Boom Town (Doctor Who)

Last updated

165 –"Boom Town"
Doctor Who episode
Boom Town.jpg
The Doctor dines with Margaret Blaine. The scene of the Doctor dining with his enemy was centred around exploring a moral dilemma concerning the consequences of the Doctor's actions.
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Joe Ahearne
Written by Russell T Davies
Script editorElwen Rowlands
Produced by Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s)
Music by Murray Gold
Production code1.11
Series Series 1
Running time45 mins
First broadcast4 June 2005 (2005-06-04)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"The Doctor Dances"		Followed by →
"Bad Wolf"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"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.

Contents

The episode is set in Cardiff in the early 21st century, six months after the 2005 episode "World War Three". In the episode, the criminal alien Slitheen named "Margaret Blaine" (Annette Badland) attempts to gain her freedom after being captured and detained by the alien time traveller the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston).

"Boom Town" was a replacement episode for a story that was to be written by Paul Abbott, but he had to abandon the script because he had other commitments. Davies decided to write a different story centred on bringing Badland's character back from the fourth and fifth episodes of the series, "Aliens of London" and "World War Three", as he had enjoyed her performances. Primarily, Davies wanted to explore the consequences of the Doctor's actions and question whether he had the right to sentence an enemy to death. The episode was also intended to showcase Cardiff, where the revived Doctor Who series is made, and where the episode was filmed in February 2005. "Boom Town" was watched by 7.68 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

The plans for the new nuclear power plant, on display at a Doctor Who exhibition. Cardiff Nuclear Power Station Model (14866869698).jpg
The plans for the new nuclear power plant, on display at a Doctor Who exhibition.

The Ninth Doctor lands the TARDIS in Cardiff, using the energy of the Cardiff Rift to recharge the engines of the time machine. Mickey joins the Doctor, Rose, and Jack for lunch. The Doctor spots a newspaper article showing Margaret Blaine, a Slitheen, has become Cardiff's new mayor. The four track down and capture Blaine to find out what she is doing there. The Doctor observes Blaine's scale model plans for a new nuclear power plant, but realizes that it is purposely flawed to cause a meltdown that would open the Cardiff Rift and destroy the Earth. He also discovers the model contains an "extrapolator" that Blaine would have used to flee the Earth. The Doctor decides to take Blaine back to her home planet of Raxacoricofallapatorius, but she reveals that she has received a death sentence there and will be executed upon returning. The Doctor agrees to her final request to accompany her to dinner in a restaurant. Blaine makes several half-hearted attempts to kill the Doctor but he easily avoids them. She then asks him to take her to another planet instead.

Jack begins integrating the extrapolator into the TARDIS to speed up the engine recharge. Rose and Mickey hang out together, and he claims to her that he is dating someone else because she is not there for him. Before Rose can answer whether she will come back to Mickey, Cardiff is struck by a large earthquake that is coming from the Rift. The Doctor, Blaine, Rose, and Jack regroup and find that the extrapolator was a trap meant to redirect the energy from the TARDIS into the Rift, rupturing it. Jack and the Doctor are unable to stop the energy transfer, and Blaine takes Rose hostage and demands the extrapolator. The heart of the TARDIS opens on the console, bathing Blaine in light. While she is captivated by the light, Jack and the Doctor close the rift and disable the extrapolator. As the console closes, they find that Blaine's human suit is empty except for an egg. The Doctor surmises that the TARDIS sensed that Blaine wanted a second chance at life and gave it to her. The TARDIS crew decides to return the egg to Raxacoricofallapatorius so Blaine can be raised in a different family. Rose realises Mickey has left without saying goodbye. She runs out to look for him, but finds he has gone.

Continuity

The Rift was established earlier in the series in "The Unquiet Dead". [1] Margaret says that as a child she was threatened with being fed to venom grubs; these creatures appeared in the First Doctor serial The Web Planet (1965). [1]

Production

Slitheen model shown at the Doctor Who Experience Doctor Who Experience London Olympia (5503372468).jpg
Slitheen model shown at the Doctor Who Experience
The episode featured the Millennium Centre and Cardiff Bay prominently. Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay.jpg
The episode featured the Millennium Centre and Cardiff Bay prominently.

