Latest Podcast Episodes

"The Stolen Earth," the penultimate episode of Series 4, was a barnburning spectacular of fanwankian proportions, and the RFS crew did their level best to keep their geeky selves in check before effusively praising (or in the case of Chris, begrudgingly praising) a jam-packed episode full of danger, Davros, Daleks, derring-do, and other things starting with the letter "D". Delightful!

Show summary: Andy Simpkins, Adam J Purcell, Fake Keith and Tony Gallichan talk about the Doctor Who Season 4 episodes Midnight and Turn Left, Fight Club: Han Solo vs. Mal Reynolds, and a variety of other stuff, specifically:

• 00.00 – Intro and theme tune.
• 00.36 — Greetings, yes?
• 01.16 — Where Is Keith?
• 03.29 – News:
• 03.51 — Harold Bishop has left the building.
• 05:48 — A spate of accidental accidents.
• 08.38 – Fight Club: Han Solo vs. Malcolm Reynolds.
• 18.37 – Doctor Who:
• 19.09 — Midnight.
• 38:48 — Turn Left.
• 41:19 — Tin Dog Podcast Promo!
• 67:15 — Conjecture on the final two of Season Four!
• 73.42 – Letters and listener feedback.* Hit us yourself at show@StaggeringStories.net
• 76.40 – Goodbyeeeeeeeee!!
• 76.51 — End theme, disclaimer, copyright, etc.

Vital Links:

• Staggering Stories.
• Staggering Stories: Podcast Drinking Game.
• Wikipedia: Harold Bishop.
• Wikipedia: Han Solo.
• Wikipedia: Mal Reynolds.
• Doctor Who.
• Doctor Who: Midnight.
• Doctor Who: Turn Left.
• Doctor Who: Tin Dog Podcast

'Let's go to Little and Large's sex shop...'. Topics up for discussion include: randy elephants, Andrew Cartmel's stand-up career, Les Dennis, Stonky Stonky, and the Crystal Maze. With added swings and roundabouts.

Join the lads who love to geek on another actionacrion packed romp through the land of geekdom.

When Barry loses his Nujo during this episode with Dave's help he is forced to unleash the power of Nujo extreme!

GO YO NUJO!!!

News
Supernatural heads west!
Doomsday hits Smallville in an ambulance.

Back in time at the Bristol Con
Community Comics (www.communitypublished.co.uk/)

Sceptic Isle (www.moonfacepress.com)

Questions from the Senate
Some listeners pitch some questions to the lads including getting their opinions on the current trend of remakes and sequels.

Week that Was
Short interview with OT who played 'Other Dave' in the fantastic Doctor Who two parter 'Silence in the library' and 'Forest of the Dead'

The Reaping (or stupid people in a horror movie)

The Omen(even more stupid people in an horror movie)

Lone Wolf and Cub(comic)

Dave gave his quick review on Indy 4

Barry gives his review of the new Hulk movie.
Ramayan 3392 A.D. (www.virgincomics.com)

Competition

Find out how to win a copy of Ramayan 3392 A.D in 'Barry's Hamster's Competition' (yes you read that right).

Join the lads who love to geek on another actionacrion packed romp through the land of geekdom.

When Barry loses his Nujo during this episode with Dave's help he is forced to unleash the power of Nujo extreme!

GO YO NUJO!!!

News
Supernatural heads west!
Doomsday hits Smallville in an ambulance.

Back in time at the Bristol Con
Community Comics (www.communitypublished.co.uk/)

Sceptic Isle (www.moonfacepress.com)

Questions from the Senate
Some listeners pitch some questions to the lads including getting their opinions on the current trend of remakes and sequels.

Week that Was
Short interview with OT who played 'Other Dave' in the fantastic Doctor Who two parter 'Silence in the library'  and 'Forest of the Dead'

The Reaping (or stupid people in a horror movie)

The Omen(even more stupid people in an horror movie)

Lone Wolf and Cub(comic)

Dave gave his quick review on Indy 4

Barry gives his review of the new Hulk movie.
Ramayan 3392 A.D. (www.virgincomics.com)

Competition

Find out how  to win a copy of Ramayan 3392 A.D in 'Barry's Hamster's Competition' (yes you read that right).

