. Ncuti Gatwa stars as the Fifteenth Doctor with Millie Gibson as his new companion Ruby Sunday, while Jinkx Monsoon also guest stars as the antagonist.

References

  1. ↑ Griffin, Louise. "Doctor Who brutally references Amy Pond and more companions in The Giggle". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  2. ↑ Laford, Andrea (6 July 2022). "Russell T Davies praises Doctor Who BBC centenary special". Cultbox. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  3. ↑ Laford, Andrea (6 September 2022). "Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials: third director discovered". CultBox. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. ↑ "Doctor Who: Here they come". Doctor Who. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "David Tennant and Catherine Tate return to Doctor Who". Doctor Who. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Murray, Emily (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who - The Giggle ending explained: bi-generation, the one who waits, and more". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Neil Patrick Harris joins Doctor Who". Doctor Who. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  8. ↑ "Watch new Doctor Who trailer for 60th Anniversary Specials". BBC . 23 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  9. ↑ Salmon, Will (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who - The Giggle review: "a near-perfect end that signals a bright future ahead"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Donaldson, Mark (31 January 2023). "The Power Of The Doctor Completes One Classic Companion Story". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  11. ↑ Ulatowski, Rachel (11 December 2023). "This 'Doctor Who' 60th-Anniversary Guest Star Has a Unique History With the Show". The Mary Sue . Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Doctor Who: The Giggle". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  13. ↑ King, Jordan (11 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle Review". The Telegraph . Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 Power, Ed (10 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle review – Fun and fright factor are dialled up in massive regeneration twist". The Independent . Archived from the original on 23 October 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  15. 1 2 Belam, Martin (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle – 60th anniversary special recap". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  16. ↑ Gee, Catherine (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle, review: David Tennant hands over to Ncuti Gatwa in unprecedented regeneration". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  17. ↑ Kelly, Stephen (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle review: Ncuti Gatwa is already a brilliant Doctor". The i . Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  18. ↑ "Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary TX Dates Revealed!". BBC. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  19. ↑ Johnston, Dais (8 December 2023). "'Doctor Who' Will Finally Reveal The Doctor's New Form". [[Inverse (website)|Inverse. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  20. ↑ "Wild Blue Yonder – 7 Day Rating". Doctor Who News. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Giggle Overnight Ratings Revealed". TV Zone. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "The Giggle – Ratings Update". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  23. ↑ Robinson, Martin (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who: David Tennant's 'finale' was genius from start to finish". Evening Standard. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Allcock, Chris (9 December 2023). "Doctor Who: The Giggle Review". Den of Geek. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  25. ↑ Ulatowski, Rachel (11 December 2023). "Fans Are Divided Over 'Doctor Who' Breaking Its Regeneration Tradition". The Mary Sue . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  26. 1 2 Blair, Andrew (11 December 2023). "Doctor Who: Has Bigeneration Dealt Ncuti Gatwa a Bad Hand?". Den of Geek. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  27. ↑ Coogan, Ryan (9 December 2023). "Why the new Doctor Who spoilers could spell bad news for fans". The Independent . Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  28. ↑ Hogan, Michael (11 December 2023). "Russell T Davies has just changed Doctor Who's future, present and past". The Telegraph. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  29. ↑ Billson, Chantelle (10 December 2023). "Doctor Who: Christmas Day trailer and Ncuti Gatwa's legs have fans in a chokehold". PinkNews. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  30. ↑ Grady, Constance (13 December 2023). "Doctor Who's big twist betrayed the show's oldest rule". Vox. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
  31. ↑ "Succession, Happy Valley and Doctor Who among BAFTA memorable TV moment award nominees". Sky News . 14 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  32. ↑ Harding, Laura (14 March 2024). "Happy Valley finale battling with Doctor Who, David Beckham and Succession to be named TV moment of the year". The Yorkshire Post . Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  33. ↑ Cremona, Patrick (12 May 2024). "Happy Valley final showdown voted TV's most memorable moment of the year". Radio Times . Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  34. ↑ "Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials available to pre-order on Steelbook, DVD and Blu-ray" . Retrieved 26 October 2023– via Doctor Who.
  35. ↑ Goss, James. "Doctor Who: The Giggle (Target Collection)" – via www.penguin.co.uk.
  36. ↑ Harp, Justin (14 July 2023). "Doctor Who confirms spin-off books for 60th anniversary specials". Digital Spy . Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  37. ↑ Goss, James. "Doctor Who: The Giggle (Target Collection)". Penguin.co.uk . Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  38. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Giggle". Audible . 1 January 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  39. ↑ Garrett, Olivia (30 April 2024). "Doctor Who star on "crazy comic talent" of Ghosts alumni in West End show". Radio Times . Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  40. ↑ Bacon, Thomas (21 March 2020). "Steven Moffat Writes Funny New Sontaran Short For Fans Rewatching The 50th Anniversary Special While On Lockdown". Screen Rant . Retrieved 2 May 2024.
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.