According to an interview with executive producer and episode writer Russell T Davies in Doctor Who Magazine , this episode was originally offered to his friend and former colleague, the scriptwriter Paul Abbott. [2] Abbott accepted and submitted a storyline, revealing that Rose had been bred by the Doctor as an experiment in creating a perfect companion. [2] The episode was titled "The Void". [3] However, Abbot had to abandon the project due to other commitments. [1] [2] Davies wrote "Boom Town" instead, bringing back Badland as Blaine due to her performance in "Aliens of London" and "World War Three" being "brilliant", though she had few lines. [4] The actor playing Mr Cleaver, William Thomas, had previously appeared as Martin the undertaker in the 1988 classic series story Remembrance of the Daleks . [5] This made him the first performer to appear in both the original and current run of Doctor Who. [5] He later played Geraint Cooper, the father of Gwen Cooper, in the Doctor Who spinoff series Torchwood . [1] [6]

Davies stated that he originally intended to call this episode "Dining with Monsters". [7] He joked that a much better name for this episode would be "What should we do with Margaret?" [7] Davies intended the episode to be a character piece exploring whether the Doctor had the authority to take someone to their death sentence, as well as showing the consequences of the Doctor's actions the last time he met Margaret. [7] The storyline was fitting for Eccleston's war-torn Doctor. [7] The consequences of the Doctor's lifestyle are also explored through Rose's boyfriend Mickey, who has been forced to move on because she is not around. [7] The resolution is a deliberate deus ex machina, regressing Margaret so she can start anew, although Davies remarked that the resolution did not come completely out of nowhere as the TARDIS' psychic link had been already established. [7]

Much of "Boom Town" was filmed on Cardiff Bay, with one scene in particular in front of the Millennium Centre, [7] in February 2005. [8] The Doctor is seen reading the Welsh newspaper Western Mail ; Davies stated that he wanted to incorporate Welsh culture because the series is made in Wales and contains a lot of Welsh crew members. [9] He also wanted to show off how beautiful the area could be. [8] The night shoot of Rose and Mickey in front of the water tower at Roald Dahl Plass had to be extended to two nights because it was below the temperature at which the fountain automatically shuts off. [10] The dinner scene between the Doctor and Margaret was filmed in January 2005 at the Cardiff restaurant Bistro 10 before the rest of the episode was filmed; Eccleston filmed the scene while Piper and Barrowman were filming scenes for "The Empty Child". [10] [11] This was due to scheduling conflicts with Badland. [10] Some of the schedule was also rearranged because of the death of Piper's uncle, resulting in her and Eccleston being replaced by doubles during some scenes near the end of the episode. [10] The egg Margaret turns into was a reused prop from the second episode, "The End of the World". [10]

Broadcast and reception

"Boom Town" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 4 June 2005 on BBC One. [12] The episode received overnight ratings of 7.13 million viewers, a 36.95% audience share and an increase over the past two weeks. [13] When final ratings were calculated, the figure rose to 7.68 million. [14] The episode received an Audience Appreciation Index score of 82. [15]

SFX described "Boom Town" as a "format-breaking episode". The reviewer acknowledged that it "certainly misfires on some levels, and leaves various elements underdeveloped", but praised the moral dilemma, including the dinner scene. However, the conclusion with Margaret being reverted to an egg was seen as a "little too handy and provides the Doctor with a moral get-out clause", and the Rose and Mickey subplot was called "weak" due to the lack of evidence he and Rose were ever close. [16] Arnold T Blumburg of Now Playing gave the episode a grade of B+, writing that it "sacrifices a bit of plot and logic" for a good exploration of the characters and plot threads. He praised the dialogue and Murray Gold's score. [17] Digital Spy's Dek Hogan was more negative, feeling that it "really didn't work", calling bringing back Margaret a "poor idea", and he criticised the pace for dragging too much. [18]

In 2013, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times particularly praised Badland and the dinner scene, though he described the whole episode as a "peculiar short-story, a low-cal filler sandwiched between the dramatic juggernauts of Steven Moffat's Doctor Who debut and Russell T Davies's dazzling finale." [11] The A.V. Club reviewer Alasdair Wilkins gave the episode a grade of B, noting that it required more suspension of disbelief than usual. He felt that the plot was included out of necessity while the episode was more focused on character moments, and that this did not work as well as "Father's Day" because Margaret's fate was "less clearly motivated." On the other hand, Wilkins called Rose and Mickey's subplot the most effectively handled part of "Boom Town". [19] In Who Is the Doctor, a guide to the revived series, author Robert Smith? (the ? is part of his nom de plume) called the episode "highly entertaining" and "thoughtful", despite not being well-plotted with an "unsatisfying" deus ex machina ending. He praised the character material and comedy. [20] His coauthor Graeme Burk was less enthusiastic, describing it as "nothing more" than a "fun romp". He felt that there were many good scenes but "no real story", and pointed out how the moral dilemma did not matter because the decision does not end up being in the Doctor's hands. [21]

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 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 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).

