The Last Day (TV story): Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox Story
{{ImageLinkTV}}
|name            ={{StoryTitle}}
{{Infobox Story SMW
|image          =  
|image          = Welcome to Arcadia.jpg
|series          = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|series          = 50th Anniversary arc
|season number   = [[Series 7 (Doctor Who)|7]]
|special        = [[2013 specials|50th Anniversary Prequel 2]]
|doctor          =
|story number   =
|companions      =
|main character  = [[Time Lord soldier 2 (The Last Day)|New recruit]], [[Time Lord soldier 1 (The Last Day)|experienced soldier]]
|featuring      =
|enemy          = [[Dalek]]s
|enemy          = The [[Dalek]]s
|setting        = [[Arcadia (city)|Arcadia]], [[Gallifrey]]
|setting        = [[Arcadia (city)|Arcadia]], [[Gallifrey]]
|writer          = [[Steven Moffat]]
|writer          = Steven Moffat
|director        = [[Jamie Stone]]
|director        = [[Jamie Stone]]
|producer        = [[Denise Paul]]
|producer        = [[Denise Paul]]
|broadcast date  = [[20 November (releases)|20 November]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]]
|broadcast date  = 20 November 2013
|network        = [[iTunes]]
|format          = 1x3 minute television story
|format          = 3-minute minisode
|production code =
|production code =  
|prev            = The Night of the Doctor (TV story)
|prev            = The Night of the Doctor
|next            = The Day of the Doctor (TV story)
|next            = <!-- Do not add until it's released -->
|made prev      = The Night of the Doctor (TV story)
|made prev      = <!-- Do not add until it's released -->
|made next      = The Time of the Doctor (TV story)
|made next      = <!-- Do not add until it's released -->
|fullvid        = The Last Day A mini-episode - The Day of the Doctor prequel - Doctor Who - BBC
|fullvid        =The Last Day A mini-episode - The Day of the Doctor prequel - Doctor Who - BBC
}}{{you may|The Last Days (short story){{!}}The Last Days}}
}}{{you may|The Last Days}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a mini-episode released on [[20 November (releases)|20 November]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]] as part of the run-up to [[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|the 50th anniversary special]]. It gave viewers a look into the [[Last Great Time War]] from the perspective of a [[Gallifreyan]] soldier, and showed the beginning volleys of the [[Fall of Arcadia]], one of the final battles that happened right before [[the Doctor]] ended the Time War.
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was a mini episode released on [[20 November (releases)|20 November]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]] as part of the run-up to the 50th anniversary special.


== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
First day on the front line? Time to attach a [[Headcam]] for a soldier's point-of-view. What could possibly go wrong?
A [[Gallifrey]]an soldier undergoes initiation in the use of a [[headcam]], as well as the defence of [[Arcadia (city)|Arcadia]]. During his training, the impossible happens and [[Dalek]]s invade.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
A soldier opens his eyes to see a man standing over him. The man, also a soldier, wears an outfit with the [[Seal of Rassilon]]. The first soldier has been fitted with a headcam. As the other man explains its use in recording his thoughts, the newly-awakened soldier experiences frightening images. His instructor tells him not to worry about these hallucinations, and to disregard rumours that they are premonitions. He then takes him to the rooftop for his post. There, another soldier tells him that they are protected by impenetrable [[Sky trench|sky trenches]]. This makes Arcadia the safest place on Gallifrey. If even one Dalek did get through however, it could destroy the entire city. As the soldier is instructed on monitoring for possible intrusions, he is told to zoom in on a small object some ways away. He finds that it is a Dalek. This is not an illusion. Suddenly, many more Daleks appear behind it. As they fire, his headcam goes blank.
A [[soldier]] opens his eyes to see a man standing over him. The man, also a soldier, wears an outfit with the [[Seal of Rassilon]]. The first soldier has been fitted with a headcam. As the other man explains its use in recording his thoughts, the newly-awakened soldier experiences frightening images. His instructor tells him not to worry about these hallucinations, and to disregard rumours that they are premonitions. He then takes him to the rooftop for his post. There, another soldier tells him that they are protected by impenetrable [[sky trench]]es. This makes Arcadia the safest place on Gallifrey. If even one Dalek did get through however, it could destroy the entire city. As the soldier is instructed on monitoring for possible intrusions, he is told to zoom in on a small object some distance away. He finds that it is a Dalek. This is not an illusion. Suddenly, many more Daleks appear behind it. As they fire, his headcam goes blank. The last sound heard in the background is a chilling death cry of anguish.
 
