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{{Infobox NewTV
{{title dab away}}
|story name= Midnight |
{{real world}}
|image= [[Image:midnight promo.jpg|250px]]
{{ImageLinkTV}}
|series= [[Doctor Who]] - [[List of television stories|TV Stories]]|
{{Infobox Story SMW
|number= [[Series 4 (Doctor Who)|Series 4]]
|image = TenStolenVoiceMidnight.jpg
|story number= 196
|series = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|doctor= [[Tenth Doctor]] |
|season number = Series 4 (Doctor Who 2005)
|companions= [[Donna Noble]] (cameo) |
|series episode number = 10
|enemy= <ul><li>[[Midnight Entity]]</li></ul>|
|story number = 196
|year= [[Midnight]]|
|scripturl  = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/doctor-who-4-episode-10-midnight-pink-revisions-27112007.pdf<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130922085854/http://www.thewriterstale.com/pdfs/Doctor%20Who%204%20Ep.10%20-%20Shooting%20Script%20-%20Midnight%20-%2027.11.07.pdf ''Midnight'' PDF shooting script (archived)]</ref>
|writer= [[Russell T Davies]] |
|doctor = Tenth Doctor
|director= [[Alice Troughton]] |
|featuring = Donna Noble
|producer= [[Phil Collinson]]
|featuring2 = Rose Tyler
|broadcast date=[[14th June]] [[2008]]
|enemy = [[Human]]s
|setting=[[Midnight]]| 23rd century
|setting = [[Midnight (planet)|Midnight]], [[27th century]]<ref>[[The Time Traveller's Almanac (reference book)|The Time Traveller's Almanac]]</ref>
|format=1 x 45 minute episode|
|writer = Russell T Davies
|production code= 200|
|director = [[Alice Troughton]]
|previous story= [[Forest of the Dead]] |
|producer = [[Phil Collinson]]
|next story= [[Turn Left]] |
|confidential = Look Who's Talking (CON episode)
}}
|broadcast date = 14 June 2008
{{Quote|Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a [[diamond]] [[planet]] called [[Midnight]]... What could possibly go wrong?|[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]]}}
|network = BBC One
|format = 1x45 minute episode
|production code = 4.8
|prev = Forest of the Dead (TV story)
|next = Turn Left (TV story)
|made prev = The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)
|made next = Turn Left (TV story)
|clip = "Why Are You Repeating?" Midnight Doctor Who
|clip2 = The Tenth Doctor Possessed? Midnight Doctor Who
|thwr=60}}
'''''Midnight''''' was the tenth episode of [[Series 4 (Doctor Who 2005)|series 4]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''.
 
It was the first "companion-lite" televised ''Doctor Who'' story. As such, it explored a rarely touched on topic where, without his companion, the Doctor struggles to gain the trust of strangers; his commanding presence uniquely backfires, with the crew turning against him rather than siding with him. It also featured the third abrupt cameo of [[Billie Piper]] as [[Rose Tyler]] in the series before her role in the seasonal arc fully unfolded.
 
In production terms, it was the first episode of ''Doctor Who'' to be filmed primarily in narrative order since the practice was abandoned around the time [[Jon Pertwee]] began portraying the [[Third Doctor]]. It was the only story in which the antagonist was never even partially glimpsed, leaving the threat to be realised by the actors and the [[sound editor]]s. It was also the second episode of 2008 to guest star the child of an actor who had played the Doctor: [[David Troughton]] as Professor Hobbes, [[Patrick Troughton|his father]] having played the [[Second Doctor]].
 
The sound team of [[Tim Ricketts]], [[Paul McFadden]], [[Paul Jefferies]] and [[Julian Howarth]] shared a [[Royal Television Society Award]] and a [[Wales|Welsh]] [[BAFTA]] for their work on this episode.
 
== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] is trapped, alone, powerless and terrified, on the planet [[Midnight]]. Soon, the knocking on the wall begins. Only a woman called Sky seems to know the truth – but as paranoia turns into a witch-hunt, Sky turns the Doctor's greatest strengths against him, and a sacrifice must be made...
The [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[Donna Noble]] go to the [[leisure planet]] of [[Midnight (planet)|Midnight]] for a simple, relaxing holiday. However, life with the Doctor can never be that simple, and things go horribly wrong for the Doctor when he decides to go off on a bus trip to see the [[Sapphire Waterfall]], starting with the bus shutting down. When [[Midnight entity|a mysterious entity]] infiltrates the shuttle bus, no one is to be trusted. Not even the Doctor himself...


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] and [[Donna Noble|Donna]] spend some leisure time on the crystalline planet [[Midnight]], which orbits close enough to its sun that the [[Xtonic radiation]] exposure would vaporise any living thing to walk unprotected on its surface. Donna opts to relax at a spa while the Doctor takes a four-hour [[Crusader 50|shuttle bus]] ride to the [[Sapphire Waterfall]]. Other passengers include the Cane family ([[Val Cane|Val]], [[Biff Cane|Biff]], and their teenage son [[Jethro Cane|Jethro]]); [[Winfold Hobbes|Professor Hobbes]], who is investigating the waterfall; his assistant [[Dee Dee Blasco]]; and recently-divorced businesswoman [[Sky Silvestry]].
The [[Tenth Doctor]] and [[Donna Noble|Donna]] spend some leisure time on the crystalline planet [[Midnight (planet)|Midnight]], whose crust is composed of diamonds. Though stunning and visually unique, the planet is also dangerous. The sun it orbits emits phenomenally lethal [[X-tonic radiation]] and there is no atmosphere; exposure to the surface for even a split second would result in the unfortunate person being instantly vaporised. Donna receives a call from the Doctor, who is eager for her to go on a trip to see the [[Sapphire Waterfall]] with him. The idea of spending eight hours on a bus (four hours there and four hours back) does not appeal to Donna at all as she insists that she'd prefer relaxing at the spa and sunbathing. However, the Doctor warns her to be careful because of the X-tonic radiation. Paying him no mind, since the glass she's under is fifteen feet thick, Donna agrees to try out the [[anti-gravity restaurant]] (with bibs) once he gets back. Despite her warning him to be careful, the Doctor jinxes himself: "Taking a bus full of strangers across a [[diamond]] planet called 'Midnight', what could possibly go wrong?"
 
He boards a [[Crusader 50|shuttle bus]] ride to the Sapphire Waterfall. Other passengers include the Cane family ([[Val Cane|Val]], [[Biff Cane|Biff]], and their bored teenage son [[Jethro Cane|Jethro]]); [[Winfold Hobbes|Professor Hobbes]], who is investigating the waterfall; his assistant [[Dee Dee Blasco]]; and recently-divorced businesswoman [[Sky Silvestry]]. Before they take off, the driver informs them they are taking a different route to the Waterfall Palace because of a diamond fall on the regular path. For the long journey to their destination, the [[Hostess (Midnight)|hostess]] activates the prerendered entertainment for passengers, consisting of several annoying [[television]] programs. Most of the passengers find the entertainment to be rather irritating, rather than pleasing. The Doctor discreetly disables them with his [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]]; most of them are thankful for the small mercy that they've been granted. This forces the passengers to talk and get to know each other better.
 
The Doctor has an amusing conversation with Biff and Val. Next, the Doctor talks with Dee Dee about the lost [[moon]] of [[Poosh]] over [[coffee]] in the back; Dee Dee wrote about it and was selected by Hobbes as his assistant. However, Dee Dee admits Hobbes uses her as an errand girl, rather than a proper assistant. Smiling, the Doctor asks whether or not the lost moon was found. Laughing, Dee Dee tells him no; the Doctor suggests that finding the moon might be her great discovery some day. They toast glasses. Later, during the passengers' meal time, the Doctor talks with Sky about travelling, remarking that he "had [[Rose Tyler|a friend]] who [[Doomsday (TV story)|went]] to [[Pete's World|a different universe]]" after Sky tells him of her ex-wife who moved to a different galaxy to get "her own space".