While visiting a market on the planet of Shan Shen with the Doctor, Donna Noble is offered a free fortune reading. The fortune-teller presses Donna to reveal her past and focuses on a point in her past on modern-day Earth where she was driving to her temporary job at H. C. Clements, despite her mother's desire that she take a permanent job nearby. As a large beetle-like creature climbs onto Donna's back, the teller convinces Donna to change her mind in the past, taking a right at the road junction per her mother's wishes instead of a left. The narrative turns to the alternate history created by Donna's choice, far bleaker than the course of events established in previous episodes. The Doctor dies permanently during the Racnoss' attack on London ("The Runaway Bride"), killed by the water pressure before he could regenerate, because Donna was not there to convince him to leave. Royal Hope Hospital is taken to the moon and returned ("Smith and Jones"), but only one person, Martha's fellow medical student Oliver Morgenstern, survives. Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith are among the dead (the latter apparently having foiled Florence Finnegan's plan). The Titanic crashes into the centre of London, wiping out the city and irradiating most of southern England ("Voyage of the Damned"). In the United States, 60 million people are turned into creatures made of fat ("Partners in Crime"). The Sontarans attempt to turn Earth into a breeding world ("The Poison Sky"), which is stopped by Jack Harkness and his remaining Torchwood team of Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones. However, Gwen and Ianto are killed and Jack is transported to Sontar. Throughout all these events, Rose Tyler keeps appearing before Donna. Aware of the events to come, she steers Donna away from mortal danger but refuses to give her name. After the latest tragedy, Rose urges Donna to come with her, even though she will die. Donna initially refuses, but three weeks later, as she and her grandfather talk about recent events, the stars begin disappearing throughout the sky. Donna tells Rose that she is ready. Rose escorts Donna to a UNIT base where the dying TARDIS is being used to help power a makeshift time machine. Rose uses the system to show Donna the beetle that crawled onto her back during the fortune-telling. It is in temporal flux and cannot be removed, but Rose explains that Donna herself is also a point of flux. In order to set things right, they prepare to send her back in time to stop herself from going right. Donna agrees to go, but when she asks if she will get to live this time, Rose remains silent. Donna is sent back in time, but ends up half a mile away and with only four minutes to spare. Finding herself short of the mark on the road leading from the right of the critical intersection, Donna remembers what Rose said about her death and throws herself in front of a removal van. Traffic backs up to the intersection and the past Donna turns left, unwilling to wait for it to clear. As the future Donna lies on the ground, Rose leans over and whispers two words to pass on to the Doctor. Back on Shan Shen, the beetle falls off of Donna's back and the fortune teller flees, frightened by this unexpected development. The Doctor finds Donna and the beetle. He explains that it normally affects only the person it attaches to (the universe merely "compensates"), but in Donna's case created a parallel world. The Doctor is curious about the other alternate realities that seem to form around Donna ("Forest of the Dead"). He ponders the coincidences surrounding Donna and himself, as if something is binding them together. When Donna insists that she is nothing special, the Doctor tells her that she is brilliant, which triggers her fading memories of Rose. She tells him about Rose's warning that "the darkness is coming" and that it is affecting all worlds. At his insistence, Donna tells him the words Rose said; "Bad Wolf". Horrified, the Doctor runs outside to find that the words "Bad Wolf" are everywhere, even on the TARDIS. Inside the Cloister Bell is ringing and the TARDIS interior is glowing red. When Donna asks about the meaning of "Bad Wolf", the Doctor replies, "It's the end of the universe." This episode revisits the events of most of the present-day stories since Donna first met the Doctor, including "The Runaway Bride", "Smith and Jones", "Voyage of the Damned", "Partners in Crime", and "The Sontaran Stratagem" / "The Poison Sky". The Doctor's absence during these events leads to the deaths of Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones. Jack Harkness, who cannot be killed, is transported to Sontar. Torchwood characters Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones are referred to by name for the first time in Doctor Who, while a short segment of music from the soundtrack of Torchwood plays in the background. Sarah Jane Smith is mentioned for the first time since "The Girl in the Fireplace", along with the first mentions of The Sarah Jane Adventures characters Luke Smith, Clyde Langer, and Maria Jackson. The recurring "Bad Wolf" motif, primarily from series 1, returns at the conclusion of this episode to warn the Doctor of the events that are causing Rose to return. The TARDIS's Cloister Bell, last used in "Time Crash", can also be heard at the end of the episode. Sylvia Noble mentions that the bees are disappearing, which has been mentioned by Donna in "Partners in Crime", "Planet of the Ood", and "The Unicorn and the Wasp". Donna's father Geoff, who appeared in "The Runaway Bride", is mentioned for the first time since "The Fires of Pompeii". It is implied that he was ill during the timescale of "Smith and Jones", and had died by the time of "Voyage of the Damned". His character was intended to be used during series 4, but was retired after actor Howard Attfield died before his scenes were finished. He was replaced by Bernard Cribbins, whose previous role as an anonymous newspaper seller was merged with that of Donna's grandfather. The "Time Beetle"[2] on Donna's back is described by the Doctor as part of "the Trickster's brigade". The Trickster was a time-altering villain in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?. The beetle on her back was also referenced by Lucius Dextrus in "The Fires of Pompeii" with the line, "Daughter of London, there is something on your back!". Sarah Jane Smith is said to write for the fictional Metropolitan magazine as previously mentioned in Planet of the Spiders. Rose mentions the "causal nexus", which was discussed by the Doctor and the Master in "Logopolis." Production The episode, filmed at the same time as "Midnight", saw the Doctor with very little screen-time, while "Midnight" saw Donna with little screen-time.[3] Tennant shot all his scenes, at the episode's beginning and end, in one day, while a double stood in for the shot of the dead Doctor's arm.[2] The appearance of the Giant Spider of Metebelis 3 that clung to Sarah Jane Smith's back in Planet of the Spiders influenced the design and concept of the "Time Beetle" that clings to Donna's back in this episode.[2] [edit] Cast notes Billie Piper makes her first substantial appearance on the show since "Doomsday". Interviewed for Doctor Who Confidential, Piper said her return had been planned at the time of her original departure but that around three weeks before filming she decided to rewatch some of her old episodes to refamiliarise herself with the role and ease her doubts that she could play Rose again.[2] Clive Standen reprises the role of Private Harris (credited in this episode as "UNIT Soldier") from "The Sontaran Strategem" / "The Poison Sky". Here he is shown to have been in attendance during the Webstar crisis. Ben Righton reprises the role of Oliver Morgenstern from "Smith and Jones", in this episode the only survivor when the hospital is returned to Earth, Martha Jones having given him the last oxygen pack. Lachele Carl returns as American newsreader Trinity Wells, who previously appeared in the Doctor Who episodes "Aliens of London"/"World War Three", "The Christmas Invasion", "The Sound of Drums" and "The Poison Sky", in addition to The Sarah Jane Adventures story Revenge of the Slitheen. Chipo Chung, who plays the fortune-teller, previously appeared as Chantho in the episode "Utopia". Reception Based on BARB overnight returns, "Turn Left" was watched by 7 million viewers, giving it a 35% share of the total television audience.[4] The episode received an Appreciation Index score of 88 (considered "Excellent").[5] Keith Watson for the Metro newspaper called it a "daring" episode and praised Catherine Tate's performance, which was "perfectly suited to a complex story... Doctor Who could get away with being a lot less clever. But they actually care about what they do."[6] However, Sam Wollaston of The Guardian felt Tate was overshadowed by the return of Billie Piper. "Catherine Tate really puts everything into this episode (too much, maybe). But as soon as Rose shows, Donna's a goner."[7] 201 - "Turn Left" Doctor Who episode In the makeshift TARDIS-powered UNIT time machine, Rose shows Donna what is on her back Cast Doctor David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) Companion Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Also starring Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) Guest stars Bernard Cribbins - Wilfred MottJacqueline King - Sylvia NobleJoseph Long - Rocco ColasantoNoma Dumzwemi - Capt. MagamboChipo Chung - Fortune TellerMarcia Lecky - Mooky KahariSuzann McLean - Veena BradyNatalie Walter - Alice ColtraneNeil Clench - Man in PubClive Standen - UNIT SoldierBhasker Patel - Jival ChowdryCatherine York - Female ReporterBen Righton - MorgensternLoraine Velez - Spanish MaidJason Mohammad - Studio News ReaderSanchia McCormack - Housing OfficerLawrence Stevenson - Soldier #1Terri-Ann Brumby - Woman in DoorwayLachele Carl - Trinity WellsPaul Richard Biggin - Soldier #2[1] Production Writer Russell T. Davies Director Graeme Harper Script editor Brian Minchin Producer Susie Liggat Executive producer(s) Russell T. Davies Julie Gardner Phil Collinson Production code 4.11 Series Series 4 Length 50 mins Originally broadcast 21 June 2008 Chronology - Preceded by Followed by - "Midnight" "The Stolen Earth"

Join the Racks for Episode 16 - packed full of the usual news, reviews, peeves, Rack music plus all of the usual geeky ramblings :D

This is one of the more action-packed episodes with tales of Iz's furious disagreement with her stairs and Stace's awesome experience seeing not one, but two, of her favourite bands live (much to the concussed Racks dismay).

Our main topic this week is Ask the Racks - Part 3, where the ladies answer a bunch of questions from forumites (and half of Stacey's family) including: Which superhero film is the best and worst?, which superhero film would you make and who would you cast in the lead?, and have either of you ever 'converted' a mate to comics who previously wasn't interested? and if so, what hooked 'em?

Join the Racks for Episode 16 - packed full of the usual news, reviews, peeves, Rack music plus all of the usual geeky ramblings :D

This is one of the more action-packed episodes with tales of Iz's furious disagreement with her stairs and Stace's awesome experience seeing not one, but two, of her favourite bands live (much to the concussed Racks dismay).

Our main topic this week is Ask the Racks - Part 3, where the ladies answer a bunch of questions from forumites (and half of Stacey's family) including: Which superhero film is the best and worst?, which superhero film would you make and who would you cast in the lead?, and have either of you ever 'converted' a mate to comics who previously wasn't interested? and if so, what hooked 'em?

Chris absconded to Las Vegas this week for liquor, gambling, and other licentious pursuits, so it was left to the other two pillars of RFS to hold the fort, which they barely managed. The subject at hand? "Turn Left,' which served as not only this season's "Doctor Lite" episode but also as a fantastic return to the series for Billie Piper, not to mention a sterling performance by Catherine Tate. The usual digressions and drivel-making were of course present, but without our tall co-host's derisive sneers and seething hate, it wasn't quite the same.

Chris absconded to Las Vegas  this week for liquor, gambling, and other licentious pursuits, so it was left to the other two pillars of RFS to hold the fort, which they barely managed. The subject at hand? "Turn Left,' which served as not only this season's "Doctor Lite" episode but also as a fantastic return to the series for Billie Piper, not to mention a sterling performance by Catherine Tate. The usual digressions and drivel-making were of course present, but without our tall co-host's derisive sneers and seething hate, it wasn't quite the same.