== Cast ==
* [[Time Lord soldier 1 (The Last Day)|Time Lord soldier 1]] - [[Chris Finch]]
* [[Hedigar|Older Time Lord soldier]] - [[Barry Aird]]
* [[Time Lord soldier 2 (The Last Day)|Time Lord soldier 2]] - [[Alan Gill]]
 
:''Note:'' No cast members were credited on-screen.


== Crew ==
== Crew ==
* [[Writer]] - [[Steven Moffat]]
* [[Writer]] - [[Steven Moffat]]
* [[Director]] - [[Jamie Stone]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Jamie Stone]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Denise Paul]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Denise Paul]]


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Technology ===
=== Technology ===
* Arcadia is protected by [[sky trench]]es, and is therefore considered the safest place on Gallifrey.
* Arcadia is protected by [[sky trench]]es, and is therefore considered the safest place on Gallifrey.
* Soldiers positioned in Arcadia have [[headcam]]s installed into their [[brain]]s, both to show to their families following death and to record the soldier's final moments for official record. The recording is censored, with violence and language deemed unsuitable for the soldiers' children cut out.
* Soldiers positioned in Arcadia have headcams installed into their [[brain]]s, both to show to their families following death and to record the soldier's final moments for official record. The recording is censored, with violence and language deemed unsuitable for the soldiers' children cut out. Anything particularly graphic gets tinted red.
* A side effect of the headcam are [[hallucination]]s, that could be interpreted as [[premonition]]s.
* A side effect of the headcam are [[hallucination]]s, that could be interpreted as [[premonition]]s. The installation can also temporarily impair speech.


== Story notes ==
== Notes ==
''to be added''
* The soldier's red armour and round helmet design resemble the Chancellery Guard's uniforms from {{cs|The Deadly Assassin (TV story)}} and {{cs|The Invasion of Time (TV story)}}.
* The events of this mini-episode are referenced by [[Lord Cardinal|Cardinal]] [[War Ollistra|Ollistra]] in the [[Eighth Doctor]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]] audio drama {{cs|One Life (audio story)}}, despite the [[Fall of Arcadia]], and therefore the events of this story, occurring in the [[War Doctor]] era. In fact, the title ''The Last Day'' also places it towards the end of the Time War.


=== Production errors ===
=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
''to be added''
''to be added''


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
* The [[Tenth Doctor]] later referred to having been at the [[Fall of Arcadia]] during the [[Last Great Time War|Time War]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'')
* The [[Tenth Doctor]] later referred to having been at the [[Fall of Arcadia]] during the [[Last Great Time War|Time War]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'')
* The Fall of Arcadia and [[War Doctor|the Doctor]]'s involvement in it is shown in [[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]''.
* The same Gallifreyan soldier who put the rookie through the ropes is later seen reporting to the War Council that Arcadia has fallen, and is approached by the War Doctor for his gun. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')
* Said soldier above also has a Northern (Mancunian) accent, backing up the [[Ninth Doctor]]'s assertion that "lots of planets have a North" when he defended his own accent as a native one of Gallifrey. Curiously, the War Doctor was in contact with this soldier on the day he regenerated, but no evidence is given if that influenced his successor's accent. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'')
* Unlike Arcadia's sky trenches, the sky trenches guarding the capital of Gallifrey hold up when they are attacked by the converging forces of the Dalek fleet. The [[Tenth Doctor]] also mentions the sky trench around the planet is holding. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'')


== Home video releases ==
[[File:The Day of the Doctor UK DVD Cover.jpg|thumb|The Day of the Doctor DVD Cover]]
* ''The Last Day'' was also included on both the DVD and Blu-ray releases of ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'', including in the [[50th Anniversary Collector's Edition]] set.
{{WC}}{{SPEC|07.2/000b}}
{{Dalek stories}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{ImageLinkTV}}
 