There is a long wait until they reach their destination, and the entertainment provided for passengers consists of several annoying television programs, so the Doctor discretely disables them with his [[sonic screwdriver]], forcing all of the passengers to interact and get get to know each other better.  Prof. Hobbes has been studying the planet and considers himself an expert on it, so he presents a slide-show he has with him about Midnight.  Hobbes explains that while he considers himself more of an expert on Midnight and Xtonic radiation than anyone else, that's really because no one has ever researched Midnight before, and he emphasizes that essentially nothing is known about the planet. Xtonic radiation would vaporize any known form of life in seconds, so Midnight has been totally undisturbed for millions of years:  there are entire landscapes which living eyes have never seen since the universe began. Hobbes notes that even the leisure palace was pre-fabricated and dropped in from orbit. Jethro points out, to the disapproval of his parents, that no one can really know anything about the planet, or whether or not life resided there, but even with his parents' scolding, Hobbes agrees that that is his entire point: no one has ever really set foot on Midnight, and no one has any real idea what is on or underneath the surface.
Later, Professor Hobbes, who has been studying Midnight, presents a slide-show about it; he considers himself an expert. He informs them that, because the X-tonic radiation would vaporise any known form of life in seconds, the planet has been totally undisturbed for millennia; even the Leisure Palace was prefabricated and dropped in from orbit. Jethro points out, to the disapproval of his parents, no one can really know anything about the planet, or whether or not life resides there. Hobbes agrees with him; no one has ever really set foot on Midnight, and no one has any real idea what is on or underneath the surface. Anything could be out there.


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--driver Joe, mechanic Claude, and a hostess--calls for a rescue vehicle while the Doctor returns to the main cabin.
Suddenly the shuttle stops and everyone guesses that they must have arrived at their destination. However, Professor Hobbes tells them that he's been on the trip twelve times; they never stop and it's too early for them to have arrived. Curious, the Doctor uses his [[psychic paper]] to pose as someone from the Leisure Palace insurance company. He talks to driver Joe and mechanic Claude, learning that there is nothing wrong with Crusader 50's systems; however, they are stopped. He convinces them to open the shutter to look outside; the landscape is beautiful. Mountains and cliffs and ridges, composed entirely of diamonds and sparkling in the white-blue X-tonic sun. Joe informs the Doctor that the path they're on is new and never been traversed; they're the first ever to roam this part of Midnight. Suddenly, the mechanic points out at the landscape, having apparently seen movement. He dismisses it, but the Doctor seizes on it eagerly. Before Claude can elaborate, the X-tonic starts to overwhelm the cockpit's finitoglass windscreen and Joe closes the shutter. Right before it closes, Claude sees the movement again; a shadow running towards the bus.


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 crew reveals that their cabin has also been ripped away, vaporising driver [[Joe (Midnight)|Joe]] and mechanic [[Claude]].
Joe tells the Doctor that a rescue vehicle is on the way, and to keep quiet about things. The Doctor returns to the cabin, where the Hostess pushes past him to talk to the duo. Mrs Silvestry asks him what's going on, prompting everyone to talk over themselves to ask him questions. This leads them to start wondering about the amount of [[oxygen]] they have. However, the Doctor calls for silence and prompts Dee Dee, an expert on vehicles as her father is a mechanic, to explain; the air is recycled, so they can breathe for years inside the bus without any worry.
[[Image:Sacrifice.JPG|thumb|right|250px|The Hostess dragging Sky out the cabin door]]


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 is repeating everyone instantly. 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 proves unwilling to reveal his name. This is only amplified when Sky focuses solely on repeating the Doctor's words.
A few moments later, something begins knocking on the hull. Again, everyone panics, but the Doctor temporarily pacifies them as he listens to the knocks with his [[stethoscope]]. The knocking moves around the bus towards both doors, even testing one to see if it can open it. Biff knocks thrice on the [[door]] to prove the ship is sturdy; the knocks repeat his pattern. Everyone freaks out as the Doctor knocks four times on the hull to confirm if there is something outside. The knocking moves around the shuttle, making its way towards Sky, who has become hysterical, remembering a past threat her partner made to her during the divorce. The knocking stops as a dent appears in the door Sky is next to. The lights fail and the shuttle is violently rocked.


As the Doctor tries to reason with Sky, he suddenly starts repeating her. Most of the passengers reason that the Doctor must be possessed, 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, all the while being goaded on 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, the Doctor mournfully reunites with Donna. When Donna attempts to copy one of the Doctors phrases, he tells her not to do that.
When the lights are restored, there is a working screen behind the Doctor, who turns away when he sees a singer on it, but it quickly turns to a muted video of [[Rose Tyler|Rose]], who is shouting, "Doctor!" No one notices. The hostess distributes [[torch]]es and everyone looks around to see if any are injured. Jethro notices the seats near Sky have been ripped off the floor and she is cowering in the corner. The hostess fails to contact the crew in the cabin, realises the main generator is down and opens the door to the driver cabin. Only X-tonic light can be seen, forcing her to quickly close the door. The Doctor opens up a systems panel with his sonic screwdriver to examine it for any faults, but behind the face plate are several cut wires; the driver's cabin has been ripped away, vaporising driver Joe and mechanic Claude.


== Cast ==
Jethro calls everyone's attention back to the cowering Sky, who hasn't moved a muscle; the Doctor kneels next to her and tries conversing with her. Sky initially remains motionless but is coaxed into turning around by the Doctor. Attempts to get her to speak cause her to start repeating what everyone else says. Deciding to test how well Sky can copy them, the Doctor says the [[square root]] of [[pi]], becoming amazed she repeats every number without fail even when they were talking over each other. The Doctor speculates about what is happening and what will happen to Sky, believing the entity that was knocking on the hull has taken over her consciousness. The backup generator comes on and the Professor tries to have everyone calm down and be rational. However, Jethro and the Doctor notice that Sky is speaking simultaneously with Hobbes, and everyone else for that matter. The Doctor decides to test Sky by saying random terms, nonsense words and reciting the alphabet and abruptly stopping, with Sky perfectly copying him in perfect sync.
*[[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[David Tennant]]  
*[[Donna Noble]] - [[Catherine Tate]] (Brief)
*[[Rose Tyler]] - [[Billie Piper]] (Cameo)
*[[Hostess]] - [[Rakie Ayola]]
*[[Sky Silvestry]] - [[Lesley Sharp]]
*[[Val Cane]] - [[Lindsey Coulson]]
*[[Biff Cane]] - [[Daniel Ryan]]
*[[Jethro Cane]] - [[Colin Morgan]]
*[[Winfold Hobbes|Professor Hobbes]] - [[David Troughton]]
*[[Dee Dee Blasco]] - [[Ayesha Antoine]]
*[[Claude|Mechanic Claude]] - [[Duane Henry]]
*[[Joe (Midnight)|Driver Joe]] - [[Tony Bluto]]


==Production crew==
The passengers contemplate throwing Sky outside, horrifying the Doctor, who thinks that the entity might be trying to learn from them. He tries to calm everyone down, however, his attempt to take charge backfires as the passengers become suspicious of him, especially when he proves unwilling to reveal his real name or origin and admits to feeling a thrill from the situation. The passengers contemplate throwing him out too if he gets in the way of them trying to save themselves. However, as the Doctor protests that they will need him to survive if the entity turns out to be malevolent, Sky stops repeating everyone and focuses solely on the Doctor. To try reasoning with the consciousness in Sky, the Doctor attempts to offer it help with finding a voice of its own without stealing his. However, when the Doctor asks the entity if it can agree with him, he has spoken after Sky.
''to be added''