Chris absconded to Las Vegas  this week for liquor, gambling, and other licentious pursuits, so it was left to the other two pillars of RFS to hold the fort, which they barely managed. The subject at hand? "Turn Left,' which served as not only this season's "Doctor Lite" episode but also as a fantastic return to the series for Billie Piper, not to mention a sterling performance by Catherine Tate. The usual digressions and drivel-making were of course present, but without our tall co-host's derisive sneers and seething hate, it wasn't quite the same.

'F--k all repeated 17 times...'. Topics up for discussion include: Sontaran balaclavas, Monty Python, Paradise Towers, hot welding action, and the Monoid invasion of Gallifrey.

"Midnight" is the tenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 14 June 2008. Synopsis The Doctor and Donna take a holiday on the crystalline planet Midnight, which orbits close enough to its sun that the Xtonic radiation exposure would vaporise any living thing walking unprotected on its surface. Donna opts to relax at a spa while the Doctor takes a four-hour shuttle bus ride to the Sapphire Waterfall. Other passengers include the Cane family -- Val (Coulson), Biff (Ryan), and their teenage son Jethro (Morgan) -- Professor Hobbes (Troughton) and his assistant Dee Dee Blasco (Antoine), and businesswoman Sky Silvestry (Sharp). The staff are the driver Joe (Bluto), trainee mechanic Claude (Henry), and a steward who is only referred to as 'the Hostess' (Ayola). The trip initially goes smoothly despite the shuttle being rerouted to a new course, but suddenly the shuttle stops. The Doctor checks with the shuttle's driver and mechanic, confirming that there's nothing wrong with the vehicle. He convinces them to open the shutter to look outside, and the mechanic believes he sees a shadow moving towards the bus. The crew calls for a rescue vehicle while the Doctor returns to the main cabin. A few moments later, something begins knocking on the shuttle's hull, copying the passengers when they knock back. The knocking moves around the shuttle, making its way towards Sky Silvestry, apparently the most frightened of the lot, and dents the door she is standing by. The lights then temporarily fail and the shuttle is violently rocked. When the lights are restored, the seats near Sky have been ripped off the floor and she is cowering in the corner. An attempt to speak to the cabin crew reveals that their cabin has also been ripped away, exposing Joe and Claude to the deadly sunlight. Sky initially remains motionless, but is coaxed into turning around by the Doctor. Attempts to get her to speak only cause her to repeat what she is told, making it clear that Sky is no longer in control. The delay between Sky's repetitions becomes shorter, until eventually she begins speaking in exact unison with the passengers. Cabin fever sets in, and the passengers contemplate throwing her outside. The Doctor's attempts to calm the situation fail when the passengers become suspicious of him, especially when he is unwilling to reveal his name. This is only amplified when Sky focuses solely on repeating the Doctor's words. As the Doctor tries to reason with Sky, she begins speaking his words first, and the Doctor quickly becomes the one doing the repeating. Most of the passengers reason that whatever was in Sky has now passed into the Doctor, while the hostess and Dee Dee reason that this is just the next step: stealing the voice of another. The other passengers refuse to listen and begin to drag the Doctor towards the nearest door after being goaded by Sky. However, the hostess realises that Sky is not talking in her own voice when she uses two phrases the Doctor had used earlier. Before the other passengers can throw the Doctor out, she sacrifices herself by dragging Sky out of another door. The Doctor slowly recovers, and as the passengers wait for the rescue shuttle, he realises that no one knew the hostess' name. At the spa, a mournful Doctor reunites with Donna. Continuity Rose Tyler appears on one of the shuttle's television screens shortly after the lifeform attacks the transport, echoing a similar appearance in "The Poison Sky". In both instances, she silently shouts for the Doctor, who is not there to see the image in the first instance and is looking the opposite way in this episode. Rose is also mentioned by the Doctor by name along with Martha and Donna. This is the first story since Genesis of the Daleks where the TARDIS does not appear. This is the second full story featuring the Doctor without a companion in the main narrative, the first being The Deadly Assassin (Mission to the Unknown in 1965 featured neither the Doctor nor his companions). It is also the only time where the adversary is neither seen nor given a name.[2] When the Doctor is asked for his real name, he lies and replies with the name "John Smith", a common alias of his, which is not believed. The mystery behind the Doctor's name and the use of a simple alias is a recurring theme in the series' revival. Two of the Tenth Doctor's common phrases are used to identify his voice: "allons-y" and "molto bene", first used in "Army of Ghosts" and "The Runaway Bride" respectively.[2] Production This episode is the fiftieth episode filmed for the revived series, and was filmed at the same time as "Turn Left". Donna has a minor role in the episode (appearing in only the pre-credits sequence and the final scene), while the Doctor has a minor role in "Turn Left".[1][3][4] Cast notes David Troughton, cast here as Professor Hobbes, was a late replacement for Sam Kelly, who broke his leg and had to withdraw from the production. Troughton joined the rest of the cast in Cardiff with just two days notice. An actor now known for his stage work with the RSC as well as television, he is the son of Patrick Troughton, who portrayed the Second Doctor. He had a long association with the early series in the 1960s and early 1970s, appearing as an uncredited extra in the first, fifth, and sixth episodes of the Second Doctor serial The Enemy of the World as Private Moor in the sixth episode of the Second Doctor serial The War Games[, and as King Peladon in all four episodes of the Third Doctor serial The Curse of Peladon. [8][9] More recently he has appeared as the Tinghus in the Doctor Who audio adventure Cuddlesome. Reception Based on BARB overnight returns, "Midnight" was watched by 7.3 million viewers, giving it a 38% share of the total television audience. [] against ITV's live coverage of a UEFA Euro 2008 international football match. The episode received an Appreciation Index score of 86 (considered "Excellent"). The Guardian's TV reviewer Sam Wollaston described the episode as "great... it's tense and claustrophobic, and gnaws away at you." He praised the fact that all the action happened in one confined space with an unseen enemy, saying "this is psychological drama rather than full-blown horror; creepy-unknown scary, not special-effect-monster scary." The Times's reviewer Andrew Billen was more critical, writing that Tennant's Doctor was becoming "increasingly irritating". He called the episode "sheet upon sheet of dialogue" that "felt too much of a writing exercise to be really scary" and a case-in-point of how the 2008 series "fails as often as it succeeds". Billen did, however, praise the episode for its claustrophobic atmosphere and for showing the series was "not afraid of variety [and]... dead scared of repetition". 200 - "Midnight" Doctor Who episode Sky Silvestry synchronises with the Doctor Cast Doctor David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) Companion Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Guest stars Billie Piper - Rose TylerLesley Sharp - Sky SilvestryRakie Ayola - HostessDavid Troughton - Professor HobbesAyesha Antoine - Dee Dee BlascoLindsey Coulson - Val CaneDaniel Ryan - Biff CaneColin Morgan - Jethro CaneTony Bluto - Driver JoeDuane Henry - Mechanic Claude Production Writer Russell T. Davies Director Alice Troughton Script editor Helen Raynor Producer Phil Collinson Executive producer(s) Russell T. Davies Julie Gardner Production code 4.10 Series Series 4 Length 45 mins Originally broadcast 14 June 2008 Chronology - Preceded by Followed by - "Forest of the Dead" "Turn Left"

In der heutigen Episode des deutschen Doctor Who Podcastes gibt es neben der Besprechung der aktuellen Folge "Midnight", News rund ums Whoniversum, inklusive eines kleinen Ausblickes auf das Treffen des deutschen Doctor Who Fanclubs in Koln.

In der heutigen Episode des deutschen Doctor Who Podcastes gibt es neben der Besprechung der aktuellen Folge "Midnight", News rund ums Whoniversum, inklusive eines kleinen Ausblickes auf das Treffen des deutschen Doctor Who Fanclubs in Koln.

