As the Daleks attack the, Game Station led by their Emperor, the, Ninth Doctor finds himself helpless. He knows he must make big sacrifices if he is going to survive.
But does this mean losing his beloved Rose Tyler forever?
NOTES
The Doctor regenerates into the Tenth Doctor, as played by, David Tennant. His first words: “Hello, I’m {unintelligible}… new teeth, that’s weird.”
According to his book, The Writer’s Tale, Russell T Davies, planned to keep the departure of Christopher Eccleston a secret until the surprise regeneration. However, soon after the broadcast of, The Unquiet Dead, the third episode of the season, the BBC’s press office prematurely announced Eccleston’s departure, which was followed several weeks later by confirmation that Tennant had been signed as the new Doctor, thereby removing both elements of surprise from the episode.
The guns used by Jack and the Game Station people are Heckler and Koch G36Ks.
Although he is soon brought back to life, Jack’s death in this episode makes him the first companion to die since, Kamelion & Planet of Fire.
The Doctor’s farewell recording to Rose -“Have a good life…” – is quoted in the lyrics of “Song for Ten“, featured in the next full episode, The Christmas Invasion.
Jack kisses The Doctor affectionately on the mouth (after kissing Rose) before going off to fight the Daleks. This is the first same-sex kiss featured in The Doctor Who franchise.
This episode marks the last time the lead character is identified as “Doctor Who” in the closing credits until The Next Doctor. Beginning with, The Christmas Invasion, the credit reverts to “The Doctor” as it had been during the last nine years of the original series. This episode is the only occasion in which David Tennant is credited as “Doctor Who” until, The Next Doctor.
This is the first time The Doctor, or any Time Lord for that matter, is seen regenerating standing up, as previous Doctors collapsed before regenerating. This would later be seen again in The Master’s regeneration in Utopia, the Tenth Doctor’s aborted regeneration in, The Stolen Earth, and his actual regeneration into the, The Doctor & The End of Time. Coincidentally, all of these episodes feature, Jack Harkness.
Submerging the Dalek mutant puppet in the Emperor’s water tank destroyed its inner mechanics. As a result, the puppet would not be used again until, The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End. A CGI version of the mutant was later used in, Daleks in Manhattan.
This is the third regeneration episode to credited both actors playing The Doctor, the first two being, Logopolis & The Caves of Androzani, te fourth occasion would be, The End of Time. Unlike the first two, and like the fourth, the incoming actor is the last actor to be credited. The TV Movie, also credited both actors who played The Doctor, but did so in the opening credits and without listing their roles specifically.
Back in 1993, the BBC produced a documentary entitled, Thirty Years in the TARDIS, which ended with several scenes showing how modern-day special effects could be applied to “new” Doctor Who production. One of these scenes shows many Daleks hovering together. Whether by accident or intent, this episode includes several scenes that strongly resemble this “what if” scenario.
There is no “NEXT TIME” trailer at the end of the episode, merely a message that “Doctor Who will return in The Christmas Invasion“.