== References ==
[[File:Ten_utter_terror.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor, terrified, as the entity forces him to order his own murder.]]
*When The Doctor is talking to Sky, she tells the Doctor about her ex wanting more space. The Doctor mentions having a friend that went to a different universe. This reference's [[Rose Tyler]]'s "exile" to [[Pete's World]] ([[DW]]: ''[[Doomsday]]'') - foreshadowing her return in the next episode. It could also be considered a subtle reference to [[Romana II|Romana]] staying behind in [[E-Space]] ([[DW]]: ''[[Warriors' Gate]]''). 
The Doctor is now repeating Sky's words, motionless and clearly strained as if fighting something. Most reason that it's the Doctor that is possessed now, as Sky can move again. However, the hostess and Dee Dee think this is just the next step: stealing the voice of another as the Doctor had predicted. The other passengers refuse to listen, with Hobbes furiously telling Dee Dee that he considers her to be "average at best", and decide to throw the Doctor out the nearest door, all the while being goaded on by Sky, who is strangely happy despite the madness going on. The Doctor shows minimal signs of resistance to being pulled towards a door by Biff and a reluctant Hobbes as Sky describes how the entity is insidious and gets inside the humans' heads.
*During Sky's constant copying of the Doctor, he mentions such things as [[Rose Tyler]], [[Donna Noble]], [[Martha Jones]], [[TARDIS]], [[Banana]]s and the [[Medusa Cascade]]. This is the second reference to Rose in the episode, as she also appears briefly on a monitor, and the Medusa Cascade would soon play a major role ([[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]'')
*Reportedly, Davies (knowing that the next 3 episodes would heavily feature Rose) intentionally wrote in passing references to Rose as a type of dramatic irony as, in previous allusions to Rose, The Doctor becomes sad and mournful, showing how (in a sense) he is beginning to get over the pain of her departure before he encounters her again.
*The Lost Moon of [[Poosh]] is mentioned.  Its later found by the Doctor and Donna who discover that the Daleks have stolen it as part of their Reality Bomb weapon.  It is later returned to its rightful place by Donna.
*When Donna impersonates the Doctor's Italian accent at the end, the Doctor says, "Don't do that," similarly to how he addressed [[Martha Jones]] and [[Rose Tyler]]'s earlier attempts at accents; however on this occasion it is with serious intent and more directly referencing the fact that he is uncomfortable with her repeating the words. Since this episode, The Doctor has not said this phrase on screen, suggesting he relates the phrase too strongly to the tragic events of this episode, though he has frequently said "allons-y" which was also used by Sky to give herself away.
*A Betty Boop cartoon and Italian soubrette Raffaella Carrà are briefly shown on a screen during the voyage as part of the [[animation archives]].
*[[Jethro Cane]] causes the Midnight Entity to repeat the number 666, the number of [[the Beast]].


== Story notes ==
[[File:Sacrifice.JPG|thumb|The hostess sacrifices herself to save the Doctor.]]
*This is the first episode in Series 4 in which The Doctor was present when Rose Tyler appeared on screen, although he did not see her.
However, the hostess realises that Sky is not talking in her own voice; she uses two phrases the Doctor had used earlier (''Molto bene'' and ''[[Allons-y]]''). The entity in Sky has stolen the Doctor's voice. "Sky" notices the hostess is not fooled by her performance and is fearful. To save the Doctor, the hostess sacrifices herself grabbing hold of "Sky" and opening the door. They are both sucked out of the bus and into the X-tonic sunlight.
*The last time a shuttle bus was featured was in the [[Seventh Doctor]] serial ''[[The Greatest Show in the Galaxy]]''.
*Donna was largely absent from this episode, as Catherine Tate was filming ''[[Turn Left]]''. While the previous two series included one episode each referred to as "Doctor-lite" for including only brief appearances by the Doctor and, by extension, his companion, this was the first time a "companion-lite" episode focusing on the Doctor by himself has been attempted in the revived series.
*Dee Dee mentions the lost moon of [[Poosh]], continuing the theme of disappearing planetary bodies featured throughout series 4.
*This episode was originally intended to be episode 8, before Steven Moffat's two-parter, but was pushed back to episode 10. The name of the shuttle bus, Crusader 50, was a reference to it originally being in the 50th episode of the new series to be screened. It was however the 50th episode of the 'New Series' to be filmed.
*This is the first televised story since ''[[Genesis of the Daleks]]'' not to feature the TARDIS.
*This is the second episode in which the Doctor has not had a companion to assist him. The first episode without a companion was ''[[The Deadly Assassin]]'', although the earlier story remains the only one in which no companion appears at all (as opposed to Donna's appearances at the beginning and end of this episode).
*For the first time ever in Doctor Who history, the villain in this episode is never actually revealed.
*[[David Troughton]], who plays the professor, is the son of [[Patrick Troughton]], who played the [[Second Doctor]]. Episode director [[Alice Troughton]] is not directly related. David Troughton also appeared in the [[Third Doctor]] story ''[[The Curse of Peladon]]'' and is a veteran contributor to the [[Big Finish]] audio dramas.
*Sky Silvestry mentions to the Doctor that 'I found myself single recently, not by choice... she needed her own space', implying that she was in a lesbian relationship.
*Although rumoured to have originated from an earlier episode, the brief cameo of Rose was scripted for this episode and was filmed especially for this episode by director Alice Troughton during production of ''[[Turn Left]]''. According to the DVD commentary for this episode, Russell T. Davies decided to also include the clip in ''[[The Poison Sky]]'', too, a fact Troughton -- and David Tennant -- were not made aware of until during the commentary recording for ''Midnight''.
*Months after the episode aired, the story element of having two characters speaking the same words at the same time, and one character trying to throw the other off by spouting random references, would be duplicated in "The Arrival", an episode of the American series ''Fringe''.
*This story was written, at short notice, to replace a script called ''[[Century House]]'' by [[Tom MacRae]] which [[Russell T Davies]] felt was too similar, in terms of plot, to ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp]]''.<ref>[[Doctor Who Magazine]] [[DWM Issue 400|Issue 400]], article: In The Midnight Hour</ref>


===Ratings===
After the door closes and the entity is gone, the Doctor slowly recovers from his paralysis; Val tries defending herself by saying she knew it was Sky all along despite telling everyone to throw the Doctor out. He simply glares at her, silently scolding her for her callousness and her lies. The passengers wait for the rescue vehicle in a haunted silence regretting what they almost done to the Doctor. When the rescue bus finally comes for them, the Doctor asks whether anyone know the hostess' name. To their great shame and remorse, the passengers realise that they never asked the name of the woman who just saved them all.
*Official [[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board|BARB]] ratings - 8.05 million viewers


===Myths and rumours===
Back at the spa, the Doctor mournfully reunites with Donna. The two later discuss what happened, with the Doctor still clueless over the origin of the creature, if it survived or how many more there may be. Either way, he intends to inform the Leisure Palace Company and have them leave Midnight behind, silently orbiting the X-tonic star once again. Donna can't fathom what the Doctor would be like without a voice. The Doctor tells her, "Molto bene", with a smile. Donna copies him. Disturbed, the Doctor tells Donna not to do that, then looks away, clearly still haunted.
* Billie Piper's brief cameo was taken from an earlier episode, most likely ''[[The Idiot's Lantern]]'' in which she was also shown shouting silently from a TV screen, and was a last-minute addition.