Apologies to all our listeners as Barry and Dave were seriously under the influence of Whisky while recording this episode. So you have been warned !

Remember drinking loads of whisky isn't big or clever but it does taste nice!

Back in time to the Bristol Comic Con
Short interview with Richard emms about Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon issue 0 (Comic)
Little Thoughts (Comic)

Week that was
Barry ween Boy genius (Comic)
Doctor Who Midnight - The boys have quite a serious chat about this episode including some dark revelations from their past.(TV)
Planet Terror - A hot girl with a machine gun for a leg, zombies and so much more. What more can you ask for? (Film)
The Mummy 3 (Trailer)
Lone Wolf and Cub (Comic)

Main

The guys take their yearly look at the upcoming season of geek tv and
give a thumsb up or down or even middle to what's coming to our tv screens over the next year.

Enjoy!

Apologies to all our listeners as Barry and Dave were seriously under the influence of Whisky while recording this episode. So you have been warned !

Remember drinking loads of whisky isn't big or clever but it does taste nice!

Back in time to the Bristol Comic Con
Short interview with Richard emms about Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon issue 0 (Comic)
Little Thoughts (Comic)

Week that was
Barry ween Boy genius (Comic)
Doctor Who Midnight - The boys have quite a serious chat about this episode including some dark revelations from their past.(TV)
Planet Terror - A hot girl with a machine gun for a leg, zombies and so much more. What more can you ask for? (Film)
The Mummy 3 (Trailer)
Lone Wolf and Cub (Comic)

Main

The guys take their yearly look at the upcoming season of geek tv and
give a thumsb up or down or even middle to what's coming to our tv screens over the next year.

Enjoy!

