Forest of the Dead

Last updated

195b –"Forest of the Dead"
Doctor Who episode
Doctor Who Forest of the Dead.jpg
The Doctor lies in sadness after River Song's sacrifice, a moment which IGN stated "rivals any of the great emotional beats in this series" noting their plentifulness. [1]
Cast
Others
Production
Directed by Euros Lyn
Written by Steven Moffat
Script editor Helen Raynor
Produced by Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies
Julie Gardner
Music by Murray Gold
Production code4.10
Series Series 4
Running time2nd of 2-part story, 45 minutes
First broadcast7 June 2008 (2008-06-07)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Silence in the Library"		Followed by →
"Midnight"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who . It was first broadcast by BBC One on 7 June 2008. It is the second of a two-part story; the first part, "Silence in the Library", aired on 31 May; it was Moffat's last written story before replacing Russell T Davies as head writer and showrunner starting from the fifth series in 2010.

Contents

In the episode, the time-travelling temp Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) is trapped inside a virtual reality in a planet-sized library's hard drive in the 51st century and has false memories implanted of a married life. At the same time, another time traveller, the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), seeks to rescue Donna, and thousands of other humans saved inside the library hard drive while being pursued by the microscopic swarm called Vashta Nerada. The episode also features the death of River Song (Alex Kingston), an archaeologist who has a close relationship with the Doctor, but because of the non-linearity of this partnership, the Doctor in the episode has only just met River.

Forest of the Dead was watched by 7.84 million viewers, a 40% audience share, the highest in Series Four; it received highly positive reviews . This episode, along with "Silence in the Library", was nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category.

Plot

The Tenth Doctor, River, Strackman Lux, and the remainder of their team flee the microscopic Vashta Nerada on the planet-sized Library. Other team members are consumed by the Vashta Nerada, their space suits animated by the swarms. During a respite, Lux explains that the Library, and a giant computer constructed at its core, was constructed by his grandfather for Lux's aunt, Charlotte, who was diagnosed with an terminal illness at a young age, to allow her mind to live on among the collected works of humankind. The Doctor realises Charlotte's mind is struggling to cope after "saving" the thousands of patrons by transferring their physical forms to the computer core 100 years ago when the Vashta Nerada attacked.

Within the simulation of a contemporary Earth village, Donna is tended to by Dr Moon (an avatar of the virus checker program) and introduced to Lee, whom she marries. Aware that time is skipping, Donna is alerted by Miss Evangelista, one of River's team members killed by the Vashta Nerada, that she is in a simulation.

The Vashta Nerada inhabit the suit as shown at the Doctor Who Experience. DoctorWhoExhibition 038 (4262487554).jpg
The Vashta Nerada inhabit the suit as shown at the Doctor Who Experience.

In the core, the Doctor learns from the Vashta Nerada their forests were used to create the books of the Library. They now claim the Library as their own. The Vashta Nerada allow the Doctor one day to free the people trapped in the computer core, including Donna, after which the Library will belong to them. The Doctor prepares to hook himself to the computer terminal to provide the extra memory required to download everyone, aware this will likely kill him. River knocks him out and takes his place, insisting that the Doctor's death now would prevent her meeting him in her own past.

The patrons stored inside the computer rematerialise on the Library surface, where they teleport away to safety. Lee is unable to call out to Donna as he leaves. As the Doctor and Donna leave behind River's diary and sonic screwdriver, the Doctor wonders why his future self would give River his screwdriver. He finds a data recorder inside the mechanism which has preserved River's thought pattern. The Doctor saves her pattern to the core. River wakes up in the Earth simulation and is greeted by Charlotte and River's team members who had fallen victim to the Vashta Nerada. Charlotte assures her that the simulation is now a "good place" where she will be safe as the Doctor fixed the data core.