{{WC}}
{{real world stub}}
[[Category:Prequels]]
[[Category:Prequels]]
[[Category:Anniversary stories]]
[[Category:Time Lord television stories]]
[[Category:Television stories set on Gallifrey]]
[[Category:Stories set in the Last Great Time War]]
[[Category:Dalek television stories]]
[[Category:Doctor Who mini-episodes]]
[[Category:2013 television stories]]
[[Category:2013 television stories]]
[[Category:Doctor Who mini-episodes]]
 
[[Category:Dalek stories]]
[[es:The Last Day]]
[[Category:Time Lord stories]]
[[fr:The Last Day]]
[[Category:Stories set on Gallifrey]]
[[Category:Stories set in the Last Great Time War]]

Latest revision as of 17:13, 13 January 2024

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for The Last Days.

The Last Day was a mini-episode released on 20 November 2013 as part of the run-up to the 50th anniversary special. It gave viewers a look into the Last Great Time War from the perspective of a Gallifreyan soldier, and showed the beginning volleys of the Fall of Arcadia, one of the final battles that happened right before the Doctor ended the Time War.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

A Gallifreyan soldier undergoes initiation in the use of a headcam, as well as the defence of Arcadia. During his training, the impossible happens and Daleks invade.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

A soldier opens his eyes to see a man standing over him. The man, also a soldier, wears an outfit with the Seal of Rassilon. The first soldier has been fitted with a headcam. As the other man explains its use in recording his thoughts, the newly-awakened soldier experiences frightening images. His instructor tells him not to worry about these hallucinations, and to disregard rumours that they are premonitions. He then takes him to the rooftop for his post. There, another soldier tells him that they are protected by impenetrable sky trenches. This makes Arcadia the safest place on Gallifrey. If even one Dalek did get through however, it could destroy the entire city. As the soldier is instructed on monitoring for possible intrusions, he is told to zoom in on a small object some distance away. He finds that it is a Dalek. This is not an illusion. Suddenly, many more Daleks appear behind it. As they fire, his headcam goes blank. The last sound heard in the background is a chilling death cry of anguish.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Note: No cast members were credited on-screen.

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Arcadia is protected by sky trenches, and is therefore considered the safest place on Gallifrey.
  • Soldiers positioned in Arcadia have headcams installed into their brains, both to show to their families following death and to record the soldier's final moments for official record. The recording is censored, with violence and language deemed unsuitable for the soldiers' children cut out. Anything particularly graphic gets tinted red.
  • A side effect of the headcam are hallucinations, that could be interpreted as premonitions. The installation can also temporarily impair speech.

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The soldier's red armour and round helmet design resemble the Chancellery Guard's uniforms from The Deadly Assassin [+]Loading...["The Deadly Assassin (TV story)"] and The Invasion of Time [+]Loading...["The Invasion of Time (TV story)"].
  • The events of this mini-episode are referenced by Cardinal Ollistra in the Eighth Doctor 2017 audio drama One Life [+]Loading...["One Life (audio story)"], despite the Fall of Arcadia, and therefore the events of this story, occurring in the War Doctor era. In fact, the title The Last Day also places it towards the end of the Time War.

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Tenth Doctor later referred to having been at the Fall of Arcadia during the Time War. (TV: Doomsday)
  • The Fall of Arcadia and the Doctor's involvement in it is shown in TV: The Day of the Doctor.
  • The same Gallifreyan soldier who put the rookie through the ropes is later seen reporting to the War Council that Arcadia has fallen, and is approached by the War Doctor for his gun. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
  • Said soldier above also has a Northern (Mancunian) accent, backing up the Ninth Doctor's assertion that "lots of planets have a North" when he defended his own accent as a native one of Gallifrey. Curiously, the War Doctor was in contact with this soldier on the day he regenerated, but no evidence is given if that influenced his successor's accent. (TV: Rose)
  • Unlike Arcadia's sky trenches, the sky trenches guarding the capital of Gallifrey hold up when they are attacked by the converging forces of the Dalek fleet. The Tenth Doctor also mentions the sky trench around the planet is holding. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Day of the Doctor DVD Cover