Night Thoughts (serial)


*The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective.*

Night Thoughts is the first story in Season 28. It was written by Edward Young, directed by Chris Clough and featured Richard Griffiths as The Doctor, Julia Sawalha as Katie Tollinger and John Banks as Henrick.

Synopsis

A remote Scottish mansion; five bickering academics are haunted by ghosts from their past. Reluctantly they offer shelter to the Doctor and his companions Katie and Henrick.

Henrick has already been troubled by a vivid nightmare, is further disturbed by the night-time appearance of a whistling, hooded apparition.

Katie tries to befriend the young housemaid, Sue. Sue knows secrets. She knows why the academics have assembled here, and she knows why they are all so afraid. But Sue's lips are sealed, preferring to communicate through her disturbing toy, Happy the Rabbit.

And then the killing begins. Gruesome deaths that lead the Doctor and his friends to discover the grisly truth behind the academics' plans, and - as the ghosts of the past become ghosts of the present - to recognise that sometimes death can be preferable to life.

Plot

Part 1

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Part 2

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Part 3

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Part 4

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Cast

Crew

Writer - Edward Young
Producer - Ian Fraser
Script Editor - Ben Aaronovitch
Director - Chris Clough
Lighting - Ian Dow
Designer - Nick Somerville
Visual Effects Designers - Malcom James, Dave Chapman
Make-Up Designer - Joan Stribling
Casting Director - Anne Henderson
Music - Mark Ayres
Costume Designer - Ken Trew
Edited by - Hugh Parson
Vision Mixer - Susan Brincat
Original Theme Music - Ron Grainer
Title Music - Mark Ayres
Title Sequence by CAL Video

Memorable Quotes

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Background Information

Production History

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Development

This story was originally planned to be in Season 27 but was pushed back to Season 28.
An early draft of this story had it snowing outside.
In this early draft, the characters would encounter illusions. One of these illusions was the Doctor, Katie and Henrick coming across their dead bodies
The story was initially just three parts long, however when it was decided to make Night Thoughts the first story for the Eighth Doctor, Edward Young was asked to add an extra part at the start that would feature the main cast in the TARDIS and the Doctor getting used to his new body.
One part of the ending was cut from the final version of the script for being too dark. It would have shown Major Dickens being killed by Happy the Rabbit. In the final version of part four his fate is left ambiguous.

Production

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Post-Production

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Reaction

Official BARB ratings - 6.9m for Part One, 7.1m for Part Two, 6.8m for Part Three and 6.7m for Part Four.

Story Notes

This is the first story for Richard Griffiths as the Eighth Doctor.
This also marks the first time a male companion has travelled with the Doctor since Planet of Fire and the first time two companions have travelled together in the TARDIS since Resurrection of The Daleks.
This story also introduces a brand new Title Sequence designed by Oliver Elmes which would go on to be used throughout the Eighth Doctor's era with slight alterations here and there such as colour change.
This story starts with a cold opening. The on,y other stories to use a cold opening before this were Castrovalva, The Five Doctors and Remembrance of the Daleks.
This story was repeated on BBC1 between 22nd-25th July, 1996 as part of The Nine Faces of Doctor Who repeat season.
Some footage of Major Dickens, The Bursar, Dr. O'Neil, Sue, The Deacon and Joe Hartley was used in the Season 48 story Now Those Days Are Gone.

Continuity

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Home Video Releases

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