The Chimes of Midnight (serial)

The Chimes of Midnight
Doctor(s)	Ninth Doctor
Companion(s)	Sammy Thompson Lou Madison
Featuring	Edith Janet Wells (cameo)
Main Enemy	Edward Grove
Main Setting(s)	Edward Grove, London, 24 December 1719
Key Crew
Written by	Robert Shearman and Steven Moffat
Directed by	David Tucker
Produced by	Sue Vertue
Executive Producer(s)	David Renwick
Release Details
TX Date(s)	2-23 December 2000
Original Release	BBC One
Format	4x45 minute episodes
Chapter	Chapter Two
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The following article is written from an Out of Universe perspective.

The Chimes of Midnight was the sixth and final story of Season 37 of Doctor Who. It was written by Robert Shearman & Steven Moffat, directed by David Tucker and featured Michael French as the Doctor, Laurie Holden as Sammy Thompson and Gillian Kearney as Lou Madison.

This is the final story for the Ninth Doctor.

 Synopsis

But something must be stirring. Something hidden in the shadows. Something which kills the servants of an old Georgian mansion in the most brutal and macabre manner possible. Exactly on the chiming of the hour, every hour, as the grandfather clock ticks on towards midnight. Trapped and afraid, the Doctor, Sammy and Lou are forced to play detective to murders with no motive, where the victims don't stay dead. Time is running out.

And time itself might well be the killer...

Plot

Part 1

Thunderclaps, as a large mansion comes into view. England 1719. The mansion lies empty, but a presence rumbles through the building, making itself known. The mansion feels alive.

Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor is working on repairs to the machine, as Sammy sits alone towards the side of the control room. Lou joins her and asks if she’s okay, and Sammy says that she is, but she’s just ‘thinking’. However, at that point, the lights in the TARDIS go dead, as a burst of electricity erupts around the Doctor. The Doctor scrambles out, quickly, as he tries to steer the TARDIS - but it’s no good as the TARDIS soon lands, and they could be anywhere.

The trio exit the TARDIS to find themselves in a cold, dank larder and as the trio explore, moving forwards through what seems to be a Georgian mansion, instantly familiar to Sammy, as she grew up in a simillar one in Virginia. However, soon, they discover that their interactions with the house seem to ‘undo’ themselves after a few minutes. Lou accidently knocks over a jar of jam when the Doctor returns to the TARDIS to get some tools, and when they exit, they notice the jar is back on the table, having reset itself and the stain on Lou’s clothes had disappeared too. Among other strange happenings in the house, Sammy discovers her name written in the dust, only for it to immediately disappear.

Meanwhile, in a slightly different version of the mansion, a scullery maid named Edith is ordered around the house to do menial chores and is treated poorly by all the household, including her master Mr Shaughnessy and kitchen maid Mrs Baddeley.

Continuing through the house, the Doctor, Sammy, and Lou discover they’ve arrived on Christmas, but the house seems to be abandoned. Sammy hears a faint voice singing ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, close by, but so very faint. At the same time, Edith hears Sammy’s voice, talking to the Doctor, as the two realms become closer and closer.

The trio continue making their way through the house, continually discovering that it’s very difficult to make lasting impressions on the surrounding environment, as the resets become quicker and quicker. However, the Doctor, finally manages to discover a way to interact with it, but to their disturbance, the house’s environment begins to taunt them, making their journey through it very difficult.

In the other realm, a chauffeur called Frederick is shown to be in a relationship with one of the maids, Mary. This is discovered by Mrs Baddeley, who forces Frederick to tell her that it’s over. Mary has other plans.

Sammy, who seems to be able to hear parts of the confrontation, and Edith’s faint singing, tells the Doctor about it, and the trio soon try to follow the sound, as Sammy stumbles upon Edith taking a bath – but only she can see it. The Doctor and Lou watch, confused, as Sammy interacts with Edith and the two converses, and find themselves both getting on very well. But suddenly, Sammy hears another Edith, speak to her, from behind and tell her that Edith is going to die soon. As Sammy panics, both versions of Edith fade away. The Doctor says that they should all get to the TARDIS and try and get out of the mansion, but when they try and dematerialise the TARDIS fails.

