| The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective. |
Season 47 of Doctor Who ran between 18 September 2010 and 20 November 2010. It starred David Suchet as the Thirteenth Doctor, Juliet Landau as Zenla and Dougray Scott as Chris Parsons. The season opened with Masters of All and concluded with the First Game. The regular season was followed by Hark! The Weeping Angels Sing.
Overview
The new breed
The season saw the debut David Suchet as the Thirteenth Doctor, after his appearance at the end of Doctor Who: Vengeance as well as Juliet Landau and Dougray Scott as companions Zenla and Chris Parsons respectively who also made their debuts in the film. Also joining on board from the movie was Vengeance director Martin Campbell.
Back to basics
While maintaining the same production team and format that was introduced in Season 45, the season had a drastically different tone and feel; the intention by script editor Robert Shearman (returning for his second season) and producer Gary Russell (his fourth) to hearken back to the feel of the William Hartnell years with an older Doctor and both a male and female companion. One of them results in the Doctor who is on his thirteenth and final regeneration, was to be a long-term confusion over the TARDIS controls where like in the early years, he can't quite pilot it correctly; leaving the TARDIS team completely unaware of where they would end up.
Additionally, the season would also feature a pure historical episode to help further recreate this tone; the first time since Black Orchid in Season 19 and regularly since The Highlanders in Season 4, so it would be a drastic and risky experiment for the main production team.
Also to keep the audience on board with the new TARDIS team. Shearman and Russell including half of the season with returning foes including Davros, the Monk, the Nightmare Man, the Valeyard, the Toymaker and the Wirrn.
New Title Sequence
As with the usual formula of a new Doctor, a new title sequence was commissioned which was meant to be drastically different to previous years; particularly as the titles were usually well over a minute long since Season 33 and there being shots in space for Season 35 and again in 44, which although were replaced by the Doctors in the Redston era still kept the same feel. Shearman suggested shortening the titles to approx. forty seconds in order to give it a much faster pace. While the Joseph era titles attempted to bring in a faster pace, it suffered from a longer titles span which began with space shots, so a fast pace would be needed throughout, so he introduced this kinetic feel.
The titles begin with the TARDIS (appearing in the titles for the first time since Season 40 in the Renwick era) flying through a storm cloud vortex before the names fly in a red vortex as Suchet's face zooms out whilst it gradually becomes blue as the logo flies out. It ends with the TARDIS hurtling and flying towards the camera whilst the episode title and writer appear in 3D text, as the doors open into the episode. A new theme tune arrangement was done by David Arnold who also joined on to compose the incidental music for the season. Elements of the original Delia Derbyshire theme are incorporated; notably the melody in a similar fashion to Murray Gold's theme used in the 2003 movie.
Cast
Regular
Recurring
- Davros - Julian Bleach
- The Monk - Toby Jones
- The Nightmare Man - Julian Bleach
- The Valeyard - Charles Dance
- The Toymaker - David Bailie
Guest
- Liv Chenka - Nicola Walker
- Carna - Chris Porter
- Kavel - David Dobson
- Aldin - Tony Gardner
- Roboman - Paul Kasey
- Dalek Operators - Barnbay Edwards, Anthony Spargo, Stuart Crossman, Jon Davey, Nicholas Pegg
- Voice of the Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
- William Shakespeare - Dean Lennox Kelly
- Lilith - Christina Cole
- Wiggins - Sam Marks
- Doomfinger - Amanda Lawrence
- Bloodtide - Linda Clarke
- Dick - Jalaal Hartley
- Kempe - David Westhead
- Dolly Bailey - Andrée Bernard
- Lynley - Chris Larkin
- Jailer - Stephen Marcus
- Peter Streete - Matt King
- Preacher - Robert Demeger
- Alzferzo - Sean Gallagher
- Zaltek - Tobias Menzies
- Sovec - Rachael Stirling
- Kalya - Charlie Hayes
- Mr. Gordon - Angus Wright
- Mr. Harold - Jamie Bamber
- Mr. Taylor - Terrence Hardiman
- 27548 - Simon Ludders
- 09763 - Sophia Day
- 47259 - Lucy Hassan
- 81267 - John R. Walker
- Voice of Holiday Computer - Sarah Sutton
- O'Connell - Michael Hogan
- Patrick - Paul Campbell
- Daniel - Brad Mann
- Rosalita - Leah Cairns
- Policeman - Gary Russell
- Man with Ladder - Graham Beckel