"Silence in the Library" is the eighth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who, first broadcast on 31 May 2008.[1] It is the first of a two-part story by Steven Moffat, followed by "Forest of the Dead //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> Plot Synopsis The Doctor and Donna arrive in the 51st century at a planet-sized book repository simply called "The Library", summoned by an anonymous request for help on the Doctor's psychic paper. However, they find it completely devoid of humanoid life, and the Library's computers even claim as such, though when the Doctor widens the search for non-humanoid life, the Library's computers claim over "a million million lifeforms" exist. A Node, an information drone which presents a donated human face to the user to facilitate communication, warns them to count the shadows, which appear despite the lack of objects to cast them. As they try to search for answers, they meet a team of explorers, led by archaeologist Professor River Song, who have come to ascertain the meaning of the Library's final communication, which states "4022 saved, no survivors". River Song seems to know the Doctor, has a diary with a cover matching the Doctor's TARDIS, and even possesses a sonic screwdriver. She also later displays knowledge of the TARDIS' "emergency program one". She only admits that she will know the Doctor in his relative future, refusing to disclose more for fear of "spoilers". Professor Song also recognises Donna's name, but avoids explaining why Donna was not present when she knew the Doctor. The Doctor organizes the team to make sure the area is well lit as he explains that they are surrounded by Vashta Nerada, microscopic carnivorous creatures that disguise themselves as shadows to hunt and latch onto their prey. He notes that they are usually nowhere near as aggressive or numerous as the ones here seem to be. Before he can fully explain, however, one of the explorers wanders off and is stripped to the bone in moments. The Doctor and Donna learn that the exploration team wears communication devices which link to their nervous systems for thought-based communication. As a side-effect, these devices tend to pick up an imprint of the user at the moment of death, creating a short-lived "Data Ghost" of that person's consciousness. Curiously, the Library's operations seem to be tied to the imagination of a young girl; she sees the Doctor and Donna through the eyes of a security camera when they first break into central room, the exploration team appears on her television when the Doctor attempts to hack the Library computers, and books fly from the shelves when she fiddles with the television's remote control. The girl is under the observation of Dr Moon, a child psychologist, at the request of her dad, but Dr Moon insists to the girl that what she imagines in her nightmares is in fact real, while the "real" world is a lie. He also states that there are people in her library who need to be saved. The team's investigation is interrupted when a shadow of Vashta Nerada latches onto the pilot, Dave. Although the Doctor attempts to save him by sealing him inside his suit, the creatures manage to get inside, eat him alive, and then animate his suit in order to chase the other explorers. The Doctor attempts to teleport Donna back to the TARDIS while he leads the rest of the team to safety, but something goes wrong with the teleport and Donna fails to materialize properly. As the team races away from the possessed suit, the Doctor is horrified to find a Node with Donna's face on it, which claims that Donna has left the Library and has been "saved". The show ends in a cliffhanger as the Doctor is forced to leave the Node behind, but is trapped by the approaching suit on one side and the Vashta Nerada shadows on the other. Continuity As shown on the BBC Doctor Who website, there are a number of books in the library either written by former Doctor Who writers or featured in previous episodes. Among those seen are the operating manual for the TARDIS, Origins of the Universe (Destiny of the Daleks), The French Revolution (An Unearthly Child), the Journal of Impossible Things ("Human Nature"/"The Family of Blood"), The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (written by Douglas Adams, former Doctor Who writer and script editor), Everest in Easy Stages (The Creature from the Pit) and Black Orchid (a book first seen in the Fifth Doctor serial of the same name). The Doctor mentions that "emergency program one" will send Donna home should she be left alone in the TARDIS for five hours. In "The Parting of the Ways", this program was activated by the Ninth Doctor to send Rose Tyler home. According to Steven Moffat, the squareness gun used by Professor River Song to help the party escape from the impending Vashta Nerada is intended to be the same sonic blaster that was used by Jack Harkness in the episode "The Doctor Dances". Moffat suggests that it was left in the TARDIS after "The Parting of the Ways", and taken by River Song in the Doctor's future. The name "squareness gun" was coined by Rose in the earlier episode. The psychic paper has previously summoned the Doctor to a location in "New Earth", where the Face of Boe called the Doctor to his supposed deathbed. The Doctor also mentions that he loves "a little shop", a sentiment previously expressed in the episodes "New Earth" and "Smith and Jones". Broadcast and reception "Silence in the Library" was scheduled against the final of ITV's talent contest Britain's Got Talent and suffered in the ratings as a result. Overnight viewing figures suggested that the episode was watched by 5.4 million viewers, although this increased to 6.27 million when adjusted for time shifting. Britain's Got Talent was viewed by 11.52 million in comparison. This was the first time since the series' revival in 2005 that Doctor Who did not have the largest audience share in its timeslot. However, the episode did receive an Appreciation Index score of 89 (considered "Excellent")[, the joint highest figure the new series has received alongside "The Parting of the Ways", "Doomsday" and the following episode "Forest of the Dead". BBC Three's repeat of the episode was watched by 1.35 million viewers, almost double the figures for the equivalent repeat of the previous episode, "The Unicorn and the Wasp". Production Certain scenes were filmed at the Old Swansea Central Library and the Brangwyn Hall in Swansea, Wales. "Forest of the Dead" is the ninth episode of the fourth series of 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, following "Silence in the Library". //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> Plot Synopsis Immediately following the events of the previous episode, "Silence in the Library", the Doctor and the exploration team manage to escape the Vashta Nerada and take refuge in a well-lit room. As they work out a plan, the Doctor is concerned about how he can trust River Song, so she whispers a single word in his ear which convinces him: his real name. Donna Noble finds herself at a care home named "CAL", apparently two years later, with Dr Moon treating her. He introduces her to another man, Lee, and is later seen visiting the married Donna and her family. However, Donna keeps noticing that something is wrong; she seems to skip from one place to another at a whim, only to be reminded of the journey by Dr Moon, who does this frequently by ending his sentences with "...and then you remembered/forgot"). Meanwhile, the little girl watches both the Doctor and Donna by switching channels on her television. In the library, the Doctor discovers that the moon is sending out electromagnetic signals that are interfering with his sonic screwdriver. Strackman Lux explains that the moon is a virus scanner for the planet-side computer core. The Doctor briefly interrupts this signal, and suddenly appears in Dr Moon's place next to Donna; Dr Moon is quite literally the "doctor moon". The Doctor then understands that the message "4022 saved" did not mean they were rescued, but that their teleport patterns were saved to the library's hard drive. They are found once more by the Vashta Nerada suit and forced to flee, but the Doctor stays behind to reason with it. Through the communicator on the suit, the Vashta Nerada explain that the library is their "forest"; the paper of the countless books in the library was made from trees filled with Vashta Nerada spores, from which they hatched after being shipped to the library. They manage to kill Other Dave and resume the chase. River still laments the non-appearance of the Doctor she knew, recalling him making whole armies run away and opening the TARDIS with a snap of his fingers. Anita notices she has two shadows, and the Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to tint her visor to attempt to trick the Vashta Nerada into thinking they are already in there. In the computer core, the truth of the situation is revealed to Donna by none other than Miss Evangelista. She reveals that her Data Ghost was captured by the library's wireless internet, but was corrupted and caused her face to become severely disfigured while increasing her intelligence, leaving her "brilliant but unloved" and able to see the false reality for what it really is. She points out that all the children are merely identical copies, and gets Donna to remember the library. However, the young girl, watching from her television, does not want Donna to know and uses her television remote control to injure one of Donna's children as a diversion. Donna leaves Miss Evangelista behind, but her acceptance of the simulated reality is nevertheless shaken, and her invented children disappear when confronted with the fact that they do not exist. The little girl, increasingly frustrated by events, "switches off" her father and throws the remote control to the floor, activating the computer's self-destruct mechanism. Dr Moon attempts to protect the girl as he is programmed to do, but he is also switched off. Professor River Song gives her life in place of the Doctor. To stop the self-destruct, the Doctor, River Song, and Lux make their way to the computer core. Here, Lux reveals the meaning of CAL: it is an acronym for the name Charlotte Abigail Lux, his grandfather's daughter, who was wired into the computer as a child because she was dying. In this manner, Charlotte could live forever with the sum total of human knowledge to pass the time. However, storing the patterns of 4022 unique people has filled her computer core, and is preventing normal operations. The only way to set things right is to reintegrate them in the library. As CAL cannot do this alone, the Doctor prepares to wire his own mind into the system as extra memory, though it will surely kill him. As he works, he uses his screwdriver to un-tint Anita's visor to reveal a skeleton inside - she had been dead for some time now. He insists that in exchange for getting to keep their forest, he will get to save the people in the computer core. They initially refuse, but when the Doctor tells them to search for his name in the library's archives, they immediately reconsider and give him a day to clear the planet. River, unwilling to let the Doctor die, which would rewrite history and erase their time together, knocks him out and takes his place, rescuing those trapped in the computer at the cost of her life instead of his. As the rescued humans are teleported home, Donna meets up with the Doctor. Having been unable to find her husband from the virtual world, the pair walks to the TARDIS, unaware that he is in the next group being teleported out. As the Doctor mournfully leaves River's diary and her sonic screwdriver in the library, he realises the reason why his future self gave her the sonic screwdriver in the first place: it holds a communication device with a Data Ghost. He uses it to bring River back to life inside the computer. After returning to the TARDIS, he decides to test what River Song said about his future: he opens and closes the TARDIS doors by snapping his fingers, then continues his adventures. Meanwhile, River Song appears in the virtual world, where she is greeted by Charlotte and Dr Moon. Anita, the two Daves and Miss Evangelista (her face restored) also appear, their Data Ghosts having been saved by Charlotte and brought into the computer for eternity. Josh and Ella, the homogeneous children from CAL's world, are seen to live with Charlotte and River. Continuity Multiple items from previous episodes are reused here. The wedding dress Catherine Tate wears in this episode is the same dress she wore in "The Runaway Bride". According to Steven Moffat, the squareness gun used by Professor River Song to help the party escape from the impending Vashta Nerada at the beginning of the episode is intended to be the same sonic blaster that was used by Jack Harkness in the episode "The Doctor Dances". Moffat suggests that it was left in the TARDIS after "The Parting of the Ways", and taken by River Song in the Doctor's future. The name "squareness gun" was coined by Rose Tyler in the earlier episode. The Bad Wolf motif (seen throughout series one and in other places) is alluded to once more: a picture of blonde girl and a wolf is visible in Charlotte's house. There are some similarities between River Song and Bernice Summerfield, a character created by Paul Cornell as a companion of the Seventh and late Eighth Doctors in Virgin New Adventures series of novels in the 1990s.[4] Both characters are archaeologists from the future who came to be the Doctor's most trusted companion. Professor River Song uses the Doctor's name (not heard by the viewer) in order to gain his trust. The secret behind the Doctor's true name was also explored in "The Girl in the Fireplace" (also by Steven Moffat), "The Shakespeare Code" and "The Fires of Pompeii", and later referred to in "Midnight".  Production "Forest of the Dead" was initially announced under the title "River's Run", before its name was changed relatively late in production.[ Several scenes from this episode and "Silence in the Library" were filmed at Swansea's Brangwyn Hall. These include the library reception area where the TARDIS arrives, and the staircase where the Doctor and Donna look out over the empty library. The climactic scenes of the episode (in the library core) were filmed in an electrical substation of a disused Alcoa factory in Waunarlwydd, Swansea. Josh and Ella, Donna's two children in the computer-generated world, were named after Steven Moffat's son and his son's friend.[8] Reception Based on overnight returns, it is estimated that Forest of the Dead was watched by 7.1 million viewers, giving it a 40.0% audience share; the highest in Series Four and the highest in its timeslot.[9] The episode received an Appreciation Index score of 89 (considered "Excellent"), the joint highest score the programme has achieved alongside "The Parting of the Ways", "Doomsday" and the preceding episode "Silence in the Library". 199a - "Silence in the Library" Doctor Who episode The Doctor, Donna and the explorers find the skeleton of one of their companions. Cast Doctor David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) Companion Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Guest stars Alex Kingston - Professor River SongColin Salmon - Dr MoonEve Newton - The GirlMark Dexter - DadSarah Niles - Node 1Joshua Dallas - Node 2Steve Pemberton - Strackman LuxTalulah Riley - Miss EvangelistaJessika Williams - AnitaO-T Fagbenle - Other DaveHarry Peacock - Proper Dave Production Writer Steven Moffat Director Euros Lyn Script editor Helen Raynor Producer Phil Collinson Executive producer(s) Russell T. Davies Julie Gardner Production code 4.8 Series Series 4 Length 45 mins Originally broadcast 31 May 2008 Chronology - Preceded by Followed by - "The Unicorn and the Wasp" "Forest of the Dead" 199b - "Forest of the Dead" Doctor Who episode Donna discovers that Miss Evangelista was corrupted when she was uploaded to the data core. Cast Doctor David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) Companion Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Guest stars Alex Kingston - Professor River SongColin Salmon - Dr MoonHarry Peacock - Proper DaveSteve Pemberton - Strackman LuxJessika Williams - AnitaO-T Fagbenle - Other DaveEve Newton - The GirlMark Dexter - DadJason Pitt - LeeEloise Rakic-Platt - EllaAlex Midwood - JoshuaTalulah Riley - Miss EvangelistaJonathan Reuben - Man Production Writer Steven Moffat Director Euros Lyn Script editor Helen Raynor Producer Phil Collinson Executive producer(s) Russell T. Davies Julie Gardner Production code 4.9 Series Series 4 Length 45 mins Originally broadcast 7 June 2008 Chronology - Preceded by Followed by - "Silence in the Library" "Midnight"

For once, the Three Who Rule were in total agreement that "Midnight," the psychological thriller/Donna-lite episode of this season's Doctor Who, was a fine bit of viewing. That left us with little else to do besides mock Who overseer Phil Collinson and engage in many a ridiculous digression, as per usual. Next week, Rose, dead Doctors, and atomic weaponry. Allons-y!