=== Filming Locations ===
== Cast ==
''To be added''
* [[Tenth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[David Tennant]]
* [[Donna Noble]] - [[Catherine Tate]]
* [[Rose Tyler]] - [[Billie Piper]]
* [[Hostess (Midnight)|Hostess]] - [[Rakie Ayola]]
* [[Sky Silvestry]] - [[Lesley Sharp]]
* [[Winfold Hobbes|Professor Hobbes]] - [[David Troughton]]
* [[Dee Dee Blasco]] - [[Ayesha Antoine]]
* [[Val Cane]] - [[Lindsey Coulson]]
* [[Biff Cane]] - [[Daniel Ryan]]
* [[Jethro Cane|Jethro]] - [[Colin Morgan]]
* [[Joe (Midnight)|Driver Joe]] - [[Tony Bluto]]
* [[Claude (Midnight)|Mechanic Claude]] - [[Duane Henry]]


=== Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors ===
=== Uncredited Cast ===
*The hostess twice opens the doors in the shuttle to the outside and lives, despite the Professor saying that the X-Tonic light would vaporise them in a split-second. ''There is an air buffer that lasts for six seconds, the glass between the Crusader and the outside world lasts for a few minutes.''


*When Rose appears on screen, didn't the others notice? ''(No-one would realise the significance of it except the Doctor - they may have assumed that the screen was faulty. Also, they may have been just focusing on the Doctor, not noticing Rose on the screen.''
* Waiter - Michael Green


*Why, after the Doctor shut down all the entertainment systems, was the screen working on which Rose appeared? ''Her image is not constructed by the electronics in the screen, rather it is a projection from the alternate universe. Or, this was a freak effect of the damaged electronics. Also, later on a monitor screen is clearly active - but showing a blank blue screen - on the wall behind Skye while the Doctor argues with the passengers over who he is.''
== Crew ==
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*This episode doesn't say what year it was set (though the time travellers almanic sets it in the 27th century). It must be far future, because they are on an alien planet. But then how come the passengers on the Crusader 50 are in dis-belief and surprised when the Doctor gives a hint that he is not human? Surely that far in the future they must have come in contact with aliens? ''The episode is a commentary on xenophobia and mob culture - the Doctor being different was an excuse to victimize him. The makers presumably want to show this type of action is irrational, which they largely succeed in doing. In any case, simply because they are on alien planet does not mean that it happens in the future, nor do the characters in this episode state that they are humans from Earth (the TARDIS may be translating their species name as human merely for convenience) so perhaps they haven't encountered alien races yet, they may be just as ignorant to aliens as humans on Earth.''
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Cultural references from the real world ===
* A [[Betty Boop]] cartoon and Italian soubrette Raffaella Carrà are briefly shown on a screen during the voyage as part of the [[animation archives]].


*As noted, the episode takes place in the future, however the EXIT signs are standard 20th century style signs, and Donna's cordless phone clearly shows a modern-day plug-in jack for a cord. ''Perhaps "retro" was in vogue at the time?'' ''Perhaps also it is similar to the Ninth Doctors comment about him having a northern accent, lots of planets have a 20th century.'' ''Another theory is that the TARDIS translates every language so anybody from the TARDIS understands, therefore all of the signs and languages are the same and '''we''' ''can see the signs from a translated point of view.
=== The Doctor ===
* During Sky's constant copying of the Doctor, he mentions such things as [[Rose Tyler]], [[Donna Noble]], [[Martha Jones]], [[TARDIS]], [[banana]]s and the [[Medusa Cascade]].
* The Doctor attempts to pass himself off as [[Aliases of the Doctor|John Smith]] when asked what his name is, which is treated with scepticism by the others, with Biff going so far as to claim that "no one" was called that name.


*While the revelation in ''[[Turn Left]]'' that Rose has obtained the TARDIS in [[Donna's World]] could be used to explain her ability to send an image of herself to the TARDIS in ''[[The Poison Sky]]'', it is never explained how she is able to link into a monitor in a passenger shuttle on a planet in the far future, although Rose's experience at the end of The Parting Of The Ways where she was able to see all time and space at the same time and send the Bad Wolf messages to the Doctor could provide the answer. ''Since the TARDIS is presumably parked somewhere on Midnight, perhaps it was somehow relaying the image to the Doctor.''
=== Mathematics ===
* The Doctor and Sky say the [[Square root]] of [[Pi]] is [[Square root of π|1.772453850905516027298167483341]].


*At the very end of the teaser, just before the credit sequence, part of the green screen can be seen on the right, behind the Doctor as he finishes his phone call to Donna. ''It is possible it is just a green wall, or a poster. Like in Silence in the library many walls behind the books are green and blue.''
=== Astronomy ===
* The lost moon of [[Poosh]] is mentioned.


=== Species ===
* Biff tells a story of his encounter with a [[Shamboni]].