Production

Writing

"Forest of the Dead" was initially announced under the title "River's Run", [2] before its name was changed relatively late in production (Radio Times used the previous title in their column, the change being too late); in the end, the title was chosen by amalgamating two alternate titles. [3] [4] Josh and Ella, Donna's two children in the computer-generated world, were named after Steven Moffat's son and his son's friend, a big fan of Doctor Who. [5] [6]

In early drafts, Lee was supposed to be an overweight women, the male version being how she imagined herself in cyberspace, with her stammer supposed to reveal her identity to the audience; Davies said the idea was subsequently dropped, being "too big a concept" for a brief moment. [5]

Moffat had all the characters survive in some form, in line with his previous episodes, saying that the characters sort of die, but end up having a nice storyline; he said that he felt that the future Doctor would have thought of something that would resolve the situation, and that if someone, like himself, does not believe that souls exist, the characters are completely themself, with nothing left behind. [5]

Casting

The role of Strackman Lux went to Steve Pemberton, who is best known for his work as a member of The League of Gentlemen . He also appeared in Blackpool with David Tennant. [7] The roles of the other team members, being minor, went to newcomers, though care was taken to ensure that one could grasp instantly who everyone on the expedition was. [7]

Filming

In addition to the sets for the library, various new locations were also used: the climactic scenes of the episode, in the library core, were filmed in an electrical substation of a disused Alcoa factory in Waunarlwydd, Swansea, [8] scenes set in CAL's databanks were filmed at Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas; [9] and outside shots were shot across Wales in location such as Palace Road, Victoria Park and Hensol Castle. [10]

The wedding dress Catherine Tate wears in this episode is the same dress she wore in "The Runaway Bride". [8]

Broadcast and reception

Release

On 6 June, "Silence in the Library" was re-run on BBC3, and "Forest of the Dead" was broadcast on its usual timeslot on BBC1 on Saturday 7 June, running against coverage of the Canadian Grand Prix and Euro 2008 on ITV1; the episode came out the winner, getting a lot more viewership than the football. The episode was followed as usual by an episode of Doctor Who Confidential. [11]

Ratings

Forest of the Dead was watched by 7.84 million viewers, [12] giving it a 40% audience share; the highest in Series Four and the highest in its timeslot. [11] The episode received an Appreciation Index score of 89 (considered "Excellent"), one of the highest figures the new series had received to date, alongside "The Parting of the Ways", "Doomsday" and the preceding episode "Silence in the Library". [11]

Following the two-parter, Davies said that Moffat (who was succeeding him as showrunner from the next series onwards), brings the best attributes to Doctor Who, such as "intelligence and wit and fears and thrills and dynamism". [11]

Critical reception and accolades

The episode received positive reviews from critics. SFX's review on GamesRadar+ found “Forest of the Dead” to be a great contrast: both a continuation and something new, shifting away from the monster plot to focus on the parallel world, and the little girl at the heart of the machine. Praising the moment of River’s self-sacrifice as a beautiful and tragic scene, made both more tragic and hopeful by the fact that we (and the Doctor) don't yet know her, though with the hope we shall meet her again. [13] Similarly, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times found Professor River Song interesting, as she is someone the Doctor is yet to meet but who already knows a lot about him, including his name. [14]

IGN's Travis Fickett said that he found his brain searching for new superlatives and characterised the episode as Doctor Who is at its best, while also praising Donna and Tate's chops as a dramatic actress. He also liked Tennant and Kingston's performance, and Murray's music score for the episode. [15] Ben Rawson-Jones from Digital Spy found that the episode uses psychological fears to brilliantly build upon the thrills of the opening; and praised the stunning twist on the concept of the parallel world, finding that it allowed Tate to deliver her strongest performance. He found the conclusion to be satisfying and cleverly done. [16]

IGN named the two-parter the fourth best episode of Tennant's tenure, saying that though the story cuts around through its various subplots, the end result is one of the most creative and moving story of the revived series, [17] as did Sam McPherson of Zap2it, praising the theme of the fear of the shadows the episode is built on. [18] This episode, along with "Silence in the Library", was nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category, but lost out to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog . [19] The episode won the 2009 Constellation Award for Best Script in Film or Television. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<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. In 2023, Tennant returned to the role, this time as the fourteenth incarnation of the Doctor.