- Gang Member - Gustavo Febres
- Henry - Adam Napier
- Roger Buchman - Tim Bentinck
- Veronica Buchman - Jenny Funnell
- Toasty Buchman - Tessa Nicholson
- Iron Buchman - Michael Goldsmith
- Sheer Jawn - Dan Starkey
- Dare - Nia Roberts
- Paul Dessay - Glyn Sweet
- King Sitric - Jim Broadbent
- Brother Bernard - Jim Carter
- Brother Patrick - John Grimes
- Brother Timothy - Edward Grimes
- Olaf Eriksson - Nick Brimble
- Brother Theodopalopaslus - Alex Price
- Lord Parsons - Robert Pugh
- The Zen - Trula M. Marcus
- Chron - Casey Biggs
- Fractun - Salome Jens
- Javel - Scott Haven
- Carno - Whitney Hall
- Pronax - Caroline Kava
- Kevald - Jonathan Farwell
- Trolon - Howard Shangraw
- Filo - Kelsey Grammer
- Shalto - Carl David Burks
- Zoe Poul - Alisha Bailey
- Jay Collings - Kemi-Bo Jacobs
- Daniel - Alex Price
- Professor Hebbs - Michael Percival
- Charlie - Lucian Msamati
- Alice - Nina Sosnya
- Wilkin - Ronnie Corbett
- Professor Chronotis - Paul Bentley
- Schumacher - Peter Egan
- Clare Keightley - Jenna Louise-Coleman
- Billy - Alex Price
- Danny - Paul Campbell
- Ruchachev - Matthew Cottle
- Petrov - Ian Hogg
- Oddbob - Bradley Walsh
- Mr Monopoly - Ed Lauter
- Mrs White - Leslie Caron
- Colonel Mustard - Peter Vaughan
- Miss Scarlet - Samantha Barks
- Mr Green - Simon Fisher-Becker
- Mrs Peacock - Miriam Margolyes
- Professor Plum - Paul J. Dove
- Professor Susan Flemyng - Julie Walters
- Horatio Flemyng - David Collings
- Martin Flemyng - Shaun Dingwall
- Alicia Bannister - Juno Temple
- Clare Flemyng - Jacqueline King
- David Bannister - Alun Raglan
- Charlie Bannister - Samuel Davies
- Mia Bannister - Mollie Kabia
- Tom Flemyng - Laurence Blecher
- Joe Flemyng - Maurice Cole
- Jane Flemyng - Holly Earl
Television Stories
Main Season
Mini-Episode
| Title | Writer | Director | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mummy on the Orient Express | Robert Shearman | Paul Wilmshurst | 19 November 2010 |
Production
Gary Russell and Robert Shearman explained in July 2009 to Doctor Who: Magazine that "the next season is plotted out and the first scripts and being drawn up".
The read-through for the first three episodes of season 47 took place on 1 February 2010, in secret as not to give away the identity of the new Doctor. As with Anthony Head and Paterson Joseph, the first story which Suchet filmed was his first to broadcast. Filming began on 15 February 2010 and concluded on 13 September of the same year.
Crew
Producers
Season 47 was executive produced by Ira Steven Behr and Faith Penhale, with the new addition of Doctor Who: Vengeance director, Martin Campbell, overseeing the production.
Gary Russell remained as producer of the series.
Writers
Robert Shearman penned the opener and co-wrote the finale and the Christmas Special, in addition to his duties as Script Editor. New Staff Writer, Gareth Roberts, penned episode 2; Ronald D. Moore penned episode 3; new writers, Guy Adams and William Gallagher penned episode 4 and 5 respectively; Nicholas Briggs returned, yet again, for episode 6;executive producer, Ira Steven Behr, contributed his first script, with Hans Beimler, with episode 7; new writer David Llewellyn handled episode 8 and Joseph Lidster returned for episode 9.
Directors
Each episode featured a different director, this season, owing to Gary Russell's view of each episode as a 'different movie'. Euros Lyn handled episode 1; Charles Palmer, episode 2; Jonny Campbell, episode 3; Bill Anderson, episode 4; James Strong, episode 5; Nicholas Briggs directed as well penning episode 6; Nick Hurran directed episode 7; Alice Troughton handled episode 8; Jonathan Frakes, episode 9; Chris Carter directed the finale and Hettie MacDonald returned to handle the Weeping Angels in the Christmas Special.
Aliens and Enemies
- The Daleks
- Davros
- The Carrionites
- Mr. Gordon
- Mr. Harold
- Mr. Taylor
- The Wirrn
- The Monk
- The Vex
- The Nightmare Man
- The Toymaker
- The Valeyard
- The Weeping Angels
Viewing Figures
| No. | Title | Official BARB Figures (7-day) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated (m) | Weekly Rank | ||
| 1 | Masters of All | 10.58 | 1 |
| 2 | The Shakespeare Code | 10.16 | 3 |
| 3 | The Camera Never Lies | 9.75 | 4 |
| 4 | The Great White Hurricane | 9.94 | 3 |
| 5 | Wirrn Isle | 10.03 | 4 |
| 6 | The Book of Kells | 10.17 | 3 |
| 7 | The Ties In Between Us | 10.35 | 2 |
| 8 | Too Smart to Play | 10.46 | 5 |
| 9 | The Harsh Light of Day | 10.51 | 5 |
| 10 | The First Game | 10.80 | 5 |
| 11 | Hark! The Weeping Angels Sing | 11.80 | 4 |
| Series Average | 10.275 | ||
Home Media
To be added.