Sammy insists that they leave, as she feels that some mysteries are best left alone, and there is something evil at work in this mansion. However, upon leaving the TARDIS again, after it continues to fail to dematerialise, again, the trio hear a loud scream – and this time all three can hear it. A loud clock chimes twelve, midnight, and the Doctor realises that they are trapped in this mansion…

Part 2

The Doctor, Sammy and Lou all hear Edith scream again as they head back to where Sammy saw here. They find Edith drowning and while the Doctor tries to save her, she dies. The household come to investigate the commotion and think she died by accidental suicide but the Doctor suspects otherwise, as he suspects it was murder. They then reveal they were expecting the Doctor, claiming he's Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard, to arrive and investigate. Mr Shaughnessy tells the Doctor he has access to anywhere he likes and can question whomever he wants and tells the household staff they are to answer every one of his questions except those concerning the going-ons of the house. The Doctor tells his companions that he has an unnerving feeling, but they ought to play along, saying he suspects the murder, and the time anomaly are linked when Lou asks which task they should be focusing on. The Doctor and his companions split up, and he interviews Shaughnessy while Sammy and Lou interview Mrs. Baddeley. Baddeley refuses to help the two of them since they won't taste her plum pudding while the Doctor learns about the residents of the house from him and Shaughnessy says he suspects Mrs Baddeley.

Sammy relents and tries some pudding but ends up behaving strangely and catching herself, excuses herself after asking Baddeley who she suspects, and Baddeley reveals she suspects Shaughnessy because he has "shifty eyes" (the same reason given by Shaughnessy to the Doctor). The Doctor interviews Frederick, the chauffeur, as Lou and Sammy interview Mary, both claiming their accused of also having "shifty eyes". Suddenly Sammy hears Edith again who reveals she needs to find out who murdered her, to not forget her, that another murder will occur and finally Edward Grove is alive. Sammy yells for the Doctor who finds her, but they discover that Mrs. Baddeley has been the next victim and has been stuffed with her own pudding. The household believe it another suicide and the Doctor asks them to leave so he can consult with his assistants. He reveals that he suspects they are playing a game and they know a few things, that the murders occur on the hour and something strange occurs each time, such as Mrs Baddeley being stuffed with her own pudding. Lou realises that the murders are occurring too quickly to be an hour apart and an impressed Doctor reasons that the killer must be speeding up time and they set off to find a clock. Frederick and Mary meet, and their warped perception of the events begins to take hold as they forget about Edith and reaffirm their devotion to each other.

The Doctor, Sammy and Lou find Shaughnessy and ask for his pocket watch but he refuses. They decide that they will go upstairs to find the grandfather clock that keeps striking but Shaughnessy holds them at gunpoint. The Doctor then tricks Shaughnessy to give up his pocket watch, and they end up not going upstairs. The Doctor explains to his companions that the entity sees them as a threat but cannot work out how to respond to them which is why he was able to convince Shaughnessy. They find the watch behaving strangely and call the house members together to see what will happen and who may be murdered only to find that they cannot remember Edith. They split up again despite the Doctor's warnings, claiming there is household work to return to and the grandfather clock strikes midnight...

The Doctor and his companions are returned to the scullery and find that things have reverted back, then find Edith dead, having been suffocated to death by a plunger. The household members find them, with Mrs. Baddeley still alive and the events of before have repeated themselves, seeming as if the three have gone back in time. This time the Doctor, Sammy and Lou find a third scribble in the dust, with the name Edward Grove, and attempt to deduce what is happening. The three splits up again to investigate. The Doctor questions Frederick and asks him to take him for a drive but Frederick refuses, then attempts to open the door to go outside the house but the two reveals that their master has instructed them to kill him if he attempts to leave. The Doctor decides to play along further, and Frederick and Mary say they suspect that they killed Edith. Sammy, in the meantime, questions Mrs Baddeley and discovers some of her more disturbing traits. The Doctor learns that Frederick and Mary were to kill Mrs. Baddeley but don't remember who Edith is. Mrs. Baddeley disturbs Sammy, saying she had already died. A confused Sammy is then contacted mentally by Edith who says she is forgetting her and mentions Edward Grove and finally doesn't understand why she had to die but Sammy can live. Just then another death occurs, this time Frederick's. However, Mary is thought to be the scullery maid despite Sammy trying to remind them of Edith and they all resume their work. The Doctor, Sammy and Lou attempt to understand what they've misunderstood, and Sammy storms out when the Doctor tries to explain to her, she's misremembering things. Sammy goes to find Edith's dust signature, but it has disappeared, and Edith appears to her, saying she is forgetting her, and they need to find Edward Grove. The Doctor attempts to go to the forbidden upstairs and is stopped by Shaughnessy holding him at gunpoint…

Part 3

To be added.

Part 4

To be added.

Cast

• The Doctor - Michael French
• Sammy Thompson - Laurie Holden
• Lou Madison - Gillian Kearney
• Edith - Daniela Denby-Ashe
• Mr Shaughnessy - Lennox Greaves
• Mrs Baddeley - Sue Wallace
• Frederick - Sean Maguire
• Mary - Haydn Gwynne

Special Guest Appearance By

• Rakie Ayola as Janet

And Introducing

• Richard E. Grant as the Doctor

Memorable Quotes

To be added.

Background Information

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Pre-Production

To be added.

Production

To be added.

Post-Production

To be added.

Reaction

To be added.

Story Notes

To be added.