"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. This episode features the first full-episode appearance of Tennant as the Doctor and is also the first specially produced Christmas special in the programme's history which was commissioned following the success of the first series earlier in the year to see how well the show could do at Christmas. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies and was directed by James Hawes.

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".

"The Runaway Bride" is a special episode of the long-running British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, starring David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. It was produced as the Doctor Who Christmas special for 2006, broadcast on 25 December, and aired between the second and third series of the relaunched show.

Blink (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2007 Doctor Who episode

"Blink" is the tenth episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2007 on BBC One. The episode was directed by Hettie MacDonald and written by Steven Moffat. The episode is based on a previous short story written by Moffat for the 2006 Doctor Who Annual, titled "'What I Did on My Christmas Holidays' By Sally Sparrow".

"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of the revived British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 31 May 2008. It is the first of a two-part story; the second part, "Forest of the Dead", aired on 7 June. The two episodes make up the second two-parter Steven Moffat contributed to the series after "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" from the first series. It is also the final story that Moffat wrote before replacing Russell T Davies as head writer and showrunner starting from the fifth series in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turn Left</span> 2008 Doctor Who episode

"Turn Left" is the eleventh episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and broadcast on BBC One on 21 June 2008.

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 4 2008 series of Doctor Who

The fourth series of British science fiction television programme Doctor Who was preceded by the 2007 Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes aired, starting with "Partners in Crime" on 5 April 2008 and ending with "Journey's End" three months later on 5 July 2008. The series incorporates a loose story arc consisting of recurring mentions of the disappearance of various planets and moons.

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 3 2007 series of Doctor Who

The third series of the revived British science fiction programme Doctor Who, and the twenty-ninth season of the show overall, was preceded by the 2006 Christmas special "The Runaway Bride". Following the special, a regular series of thirteen episodes was broadcast, starting with "Smith and Jones" on 31 March 2007 and ending with "Last of the Time Lords" on 30 June 2007. In addition, a 13-part animated serial was produced and broadcast as part of Totally Doctor Who.

<i>Doctor Who</i> series 2 2006 series of Doctor Who

The second series of British science fiction programme Doctor Who began on 25 December 2005 with the Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion". A regular series of thirteen episodes was broadcast weekly in 2006, starting with "New Earth" on 15 April and concluding with "Doomsday" on 8 July. In addition, two short special episodes were produced; a Children in Need special and an interactive episode, as well as thirteen minisodes titled Tardisodes. It is the second series of the revival of the show, and the twenty-eighth season overall.

River Song (<i>Doctor Who</i>) Fictional character in the British TV series Doctor Who

River Song is a fictional character created by Steven Moffat and played by Alex Kingston in the British science-fiction series Doctor Who. River Song was introduced to the series as an experienced future companion of series protagonist the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time in his TARDIS. Because River Song is a time traveller herself, her adventures with the Doctor occur out of synchronisation; their first meeting is with the Tenth Doctor, the Doctor's first and apparently her last. Kingston plays her in 15 episodes, as River becomes a companion, romantic interest and eventual wife of the Doctor in his eleventh incarnation portrayed by Matt Smith. From a production perspective, the Twelfth Doctor is the last incarnation to meet her, spending a 24-year-long night with her, before her first meeting with the Tenth Doctor. From the timeline perspective, the final time River meets with the Doctor, she is a hologram/echo from the library archives; she and the Eleventh Doctor part ways in the episode, "The Name of the Doctor".

<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.

The End of Time (<i>Doctor Who</i>) 2009 Doctor Who episodes

"The End of Time" is a two-part story of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 25 December 2009 and 1 January 2010. It is the fifth Doctor Who Christmas special and the last entry in a series of specials aired from 2008 to 2010. It marks the final regular appearance of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and introduces Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. At the time, it was the last Doctor Who story written and produced by Russell T Davies, who shepherded the series' return to British television in 2005 and served as the series's executive producer and chief writer, until he returned to the position in 2022 for the 60th anniversary specials onwards.