Show summary: Andy Simpkins, Adam J Purcell, Fake Keith and Tony Gallichan talk about the Doctor Who Season 4 episodes Silence In The Library and Forest of the Dead, Steven Moffat taking over Doctor Who, Fight Club: Gene Hunt vs. Jack Regan, and a variety of other stuff, specifically:

• 00.00 – Intro and theme tune.
• 00.52 — Greetings, yes?
• 01.20 – News:
• 01.20 — Tony’s Conventional Insult.
• 02.44 — Where Is Keith?
• 03.56 — Fake Keith’s Fake News.
• 04.34 – Fight Club: Gene Hunt vs. Jack Regan!
• 13.23 – Doctor Who:
• 13.23 — Silence In The Library and Forest of the Dead.
• 51.56 — Steven Moffat taking over from Russell T Davies.
• 59.21 – Letters and listener feedback.* Hit us yourself at show@StaggeringStories.net
• 60.03 – Viva El Presidente.
• 62.16 – The Taste Test: Stewie’s Domination Serum
• 65.29 – Goodbyeeeeeeeee!!
• 65.45 — End theme, disclaimer, copyright, etc.

Vital Links:

• Staggering Stories.
• Staggering Stories: Podcast Drinking Game.
• Fury at Forty.
• Wikipedia: Gene Hunt.
• Wikipedia: The Sweeney.
• Doctor Who.
• Doctor Who: Silence in the Library.
• Doctor Who: Forest of the Dead.
• Stewie’s Domination Serum.

'Derek - you're a dead man!'. Topics up for discussion include: David Essex, Temporal Oust, Gallifreyan Bingo, supply teachers, faulty DVDs, spoilers for The Five Doctors, and little chairs.

Moffat Zweiteiler "Silence in the Library" und "Forest of the dead". Als bisheriges Hightlight der Staffel kommen beide Folge auch relativ gut weg. Ausserdem werden die ersten Geruchte fur die kommende Specials breitgetreten.

Moffat Zweiteiler "Silence in the Library" und "Forest of the dead". Als bisheriges Hightlight der Staffel kommen beide Folge auch relativ gut weg. Ausserdem werden die ersten Geruchte fur die kommende Specials breitgetreten.

Join Nebraska Nuge and Montana Holland on another adventure of a lifetime. In this second part of their special Indiana Jones podcast the pair finally take and in-depth look at 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' from a hardcore, old school Indy fan perspective. Enjoy!

Join Nebraska Nuge and Montana Holland on another adventure of a lifetime. In this second part of their special Indiana Jones podcast the pair finally take and in-depth look at 'Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull' from a hardcore, old school Indy fan perspective. Enjoy!

DVD round up for the summer of 2008!

Welcome to another action packed, geek filled romp through the world of Geekdom with Barry and Dave.

News

Survivors remake (no not the band for did eye of the tiger) from Rocky 3) by Primeval creator

Warren Ellis' Ocean swims to the big screen

Week that was

Doctor who - Forest of the Dead episode review.

Dan Dare issue 1 - 5 from Virgin Comics.

Astonishing Xmen (the end of the Wheedon run)

Secret Invasion

Trinity 1

Final Crisis 1 (with added Dave rant!)

Lego Indiana Jones (ah yeah!)

Kick ass issue 3

Titanium Rain

Notes from Nuge

No Notes this week I'm afraid

Main

Dave reports back after his trip to the London MCM Expo.

Enjoy!!!

Welcome to another action packed, geek filled romp through the world of Geekdom with Barry and Dave.

News

Survivors remake (no not the band for did eye of the tiger) from Rocky 3) by Primeval creator

Warren Ellis' Ocean swims to the big screen

Week that was

Doctor who - Forest of the Dead episode review. 

Dan Dare issue 1 - 5 from Virgin Comics.

Astonishing Xmen (the end of the Wheedon run)

Secret Invasion

Trinity 1

Final Crisis 1 (with added Dave rant!)

Lego Indiana Jones (ah yeah!)

Kick ass issue 3

Titanium Rain

Notes from Nuge

No Notes this week I'm afraid

Main

Dave reports back after his trip to the London MCM Expo.

Enjoy!!!

Dieser Podcast beantwortet wieder einige der ungestellten Fragen des Whoniversums. Wie z.B.: Was hat Doctor Who mit Sodomie zu tun? Welche Fahigkeiten braucht ein Companion? Und naturlich die grosse Frage nach dem WARUM. Ausserdem geht es weiter mit den Agenden, die die Welt nicht braucht. Und all das wahrend eines kurzen Reviews von "The Unicorn and the Wasp".

Dieser Podcast beantwortet wieder einige der ungestellten Fragen des Whoniversums. Wie z.B.: Was hat Doctor Who mit Sodomie zu tun? Welche Fahigkeiten braucht ein Companion? Und naturlich die grosse Frage nach dem WARUM. Ausserdem geht es weiter mit den Agenden, die die Welt nicht braucht. Und all das wahrend eines kurzen Reviews von "The Unicorn and the Wasp".

Firstly, the Ladies of Rackington would like to apologise to you, the wonderful listening public, for the untimely release of this episode. Technical difficulties and unprovoked front door attacks prevented this episode from being released on time, but trust us, it's worth the wait!

After several months of being completely rubbish, the girls finally get their act together and present to you their second and rather awesome Rackette, the lovely Marcus Q. Join them in the main feature as they discuss Marcus' comic likes and dislikes, how dyslexia can affect a comic reader and what comic creators and editors could be doing to improve the reading quality of their works.

During the show, Stacey gets excited several times, on topics such as The Futureheads (oh, will she ever shut up about them? I think not), Jamie Smart and awesome looking Transformers covers. As well as all the excitement there are rants a-plenty as Iz slates her Tail of the Racks, and Marcus addresses a friend who borrowed (read: nicked) some books once...

Unfortunately, Mr Q departed before the Rack Music and Peeve segments, but never fear! Iz and Stace produce the goods, as they can never let a good rant lie.

Will Stace disguise herself as Velma to stalk The Futureheads? Will Marcus ever get his books back? Will Iz accept that being "the tits" is, in fact, a good thing? Listen on and find out!

Enjoy!

Firstly, the Ladies of Rackington would like to apologise to you, the wonderful listening public, for the untimely release of this episode. Technical difficulties and unprovoked front door attacks prevented this episode from being released on time, but trust us, it's worth the wait!

After several months of being completely rubbish, the girls finally get their act together and present to you their second and rather awesome Rackette, the lovely Marcus Q. Join them in the main feature as they discuss Marcus' comic likes and dislikes, how dyslexia can affect a comic reader and what comic creators and editors could be doing to improve the reading quality of their works.

During the show, Stacey gets excited several times, on topics such as The Futureheads (oh, will she ever shut up about them? I think not), Jamie Smart and awesome looking Transformers covers. As well as all the excitement there are rants a-plenty as Iz slates her Tail of the Racks, and Marcus addresses a friend who borrowed (read: nicked) some books once...

Unfortunately, Mr Q departed before the Rack Music and Peeve segments, but never fear! Iz and Stace produce the goods, as they can never let a good rant lie.