*When the lights come back on, Sky stops repeating for a few seconds. ''The moment the lights come back on was also the moment at which Sky started speaking in perfect time with everyone else, so she is speaking but it's difficult to hear her over the person she is copying.''
== Story notes ==
* Working titles included ''Crusader Five'' and ''Crusader 50''.
* This is the first episode in Series 4 in which the Doctor is present when Rose Tyler appears, though he does not see her.
* Donna was largely absent from this episode, as [[Catherine Tate]] was filming ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]''. While the previous two series included one episode each referred to as "Doctor-lite" for including only brief appearances by the Doctor and, by extension, his companion, this was the first time a "companion-lite" episode focusing on the Doctor by himself has been attempted in the revived series.
* This episode was originally intended to be episode eight, before ''[[Silence in the Library (TV story)|Silence in the Library]]'', but was pushed back to episode 10. The name of the shuttle bus, ''Crusader 50'', was a reference to it originally being the 50th episode of the new series to be screened and [[David Troughton]] was going to add symmetry as he was in the [[The War Games (TV story)|50th story of the classic series]]. It was, however, the 50th episode of the "new series" to be filmed. A similar reference was made in ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'', with the bus numbered 200 referencing the 200th ''Doctor Who'' story to be broadcast.
* This is the first televised story since ''[[Genesis of the Daleks (TV story)|Genesis of the Daleks]]'' in 1975 not to feature the TARDIS. The only other televised stories in the history of ''Doctor Who'' in which it does not appear are ''[[Mission to the Unknown (TV story)|Mission to the Unknown]]'', ''[[Doctor Who and the Silurians (TV story)|Doctor Who and the Silurians]]'', ''[[The Mind of Evil (TV story)|The Mind of Evil]]'', ''[[The Dæmons (TV story)|The Dæmons]]'', ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'', ''[[The Sontaran Experiment (TV story)|The Sontaran Experiment]]'', ''[[The Lie of the Land (TV story)|The Lie of the Land]]'', ''[[The Woman Who Fell to Earth (TV story)|The Woman Who Fell to Earth]]'' and ''[[Ascension of the Cybermen (TV story)|Ascension of the Cybermen]]''.
* This is the second episode in which the Doctor has not had a companion to assist him. The first episode without a companion was ''[[The Deadly Assassin (TV story)|The Deadly Assassin]]'', although the earlier story remains the only one in which no companion plays any role at all as Donna appears at the beginning and end of this episode.
* For the first time ever in ''Doctor Who'' history, the villain in this episode is never actually revealed.
* [[David Troughton]], who played Professor Hobbes, is the son of [[Patrick Troughton]], who played the [[Second Doctor]]. Episode director [[Alice Troughton]] is not directly related. David Troughton appeared in his father's final story ''[[The War Games (TV story)|The War Games]]'', and also in the [[Third Doctor]] story ''[[The Curse of Peladon (TV story)|The Curse of Peladon]]'' and is a veteran contributor to the [[Big Finish Productions]] audio dramas.
* Sky Silvestry mentions to the Doctor that "I found myself single recently, not by choice... she needed her own space". This is in keeping with the increased mentions of same-sex relationships in humanity's future, once again suggesting a more tolerant viewpoint by this point about it.
* Sky also says that her ex went to "a different galaxy, in fact". The Doctor's response is, "I had a friend who went a different universe", referencing Rose Tyler's departure in ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'', and foreshadowing her return in ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]''.
* Although rumoured to have originated from an earlier episode, the brief cameo of Rose was scripted and was filmed especially for this episode by [[Alice Troughton]] during the production of ''[[Turn Left (TV story)|Turn Left]]''. According to the DVD commentary, [[Russell T Davies]] decided to also include the clip in ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'', too, a fact Troughton — and [[David Tennant]] — were not made aware of until during the commentary recording for ''Midnight''.
* Months after the episode aired, the story element of having two characters speaking the same words at the same time, and one character trying to throw the other off by spouting random references, would be duplicated in "[https://fringe.fandom.com/wiki/The_Arrival The Arrival]", an episode of the American series {{wi|Fringe (TV series)|Fringe}}.
* This story was written, at short notice, to replace a script called ''[[Century House (unproduced TV story)|Century House]]'' by [[Tom MacRae]] which [[Russell T Davies]] felt was too similar, in terms of tone, to ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp (TV story)|The Unicorn and the Wasp]]''. ([[DWM 400]])
* The lost moon of Poosh is first introduced in this episode as another lost planet alongside Adipose 3 and Pyrovillia, continuing this series' trend of having lost planets, and the trend of a unique story arc per series. The first series had the [[Bad Wolf meme|Bad Wolf]], the second had [[Torchwood Institute|Torchwood]], and the third had [[Mr. Saxon]]. These planets are ultimately revealed to have been stolen by the Daleks and are found by the Doctor and Donna. The lost moon of Poosh is returned home by Donna in ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'' is thus later no longer lost.
* [[Russell T Davies]] wrote the script in three days.
* [[David Troughton]] replaced [[Sam Kelly]], who broke his leg in a car accident shortly before filming and had to withdraw. He had recorded [[Cuddlesome (audio story)|''Cuddlesome'']] only a few days earlier.
* [[Helen Worth]] was offered the role of Val Cane.
* In order to have Sky repeating everyone's words and intonation when she was possessed by the Midnight Entity without having [[Lesley Sharp]] memorise all the lines, the crew set monitors up in front of each actor which would scroll their lines for Sharp to read. The actors would deliver their lines and then Lesley would copy their intonation. This was done on Sharp's coverage so that she would have the correct eyeline as well. The actors had pre-filmed the scenes in which they were all talking together and then they recorded Sharp's parts separately. The voices (Sharp's and the actor she was mimicking) were then joined in post-production, a massive undertaking for the actors and the sound engineers. There couldn't be a single deviation from script, the lines would need to be delivered with as exactly the same intonation as the actors could, and then the sound editor had to take each snippet of Sharp's repeated lines and match them into the jumble-talking scene. The hardest bits of dialogue to film for [[David Tennant]] and Sharp were the ones in which they were meant to be totally in sync, as there needed to be a shot of the both of them in camera at the same time delivering the same lines with the same intonation. They had to breathe and open their mouths simultaneously, and these chunks of dialogue were rehearsed by them both as extensively as possible in order to properly coordinate. Tennant has said the absolute most difficult part was the delivery of the square root of pi to thirty decimal places because it had to be done very rapidly, and although they were not in sync at the time in the script, Sharp would be repeating everything he said just a split second after him, and in the jumble of the two voices it could be difficult to remember the string of numbers, which are difficult enough to remember correctly on their own.
* [[Daniel Ryan]] had announced in a 2006 interview that he was going to ask [[Russell T Davies]] for a role in the series, as he wanted his children to see him acting on television in a programme that was not inaccessible.
* According to ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac]]'', this episode is set in the [[27th century]], during the era of the [[First Great and Bountiful Human Empire]].
* [[Russell T Davies]] drew upon his experience of writing ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'', in which a small group of people under siege behaved with the utmost courage and nobility. Now he wanted to explore what would happen in a similar situation if those involved instead gave in to their fears and baser natures.
* There were few major changes to the narrative as it developed, although timing considerations forced the elimination of a sequence in which the possessed Sky ceased mimicking the other passengers, one by one, until she focussed solely upon the Doctor.
* [[Alice Troughton]] chose to hew largely to the story order, a practice which had not been common since the early [[1970s]].
* According to [[Russell T Davies]], Sky Silvestry was planning to kill herself once she reached the waterfall and killing the monster was the only thing they could do, the stewardess was right the entire time but it was motivated by fear.
* [[Daniel Ryan]] and [[Lesley Sharp]] had previously appeared together in [[Russell T Davies]]' sitcom ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_%26_Rose Bob & Rose].'' Davies had previously written the ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Green Linda Green]'' episode "Rest in Peace", which Ryan starred in.
* This episode formed Block Six of season four, along with ''[[The Doctor's Daughter (TV story)|The Doctor's Daughter]].''
* [[Colin Morgan]] was twenty-two when he played the teenaged Jethro.
* [[Russell T Davies]] has stated that the episode was inspired by the ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' episode "[[startrekwiki:Darmok_(episode)|Darmok]]". While he hadn't actually seen the episode, he was intrigued by the idea of an alien that communicated in a completely different way. He was also inspired by the annoying habit of children to mimic others.
* The setting was influenced by ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeepers_Creepers_2 Jeepers Creepers 2]'', about a high school basketball team which was trapped on a bus by an ancient monster.


*Why doesn't the Hostess just push Sky out with no need for self-sacrifice?&nbsp;
=== Rating ===
* Official [[Broadcasters' Audience Research Board|BARB]] ratings - 8.05 million viewers. ''Midnight'' was the 5th most watched programme on British television for the week.<ref>[http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date Doctor Who Ratings - UK final]</ref>


== Continuity ==
=== Myths ===
*The entity seems almost identical to the species in ([[DWU]]: ''[[A Storm of Angels]]''), which taking place in an alternate universe with a different Doctor showed what "might have happened".
* [[Billie Piper]]'s brief cameo was taken from an earlier episode, most likely ''[[The Idiot's Lantern (TV story)|The Idiot's Lantern]]'', in which she was also shown shouting silently from a TV screen, and was a last-minute addition. ''This was false, it was filmed during Series 4.''
*Rose Tyler is seen again this time in one of the shuttle bus's screens. This is the same clip that appeared for a second in ([[DW]]: ''[[The Poison Sky]]'') except this time it was slightly longer, and Rose seemed to mouth "Doctor!" twice rather than the once in ''[[The Poison Sky]]''.
* The Entity can be seen just before the mechanic spots it running. ''This 'sighting' is just a reflection of his hand in the windshield.''
*'Molto Bene' is Italian for 'Very Well.' The Doctor first uttered this in a deleted scene from ([[DW]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion]]''), when the Doctor is thinking of a word to say instead of "Fantastic." In broadcast continuity, he first said it in ([[DW]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride]]'').  The Doctor's other favourite catchphrase "Allons-y" is also present and significant. He used it for the first time in ([[DW]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts]]''). For the benefit of those who do not speak French, this is the first episode in which the phrase is actually translated as "Let's go!"
* The Entity is the soul of a TARDIS that crashed on Midnight and had its exterior destroyed by the X-tonic radiation. ''This theory originates from Tumblr. The true nature of the Midnight Entity has never been officially confirmed.''
*The Lost Moon of Poosh is first introduced in this episode as another lost planet alongside Adipose 3 and Pyrovillia continuing this series trend of their having lost planets like the first series had Bad Wolf, the second had Torchwood and the third had Mr. Saxon.  These planets are ultimately revealed to have been stolen by the Daleks and are found by the Doctor and Donna. The Lost Moon of Poosh is returned home by Donna in Journey's End is thus later no longer lost.
*This story takes place in the [[27th century]] according to [[REF]]: ''[[The Time Traveller's Almanac]]'', although the book does not explain how this date was arrived at.