"The Time of Angels" is the fourth episode of the fifth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 24 April 2010 on BBC One. It is the first episode of a two-part story written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith; the second episode, "Flesh and Stone", aired on 1 May. Moffat utilised the two-part episode to bring back a couple of his previous creations: the Weeping Angels from his series three episode "Blink", and River Song from the series four episodes "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead".

<i>Doctor Who: The Adventure Games</i> 2010 video game

Doctor Who: The Adventure Games is an episodic adventure video game based on the BBC television series Doctor Who and developed by Sumo Digital.

<i>Doctor Who</i> specials (2008–2010) 2008–2010 special episodes of Doctor Who

The 2008–2010 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who are series of five specials that linked the programme's fourth and fifth series. The specials were produced in lieu of a full series in 2009, to allow the new production team for the programme enough time to prepare for the fifth series in 2010, in light of Russell T Davies's decision to step down as showrunner, with Steven Moffat taking his place in the fifth series. Preceded by the 2008 Christmas Special, "The Next Doctor", the first special, "Planet of the Dead", was aired on 11 April 2009, the second special "The Waters of Mars", was aired on 15 November 2009, with the last special, the two-part episode "The End of Time", broadcasting over two weeks on 25 December 2009 and 1 January 2010.

"A Good Man Goes to War" is the seventh episode of the sixth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 4 June 2011. It served as a mid-series finale. The episode was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Peter Hoar.

"Extremis" is the sixth episode of the tenth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat and broadcast on 20 May 2017 on BBC One. "Extremis" received very positive reviews from television critics, with many praising Peter Capaldi's performance and Steven Moffat's script, though some commented on the complexity of the script.

References

  1. ↑ Fickett, Travis (13 May 2012). "Doctor Who: "Forest of the Dead" Review". IGN . Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Stars are Coming Out". Radio Times . No. 5–11 April 2008. BBC. April 2008. pp. 14–24.
  3. ↑ Pixley 2008, p. 106.
  4. ↑ "Dr Who takes on Forest of the Dead". CBBC Newsround. 4 April 2008. Archived from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
  5. 1 2 3 Pixley 2008, p. 97.
  6. ↑ "River Runs Deep". Doctor Who Confidential . Series 4. Episode 9. London. 7 June 2008. BBC. BBC Three.
  7. 1 2 Pixley 2008, p. 98.
  8. 1 2 "Podcast commentary for Forest of the Dead". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  9. ↑ "Walesarts, Dyffryn Gardens, St Nicholas". BBC. Archived from the original on 14 April 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  10. ↑ Pixley 2008, p. 95.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Pixley 2008, p. 107.
  12. ↑ "Weekly Top 30 Programmes". Barb Audiences . Retrieved 19 August 2024. (No permanent link available. Search for relevant dates.)
  13. ↑ "TV REVIEW: Doctor Who 4.9 "Forest of the Dead"". GamesRadar+. 8 June 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  14. ↑ Mulkern, Patrick (15 October 2013). "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead ★★★★★". Radio Times . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  15. ↑ Fickett, Travis (1 July 2008). "Doctor Who: "Forest of the Dead" Review". IGN . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  16. ↑ Rawson-Jones, Ben (8 June 2008). "S04E09: 'Forest Of The Dead'". Digital Spy . Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  17. ↑ Wales, Matt (5 January 2010). "Top 10 Tennant Doctor Who stories". IGN . Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  18. ↑ Lachonis, Jon (2 January 2010). "The Tenth Doctor's Top 5 Doctor Who Episodes". Tv Over Mind. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  19. ↑ Kelly, Mark. "2009 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form". The Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards. Locus. Archived from the original on 26 March 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2009.
  20. ↑ "The Constellation Awards – A Canadian Award for Excellence in Film & Television Science Fiction". constellations.tcon.ca. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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.