Will Stace disguise herself as Velma to stalk The Futureheads? Will Marcus ever get his books back? Will Iz accept that being "the tits" is, in fact, a good thing? Listen on and find out!

Enjoy!

Dissent in the ranks this week, as the Third Guy forsakes a life of marital bliss with Who scribe Steven Moffat and rips "Forest of the Dead" a new one. Steven and Warren, on the other hand, were charmed and entertained by the concluding episode of the two-parter that began with last week's "Silence in the Library," and thus did vigorous debate and pointless digression occur for about an hour and change.

Dissent in the ranks this week, as the Third Guy forsakes a life of marital bliss with Who scribe Steven Moffat and rips “Forest of the Dead” a new one. Steven and Warren, on the other hand, were charmed and entertained by the concluding episode of the two-parter that began with last week’s “Silence in the Library,” and thus did vigorous debate and pointless digression occur for about an hour and change.

Dissent in the ranks this week, as the Third Guy forsakes a life of marital bliss with Who scribe Steven Moffat and rips “Forest of the Dead” a new one. Steven and Warren, on the other hand, were charmed and entertained by the concluding episode of the two-parter that began with last week’s “Silence in the Library,” and thus did vigorous debate and pointless digression occur for about an hour and change.

'There should have been a quicker way...'. Topics up for discussion include: Sink or Swim operators, Geriatric Mutant Ninja Turtles and Silurian Facebook. With special uninvited guest, Andrew Cartmel...

Rand presents his review of Doctor Who episode 4.04, Sontaran Strategem.

That's right people after a week off the GS boys are back in town and ready to bring you the brightest and best from the world of Geekdom!

News

Barry has a massive rant about the Skynet systerm.

Highlander remake (apparently being the only one is not enough these days).

Flash Gordon to be remade(hopefully not a movie version of the tv series).

Week that was

Doctor who - Silence in the Library episode review.

Dock Walloper from Virgin Comics.

Shadow Hunter from Virgin Comics.

Star Trek: Of Gods and men (internet fan film with an awesome cast!).

Notes from Nuge

Superman the movie

Main

No main this week far too much arguing an doctor whoing to get through this week!

That's right people after a week off the GS boys are back in town and ready to bring you the brightest and best from the world of Geekdom!

News

Barry has a massive rant about the Skynet systerm.

Highlander remake (apparently being the only one is not enough these days).

Flash Gordon to be remade(hopefully not a movie version of the tv series).

Week that was

Doctor who - Silence in the Library episode review. 

Dock Walloper from Virgin Comics.

Shadow Hunter from Virgin Comics.

Star Trek: Of Gods and men (internet fan film with an awesome cast!).

Notes from Nuge

Superman the movie

Main

No main this week far too much arguing an doctor whoing to get through this week!