== DVD and other releases==
=== Filming locations ===
[[Image:Bbcdvd-s4-v3.jpg|thumb|120px|Series 4 Volume 3 DVD Cover]]
==== Studio ====
*Released in the [[Series 4 (Doctor Who)|Series 4]] DVD boxset in [[November]] [[2008]] along with the rest of the Series.
* Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest
*Released as Series 4 Volume 3 in a vanilla edition alongside [[Silence in the Library]] and [[Forest of the Dead]].


==External links==
==== Location ====
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S4_10 BBC Website - Episode Guide: '''Midnight''']
* Dylan's Health Spa, Newport


=== Production errors ===
{{Discontinuity}}
* Donna's phone in the prologue is clearly the handset of a wired phone due to the jack on the bottom. She was supposed to hold it upside down so no one would notice, but nobody on set caught the mistake.
* In the prologue, when the Doctor is talking to Donna on the phone, his reflection in the glass behind him remains static even though he is moving.
* Also in the prologue, as the Doctor is saying his last words to Donna on the phone, behind him you can see a green screen that is supposed to be the bus depot. (However, in some repeats of the story the error has been corrected and the background has been added.)
* While trying to turn off the entertainment, the Doctor extends his sonic screwdriver. The camera then switches to Sky, then to the Doctor where he extends the sonic screwdriver again.
* When the Hostess explains to the passengers that they are experiencing a small delay, movement of her walking to the front of the bus is repeated between shots.
* When the Hostess tells Dee Dee that Sky has "stolen" the Doctor's voice, the second shot of Dee Dee is mirrored. The first shot shows her with a black blur to her left, presumably Jethro's shirt, and a bracelet on her right wrist, but in the second shot, it is reversed. Also, there is a different pattern on the wall that switches sides between shots.
* When the Hostess apologises for the entertainment breaking you can see the boom mic operator in the reflection of the glass behind her.
* When the Hostess closes the cabin door because of the X-Tonic light, movement is repeated between shots.


{{Series 4}}
== Continuity ==
* An image of [[Rose Tyler]] calling to the Doctor again appears briefly, this time on one of the shuttle bus's screens. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Poison Sky (TV story)|The Poison Sky]]'')
* "Molto bene", Italian for "very well", has been used by the [[Tenth Doctor]] before. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'') The Doctor's other favourite catchphrase in this incarnation, "Allons-y" (French for "Let's go!"), is also said and significant. ([[TV]]: ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'', ''[[Voyage of the Damned (TV story)|Voyage of the Damned]]'')
* The Doctor also encountered a shuttle bus during his [[Seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]], also as part of a dangerous situation. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Greatest Show in the Galaxy (TV story)|The Greatest Show in the Galaxy]]'')
* The Tenth Doctor has previously told companions "No, no, don't do that". ([[TV]]: ''[[Tooth and Claw (TV story)|Tooth and Claw]]'', ''[[The Shakespeare Code (TV story)|The Shakespeare Code]]'', ''[[The Infinite Quest (TV story)|The Infinite Quest]]'', ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp (TV story)|The Unicorn and the Wasp]]'')
* When the Doctor is talking to Sky, she tells him about her ex wanting more space. The Doctor mentions having a friend who went to a different universe. This references Rose Tyler's "exile" to [[Pete's World]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doomsday (TV story)|Doomsday]]'')
* When the [[Midnight entity]] initially attacks Crusader 50, the Doctor knocks on the cabin wall four times (to which the entity also knocks four times). ([[TV]]: ''[[The Sound of Drums (TV story)|The Sound of Drums]]'') Later on, the Doctor learns of the prophecy stating that someone knocking four times would signify his death. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]'')
* The [[Lost Moon of Poosh]] is mentioned, continuing the trend of planets disappearing. ([[TV]]: ''[[Partners in Crime (TV story)|Partners in Crime]]'', ''[[The Fires of Pompeii (TV story)|The Fires of Pompeii]]'')
** The Doctor later realises that it is one of the [[stolen planets|27 planets stolen]] by the [[New Dalek Empire]]. It is returned by [[Donna Noble]] to its right position is space. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]''/''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'')
* The hostess would be among those remembered when [[Davros]] asked the Doctor how many people had died in his name to break him. ([[TV]]: ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'')


== Home video releases ==
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:The Complete David Tennant Years Region 1 US DVD cover.jpg|The Complete David Tennant Years DVD<br />Region 1 US cover
File:Bbcdvd-s4-v3.jpg|thumb|Series 4 Volume 3 DVD Cover
File:Series-4-boxset.jpg|thumb|''Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series'' DVD cover
File:Bbcdvd-series1234.jpg|thumb|''Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Four'' DVD box-set
File:Bbcdvd-series1234567.jpg|thumb|''Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven'' DVD box-set
</gallery>


* This story was released in the [[Series 4 (Doctor Who 2005)|Series 4]] DVD box set in [[November (releases)|November]] [[2008 (releases)|2008]] along with the rest of the series.
* It was released as Series 4 Volume 3 in a vanilla edition with ''[[Silence in the Library (TV story)|Silence in the Library]]'' and ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]''.


== External links ==
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S4_10 BBC Website - Episode Guide: '''Midnight''']
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110809114614/http://www.thewriterstale.com/scr.html Original script] (archived), posted online by [[Russell T Davies]] in conjunction with the release of his book [[REF]]: ''[[Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale]]''.
{{dwrefguide|who_tv40.htm|Midnight}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/2008j.html|Midnight}}
* {{locguide|midnight|Midnight}}


==References==
== Footnotes ==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[Category:Doctor Who (2005) television stories]]
[[Category:2008 television stories]]
[[Category:2008 television stories]]
[[Category:Tenth Doctor episodes]]
[[Category:Series 4 (Doctor Who) stories]]
[[Category:Stories with unknown or disputed dates]]
[[Category:Companion-lite episodes]]
[[Category:Missing Planets arc]]
[[Category:Television stories that use Murray Gold's 2nd main theme]]
 
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Latest revision as of 05:19, 17 December 2024

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Midnight was the tenth episode of series 4 of Doctor Who.

It was the first "companion-lite" televised Doctor Who story. As such, it explored a rarely touched on topic where, without his companion, the Doctor struggles to gain the trust of strangers; his commanding presence uniquely backfires, with the crew turning against him rather than siding with him. It also featured the third abrupt cameo of Billie Piper as Rose Tyler in the series before her role in the seasonal arc fully unfolded.

In production terms, it was the first episode of Doctor Who to be filmed primarily in narrative order since the practice was abandoned around the time Jon Pertwee began portraying the Third Doctor. It was the only story in which the antagonist was never even partially glimpsed, leaving the threat to be realised by the actors and the sound editors. It was also the second episode of 2008 to guest star the child of an actor who had played the Doctor: David Troughton as Professor Hobbes, his father having played the Second Doctor.