"The End of the World" is the second episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. Written by executive producer Russell T Davies and directed by Euros Lyn, the episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 2 April 2005 and was seen by approximately 7.97 million viewers in the United Kingdom.

<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".

"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who which was first broadcast on BBC One on 23 April 2005. It is the second of a two-part story which began with "Aliens of London" on 16 April.

<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.

"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.

"Bad Wolf" is the twelfth episode of the revived first series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 11 June 2005. It is the first of a two-part story. The concluding episode, "The Parting of the Ways", was first broadcast on 18 June 2005.

"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.

"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.

Journeys End (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2008 Doctor Who episode

"Journey's End" is the thirteenth and final episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on BBC One on 5 July 2008. It is the second episode of a two-part crossover story featuring the characters of spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures, preceded by "The Stolen Earth", which aired on 28 June. At 65 minutes in length, it was approximately 20 minutes longer than a standard fourth-series episode. It marked the final regular appearances of every companion introduced in the Russell T Davies era, including Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Stolen Earth</span> 2008 Doctor Who episode

"The Stolen Earth" is the twelfth episode of the fourth series and the 750th overall episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 28 June 2008. The episode was written by show runner and head writer Russell T Davies and is the first of a two-part crossover story with spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures; the concluding episode is "Journey's End", the finale of the fourth series, broadcast on 5 July.

<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 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> Fictional character from 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 3 4 "The Fourth Dimension: Boom Town". BBC. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "Doctor Who Magazine". Doctor Who Magazine (360). Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Panini Comics. 14 September 2005.
  3. ↑ Richards, Justin. Doctor Who: The Legend Continues.
  4. ↑ "Russell T Davies: series one round-up". Radio Times . June 2005. Archived from the original on 15 July 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
  5. 1 2 Burk and Smith? p. 46
  6. ↑ Arnopp, Jason (22 August 2013). "The Fact of Fiction: Remembrance of the Daleks". Doctor Who Magazine (464). Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent: Panini Comics: 66.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Unsung Heroes and Violent Death". Doctor Who Confidential . Series 1. Episode 11. 4 June 2005. BBC. BBC Three.
  8. 1 2 "Cardiff Shoot" (Video). BBC. 29 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  9. ↑ "Hold the front page ... for Doctor Who". icWales. 4 June 2005. Archived from the original on 13 June 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Badland, Annette; John Barrowman; Phil Collinson (2005). "Audio commentary for "Boom Town"". Doctor Who: The Complete First Series (DVD). BBC.
  11. 1 2 Mulkern, Patrick (17 June 2013). "Boom Town". Radio Times . Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  12. ↑ "Series 1, Boom Town: Broadcasts". BBC. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  13. ↑ "Boom Town Overnights". Outpost Gallifrey. 5 June 2005. Archived from the original on 7 June 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  14. ↑ Russell, Gary (2006). Doctor Who: The Inside Story. London: BBC Books. p. 139. ISBN   978-0-563-48649-7.
  15. ↑ "Ratings Guide". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  16. ↑ "Doctor Who: Boom Town". SFX. 4 June 2005. Archived from the original on 24 November 2005. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  17. ↑ Blumburg, Arnold T (19 May 2006). "Doctor Who – "Boom Town"". Now Playing . Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  18. ↑ Hogan, Dek (4 June 2005). "Not quite Pygmalion". Digital Spy . Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  19. ↑ Wilkins, Alasdair (12 January 2014). "Doctor Who: "Boom Town"/"Bad Wolf"/"The Parting of the Ways"". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 20 January 2014.
  20. ↑ Burk and Smith? pp. 48–50
  21. ↑ Burk and Smith? p. 50

Bibliography

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.