"The Unicorn and the Wasp" is the seventh episode in the fourth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was aired by BBC One on 17 May 2008 at 7:00pm.[2][3] Perhaps due to its later broadcast, it received an overnight audience rating of 7.7 million, making it the most successful episode this series since "The Fires of Pompeii".[4] The episode is a pseudohistorical story set in 1926, in a manor owned by a character named Lady Eddison in which crime fiction novelist Agatha Christie is visiting, and is a comedic episode with a murder storyline.[5] //<![CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> Plot Synopsis The episode sees the Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) arrive at a dinner party hosted by Lady Eddison (Felicity Kendal) and her husband, Colonel Hugh (Christopher Benjamin). One of the guests is none other than Agatha Christie (Fenella Woolgar). Looking at a newspaper, the Doctor finds that it is the day of Agatha Christie's famous unexplained disappearance (December 8, 1926). Just as this revelation is made, another guest, Professor Peach (Ian Barritt), is found by Eddison's friend and companion Miss Chandrakala (Leena Dhingra) in the library, murdered with a lead pipe; Donna alludes to the similarity to the boardgame Cluedo. The Doctor finds morphic residue on the floor while examining the scene, meaning that one of the guests isn't human. Aided by Agatha, the Doctor interviews the guests while Donna goes looking for clues. She investigates a locked room, which the butler explains Lady Eddison had sequestered herself in while recovering from a bout of malaria contracted in India forty years earlier and they had left locked after her recovery. Donna is attacked by a giant wasp after tracing a buzzing sound to a window. She scares it off with a magnifying glass. It escapes and apparently retakes human form before they can catch up, killing Miss Chandrakala along the way. Her last words are "The poor little child." At this point it becomes clear that the murder is being played out like one of Agatha's novels. While the three mull over the evidence they've gathered thus far, the Doctor is poisoned with cyanide; however, it is not as fatal for him as it is for humans, and an odd combination of ingredients with a shock (in the form of a kiss) from Donna allows him to detoxify himself. In return, the Doctor "poisons" the guests' dinner with pepper; naturally this is not harmful to humans, but it acts as an insecticide to wasps. A buzzing sound can be heard moments later, to which Lady Eddison exclaims, "It can't be!" The lights are blown out by a sudden wind and they again fail to ascertain the identity of the alien. Roger Curbishley (Adam Rayner), Lady Eddison's son, is murdered in the confusion, and Lady Eddison's necklace, 'The Firestone,' is stolen. In the sitting room, the Doctor and Agatha reveal several secrets about the guests and hosts. Robina Redmond (Felicity Jones) is a thief called 'The Unicorn' who coveted the Firestone and stole it in the confusion. Colonel Hugh is not actually wheelchair bound as he appears to be; he faked the condition to make sure Lady Eddison did not leave him. The truth of Lady Eddison's bout of malaria is also revealed; she was actually made pregnant by an alien known as a Vespiform, who gave her the Firestone necklace. The necklace is psychically linked to her son, whom she had given up for adoption and never saw again. Her son is actually the Reverend Golightly (Tom Goodman-Hill), who had come to associate Agatha Christie's novels with the way the world must work because Lady Eddison had been reading one when his alien biology was awakened in a moment of anger, and had killed those who were working against him in the manner of one of her novels. Golightly, now enraged once more at being discovered, transforms into his wasp form. Agatha snatches the Firestone, and Golightly pursues her since she is now linked to it. The Doctor and Donna follow after her. Agatha leads the creature to the lake, where Donna throws the necklace into the water. Golightly follows it in and thus drowns. Still linked to the necklace, Agatha nearly dies as well, but Golightly chooses to release her as his last act. The trauma causes amnesia, and the Doctor deposits her at the Harrogate Hotel ten days later, explaining her disappearance. In the TARDIS, the Doctor produces one of Agatha's novels, Death in the Clouds, and points to the copyright page in the front. The publication date is listed as the year five billion; Agatha Christie is quite literally the most popular novelist of all time. The cover features a giant wasp, suggesting that the amnesia was not total (although the wasp in the novel is in fact of the normal variety). Continuity When the Doctor meets Agatha Christie for the first time, he mentions that he was just talking about her the other day, saying "I bet she's brilliant". This comes from the end of "Last of the Time Lords", when he was suggesting places where he and Martha could go after the Master's defeat. Several previous episodes are referenced by both the Doctor and Donna. The Doctor produces items from a chest of items beginning with C, including a Cyberman chest-plate from "The Age of Steel" and the crystal ball in which the Carrionites are trapped from "The Shakespeare Code". Donna mentions that meeting Agatha Christie during a murder mystery would be as preposterous as meeting "Charles Dickens surrounded by ghosts at Christmas", unknowingly referencing the events of "The Unquiet Dead". When Donna attempts to use 1920s lingo, the Doctor tells her to stop, just as he did with Rose Tyler (in "Tooth and Claw") and Martha Jones (in "The Shakespeare Code" and The Infinite Quest) when they tried to mimic local speech; the first slang phrase Donna uses ("Topping day, what!") is also used by the Third Doctor when interacting with 1920s characters in the 1973 serial Carnival of Monsters. When poisoned, the Doctor runs into the kitchen and asks for ginger beer. The Fourth Doctor was seen drinking ginger pop throughout The Android Invasion and the dislike of it by companion Sarah Jane Smith becomes a major plot point. Donna refers to her own failed marriage in "The Runaway Bride", comparing it to Christie's husband's infidelity. She notes that her husband was colluding not with another woman but with a giant spider. She also mentions the disappearing bees, following on from previous mentions in "Partners in Crime" and "Planet of the Ood". The Doctor has a flashback scene when unravelling motives with Agatha Christie. In it he's carving through Belgium with a bow and quiver of arrows on his back. His voiceover explains he looking for Charlemagne who was "kidnapped by an insane computer." Christie interrupts before he can paint a full picture; however the events are fully explored on Doctor Who's BBC website in the short story "The Lonely Computer."[1] The first episode of this series was called "Partners in Crime" - the title of one of Agatha Christie's books. Outside references There are numerous references to either Agatha Christie's novels or to Christie herself. In a similar manner to the running gag between the Doctor and William Shakespeare in "The Shakespeare Code", both Donna and the Doctor refer to novels which Agatha has yet to write, ideas which she naturally finds to be intriguing -- particularly Murder On The Orient Express, which Donna mentions. Other novels referenced are Why Didn't They Ask Evans, The Murder at the Vicarage, Cards on the Table, Appointment with Death, N or M?, The Body in the Library, The Moving Finger, Sparkling Cyanide, Crooked House, They Do It With Mirrors, Cat Among the Pigeons, Endless Night, The Secret Adversary, Nemesis, Taken at the Flood, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, And Then There Were None, Death Comes as the End, Dead Man's Folly and Death in the Clouds. When the body of Professor Peach is found, the Doctor remarks that the time of death was quarter past four. This is a reference to Agatha Christie's novel, "The Clocks" where there are clocks frozen at 4:13. Donna also mentions Miss Marple (whom Christie had not yet created), and the novelist remarks that she would make for an interesting character. The episode also claims that Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time (literally), which is true today as her novels have sold an estimated four billion copies. (The works of Shakespeare and the Bible have sold more copies overall, but are not novels.)[6] The Doctor also makes a slight faux pas when he addresses Christie as "Dame Agatha", a title which she had yet to receive at the time the episode is set in. The script also makes multiple references to the murder mystery board game Cluedo. The first murder took place in the library, one of the rooms on the Cluedo board, with a lead pipe, one of the suspected weapons in the game. The victim's name is Professor Peach, a reference to Cluedo's Professor Plum. The episode also features a colonel (Colonel Mustard), a woman wearing blue (Mrs Peacock), a reverend (Reverend Green) and a woman in red (Miss Scarlett). Production The episode is written by Gareth Roberts, who previously wrote the pseudohistorical episode "The Shakespeare Code". Roberts was given a fourth series episode to write after executive producer Russell T Davies reviewed Roberts' script for "The Shakespeare Code". Several months later, he received an email from the production team which said "Agatha Christie".[7] Roberts, a self-confessed fan of Christie's works, made the episode into a comedy, the first Doctor Who story to do so since Donald Cotton's serials The Myth Makers and The Gunfighters, in 1965 and 1966, respectively.[5] Roberts based the episode on his favourite Christie works: Crooked House, which focuses on secrets within an aristocratic society, and the 1982 film adaptation of Evil Under the Sun. Speaking of both works, Roberts noted that it was "quite strange writing a modern Doctor Who with posh people in it. We don't really see posh people on television anymore, except at Christmas", and "there's something funny about the veneer of upper class respectability and the truth of any family underneath". He also stated that "there's really nothing nicer than watching a lot of English actors hamming it up in a vaguely exotic location... and then somebody's murdered!" The episode's title was deliberately chosen to sound "vaguely Christie-ish", but Roberts admitted that "[Christie] never used 'the blank and the blank' construction".[7] In writing the episode, Roberts aimed to make the episode a "big, fun, all-star murder mystery romp". He was influenced by advice given by Davies, who wanted Roberts to "go funnier" with every draft, and former Doctor Who script editor Douglas Adams' advice that "a danger one runs is that the moment you have anything in the script that's clearly meant to be funny in some way, everybody thinks 'oh well we can do silly voices and silly walks and so on', and I think that's exactly the wrong way to do it". Using this advice, he used the adage that in comedy, the characters do not realise the humour, and cited Basil Fawlty's mishaps in Fawlty Towers as an example.[7] In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Roberts stated that "to a certain extent [there was less pressure]" in writing the episode. He was pleased with the success of "The Shakespeare Code" and the The Sarah Jane Adventures story "Whatever Happened to Sarah Jane?", but likened himself to Corporal Bell, a member of the administrative staff at the fictional Doctor Who organisation UNIT, in saying that he did not wish to be "in the middle of things" or writing episodes "where big, pivotal things have happened to [the Doctor]".[7] Cast notes Actor Christopher Benjamin, who plays Colonel Hugh, previously starred in two serials of the original Doctor Who series, playing Sir Keith Gold in Inferno (1970) and Henry Gordon Jago in The Talons of Weng-Chiang (1977). David Tennant's father Alexander McDonald played a footman in one of the early scenes, after being asked to act when visiting David on set.[8] He had no lines. The casting of Fenella Woolgar as Agatha Christie was made at the suggestion of David Tennant, who had previously worked with her on Bright Young Things.[8] Music Although the opening notes of the gramophone record playing at the garden party have an apparent similarity to the Doctor Who theme, it is in fact the opening of Twentieth Century Blues, originally from Noel Coward's 1931 play Cavalcade. The recording used here, edited together with other "period music," is a 1931 recording of Ray Noble and the New Mayfair Orchestra, featuring vocalist Al Bowlly. Locations The Harrogate Hotel where the Doctor leaves Agatha is fictitious. In actuality, the hotel where she was found was the Swan Hydro (now the Old Swan Hotel), a somewhat less imposing building than the one depicted in the episode. Doctor Who episode Having followed her to the lake, the titular "Wasp" is controlled by Agatha Christie (Fenella Woolgar) using the Firestone - the object sought after by the titular "Unicorn" - as the Doctor runs forward with Donna to plead with it to spare Christie's life. Cast Doctor David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) Companion Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) Guest stars Fenella Woolgar - Agatha ChristieFelicity Kendal - Lady Clemency EddisonFelicity Jones - Robina RedmondChristopher Benjamin - Colonel HughTom Goodman-Hill - Reverend GolightlyIan Barritt - Professor PeachDavid Quilter - GreevesAdam Rayner - Roger CurbishleyDaniel King - DavenportCharlotte Eaton - Mrs HartLeena Dhingra - Miss ChandrakalaAlexander McDonald - Footman (uncredited)[1] Production Writer Gareth Roberts Director Graeme Harper Script editor Lindsey Alford Producer Susie Liggat Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Phil Collinson Production code 4.7 Series Series 4 Length 45 mins Originally broadcast 17 May 2008 Chronology - Preceded by Followed by - "The Doctor's Daughter" "Silence in the Library"

Rand presents his review of the Doctor Who episode "The Unicorn and the Wasp" (4.07).

Silence in the Library marks not only the return of Doctor Who to TV screens after a week's absence but also easily the best episode of the season thus far. The Three who Rule waxed lyrical on the many excellent aspects of this Moffat-penned tome, speculated madly on the mysteries and plot twists sure to be answered next week, and of course digressed and went on mind-melting tangents as per usual.