The sound team of Tim Ricketts, Paul McFadden, Paul Jefferies and Julian Howarth shared a Royal Television Society Award and a Welsh BAFTA for their work on this episode.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble go to the leisure planet of Midnight for a simple, relaxing holiday. However, life with the Doctor can never be that simple, and things go horribly wrong for the Doctor when he decides to go off on a bus trip to see the Sapphire Waterfall, starting with the bus shutting down. When a mysterious entity infiltrates the shuttle bus, no one is to be trusted. Not even the Doctor himself...

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Tenth Doctor and Donna spend some leisure time on the crystalline planet Midnight, whose crust is composed of diamonds. Though stunning and visually unique, the planet is also dangerous. The sun it orbits emits phenomenally lethal X-tonic radiation and there is no atmosphere; exposure to the surface for even a split second would result in the unfortunate person being instantly vaporised. Donna receives a call from the Doctor, who is eager for her to go on a trip to see the Sapphire Waterfall with him. The idea of spending eight hours on a bus (four hours there and four hours back) does not appeal to Donna at all as she insists that she'd prefer relaxing at the spa and sunbathing. However, the Doctor warns her to be careful because of the X-tonic radiation. Paying him no mind, since the glass she's under is fifteen feet thick, Donna agrees to try out the anti-gravity restaurant (with bibs) once he gets back. Despite her warning him to be careful, the Doctor jinxes himself: "Taking a bus full of strangers across a diamond planet called 'Midnight', what could possibly go wrong?"

He boards a shuttle bus ride to the Sapphire Waterfall. Other passengers include the Cane family (Val, Biff, and their bored teenage son Jethro); Professor Hobbes, who is investigating the waterfall; his assistant Dee Dee Blasco; and recently-divorced businesswoman Sky Silvestry. Before they take off, the driver informs them they are taking a different route to the Waterfall Palace because of a diamond fall on the regular path. For the long journey to their destination, the hostess activates the prerendered entertainment for passengers, consisting of several annoying television programs. Most of the passengers find the entertainment to be rather irritating, rather than pleasing. The Doctor discreetly disables them with his sonic screwdriver; most of them are thankful for the small mercy that they've been granted. This forces the passengers to talk and get to know each other better.

The Doctor has an amusing conversation with Biff and Val. Next, the Doctor talks with Dee Dee about the lost moon of Poosh over coffee in the back; Dee Dee wrote about it and was selected by Hobbes as his assistant. However, Dee Dee admits Hobbes uses her as an errand girl, rather than a proper assistant. Smiling, the Doctor asks whether or not the lost moon was found. Laughing, Dee Dee tells him no; the Doctor suggests that finding the moon might be her great discovery some day. They toast glasses. Later, during the passengers' meal time, the Doctor talks with Sky about travelling, remarking that he "had a friend who went to a different universe" after Sky tells him of her ex-wife who moved to a different galaxy to get "her own space".

Later, Professor Hobbes, who has been studying Midnight, presents a slide-show about it; he considers himself an expert. He informs them that, because the X-tonic radiation would vaporise any known form of life in seconds, the planet has been totally undisturbed for millennia; even the Leisure Palace was prefabricated and dropped in from orbit. Jethro points out, to the disapproval of his parents, no one can really know anything about the planet, or whether or not life resides there. Hobbes agrees with him; no one has ever really set foot on Midnight, and no one has any real idea what is on or underneath the surface. Anything could be out there.

Suddenly the shuttle stops and everyone guesses that they must have arrived at their destination. However, Professor Hobbes tells them that he's been on the trip twelve times; they never stop and it's too early for them to have arrived. Curious, the Doctor uses his psychic paper to pose as someone from the Leisure Palace insurance company. He talks to driver Joe and mechanic Claude, learning that there is nothing wrong with Crusader 50's systems; however, they are stopped. He convinces them to open the shutter to look outside; the landscape is beautiful. Mountains and cliffs and ridges, composed entirely of diamonds and sparkling in the white-blue X-tonic sun. Joe informs the Doctor that the path they're on is new and never been traversed; they're the first ever to roam this part of Midnight. Suddenly, the mechanic points out at the landscape, having apparently seen movement. He dismisses it, but the Doctor seizes on it eagerly. Before Claude can elaborate, the X-tonic starts to overwhelm the cockpit's finitoglass windscreen and Joe closes the shutter. Right before it closes, Claude sees the movement again; a shadow running towards the bus.

Joe tells the Doctor that a rescue vehicle is on the way, and to keep quiet about things. The Doctor returns to the cabin, where the Hostess pushes past him to talk to the duo. Mrs Silvestry asks him what's going on, prompting everyone to talk over themselves to ask him questions. This leads them to start wondering about the amount of oxygen they have. However, the Doctor calls for silence and prompts Dee Dee, an expert on vehicles as her father is a mechanic, to explain; the air is recycled, so they can breathe for years inside the bus without any worry.

A few moments later, something begins knocking on the hull. Again, everyone panics, but the Doctor temporarily pacifies them as he listens to the knocks with his stethoscope. The knocking moves around the bus towards both doors, even testing one to see if it can open it. Biff knocks thrice on the door to prove the ship is sturdy; the knocks repeat his pattern. Everyone freaks out as the Doctor knocks four times on the hull to confirm if there is something outside. The knocking moves around the shuttle, making its way towards Sky, who has become hysterical, remembering a past threat her partner made to her during the divorce. The knocking stops as a dent appears in the door Sky is next to. The lights fail and the shuttle is violently rocked.

When the lights are restored, there is a working screen behind the Doctor, who turns away when he sees a singer on it, but it quickly turns to a muted video of Rose, who is shouting, "Doctor!" No one notices. The hostess distributes torches and everyone looks around to see if any are injured. Jethro notices the seats near Sky have been ripped off the floor and she is cowering in the corner. The hostess fails to contact the crew in the cabin, realises the main generator is down and opens the door to the driver cabin. Only X-tonic light can be seen, forcing her to quickly close the door. The Doctor opens up a systems panel with his sonic screwdriver to examine it for any faults, but behind the face plate are several cut wires; the driver's cabin has been ripped away, vaporising driver Joe and mechanic Claude.

Jethro calls everyone's attention back to the cowering Sky, who hasn't moved a muscle; the Doctor kneels next to her and tries conversing with her. Sky initially remains motionless but is coaxed into turning around by the Doctor. Attempts to get her to speak cause her to start repeating what everyone else says. Deciding to test how well Sky can copy them, the Doctor says the square root of pi, becoming amazed she repeats every number without fail even when they were talking over each other. The Doctor speculates about what is happening and what will happen to Sky, believing the entity that was knocking on the hull has taken over her consciousness. The backup generator comes on and the Professor tries to have everyone calm down and be rational. However, Jethro and the Doctor notice that Sky is speaking simultaneously with Hobbes, and everyone else for that matter. The Doctor decides to test Sky by saying random terms, nonsense words and reciting the alphabet and abruptly stopping, with Sky perfectly copying him in perfect sync.

The passengers contemplate throwing Sky outside, horrifying the Doctor, who thinks that the entity might be trying to learn from them. He tries to calm everyone down, however, his attempt to take charge backfires as the passengers become suspicious of him, especially when he proves unwilling to reveal his real name or origin and admits to feeling a thrill from the situation. The passengers contemplate throwing him out too if he gets in the way of them trying to save themselves. However, as the Doctor protests that they will need him to survive if the entity turns out to be malevolent, Sky stops repeating everyone and focuses solely on the Doctor. To try reasoning with the consciousness in Sky, the Doctor attempts to offer it help with finding a voice of its own without stealing his. However, when the Doctor asks the entity if it can agree with him, he has spoken after Sky.

The Doctor, terrified, as the entity forces him to order his own murder.

The Doctor is now repeating Sky's words, motionless and clearly strained as if fighting something. Most reason that it's the Doctor that is possessed now, as Sky can move again. However, the hostess and Dee Dee think this is just the next step: stealing the voice of another as the Doctor had predicted. The other passengers refuse to listen, with Hobbes furiously telling Dee Dee that he considers her to be "average at best", and decide to throw the Doctor out the nearest door, all the while being goaded on by Sky, who is strangely happy despite the madness going on. The Doctor shows minimal signs of resistance to being pulled towards a door by Biff and a reluctant Hobbes as Sky describes how the entity is insidious and gets inside the humans' heads.

The hostess sacrifices herself to save the Doctor.

However, the hostess realises that Sky is not talking in her own voice; she uses two phrases the Doctor had used earlier (Molto bene and Allons-y). The entity in Sky has stolen the Doctor's voice. "Sky" notices the hostess is not fooled by her performance and is fearful. To save the Doctor, the hostess sacrifices herself grabbing hold of "Sky" and opening the door. They are both sucked out of the bus and into the X-tonic sunlight.

After the door closes and the entity is gone, the Doctor slowly recovers from his paralysis; Val tries defending herself by saying she knew it was Sky all along despite telling everyone to throw the Doctor out. He simply glares at her, silently scolding her for her callousness and her lies. The passengers wait for the rescue vehicle in a haunted silence regretting what they almost done to the Doctor. When the rescue bus finally comes for them, the Doctor asks whether anyone know the hostess' name. To their great shame and remorse, the passengers realise that they never asked the name of the woman who just saved them all.

Back at the spa, the Doctor mournfully reunites with Donna. The two later discuss what happened, with the Doctor still clueless over the origin of the creature, if it survived or how many more there may be. Either way, he intends to inform the Leisure Palace Company and have them leave Midnight behind, silently orbiting the X-tonic star once again. Donna can't fathom what the Doctor would be like without a voice. The Doctor tells her, "Molto bene", with a smile. Donna copies him. Disturbed, the Doctor tells Donna not to do that, then looks away, clearly still haunted.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Waiter - Michael Green

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cultural references from the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • A Betty Boop cartoon and Italian soubrette Raffaella Carrà are briefly shown on a screen during the voyage as part of the animation archives.

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • During Sky's constant copying of the Doctor, he mentions such things as Rose Tyler, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, TARDIS, bananas and the Medusa Cascade.
  • The Doctor attempts to pass himself off as John Smith when asked what his name is, which is treated with scepticism by the others, with Biff going so far as to claim that "no one" was called that name.

Mathematics[[edit] | [edit source]]

Astronomy[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The lost moon of Poosh is mentioned.

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Biff tells a story of his encounter with a Shamboni.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Working titles included Crusader Five and Crusader 50.
  • This is the first episode in Series 4 in which the Doctor is present when Rose Tyler appears, though he does not see her.
  • Donna was largely absent from this episode, as Catherine Tate was filming Turn Left. While the previous two series included one episode each referred to as "Doctor-lite" for including only brief appearances by the Doctor and, by extension, his companion, this was the first time a "companion-lite" episode focusing on the Doctor by himself has been attempted in the revived series.
  • This episode was originally intended to be episode eight, before Silence in the Library, but was pushed back to episode 10. The name of the shuttle bus, Crusader 50, was a reference to it originally being the 50th episode of the new series to be screened and David Troughton was going to add symmetry as he was in the 50th story of the classic series. It was, however, the 50th episode of the "new series" to be filmed. A similar reference was made in Planet of the Dead, with the bus numbered 200 referencing the 200th Doctor Who story to be broadcast.
  • This is the first televised story since Genesis of the Daleks in 1975 not to feature the TARDIS. The only other televised stories in the history of Doctor Who in which it does not appear are Mission to the Unknown, Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Mind of Evil, The Dæmons, The Sea Devils, The Sontaran Experiment, The Lie of the Land, The Woman Who Fell to Earth and Ascension of the Cybermen.
  • This is the second episode in which the Doctor has not had a companion to assist him. The first episode without a companion was The Deadly Assassin, although the earlier story remains the only one in which no companion plays any role at all as Donna appears at the beginning and end of this episode.
  • For the first time ever in Doctor Who history, the villain in this episode is never actually revealed.
  • David Troughton, who played Professor Hobbes, is the son of Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor. Episode director Alice Troughton is not directly related. David Troughton appeared in his father's final story The War Games, and also in the Third Doctor story The Curse of Peladon and is a veteran contributor to the Big Finish Productions audio dramas.
  • Sky Silvestry mentions to the Doctor that "I found myself single recently, not by choice... she needed her own space". This is in keeping with the increased mentions of same-sex relationships in humanity's future, once again suggesting a more tolerant viewpoint by this point about it.
  • Sky also says that her ex went to "a different galaxy, in fact". The Doctor's response is, "I had a friend who went a different universe", referencing Rose Tyler's departure in Doomsday, and foreshadowing her return in Turn Left.
  • Although rumoured to have originated from an earlier episode, the brief cameo of Rose was scripted and was filmed especially for this episode by Alice Troughton during the production of Turn Left. According to the DVD commentary, Russell T Davies decided to also include the clip in The Poison Sky, too, a fact Troughton — and David Tennant — were not made aware of until during the commentary recording for Midnight.
  • Months after the episode aired, the story element of having two characters speaking the same words at the same time, and one character trying to throw the other off by spouting random references, would be duplicated in "The Arrival", an episode of the American series Fringe.
  • This story was written, at short notice, to replace a script called Century House by Tom MacRae which Russell T Davies felt was too similar, in terms of tone, to The Unicorn and the Wasp. (DWM 400)
  • The lost moon of Poosh is first introduced in this episode as another lost planet alongside Adipose 3 and Pyrovillia, continuing this series' trend of having lost planets, and the trend of a unique story arc per series. The first series had the Bad Wolf, the second had Torchwood, and the third had Mr. Saxon. These planets are ultimately revealed to have been stolen by the Daleks and are found by the Doctor and Donna. The lost moon of Poosh is returned home by Donna in Journey's End is thus later no longer lost.
  • Russell T Davies wrote the script in three days.
  • David Troughton replaced Sam Kelly, who broke his leg in a car accident shortly before filming and had to withdraw. He had recorded Cuddlesome only a few days earlier.
  • Helen Worth was offered the role of Val Cane.
  • In order to have Sky repeating everyone's words and intonation when she was possessed by the Midnight Entity without having Lesley Sharp memorise all the lines, the crew set monitors up in front of each actor which would scroll their lines for Sharp to read. The actors would deliver their lines and then Lesley would copy their intonation. This was done on Sharp's coverage so that she would have the correct eyeline as well. The actors had pre-filmed the scenes in which they were all talking together and then they recorded Sharp's parts separately. The voices (Sharp's and the actor she was mimicking) were then joined in post-production, a massive undertaking for the actors and the sound engineers. There couldn't be a single deviation from script, the lines would need to be delivered with as exactly the same intonation as the actors could, and then the sound editor had to take each snippet of Sharp's repeated lines and match them into the jumble-talking scene. The hardest bits of dialogue to film for David Tennant and Sharp were the ones in which they were meant to be totally in sync, as there needed to be a shot of the both of them in camera at the same time delivering the same lines with the same intonation. They had to breathe and open their mouths simultaneously, and these chunks of dialogue were rehearsed by them both as extensively as possible in order to properly coordinate. Tennant has said the absolute most difficult part was the delivery of the square root of pi to thirty decimal places because it had to be done very rapidly, and although they were not in sync at the time in the script, Sharp would be repeating everything he said just a split second after him, and in the jumble of the two voices it could be difficult to remember the string of numbers, which are difficult enough to remember correctly on their own.
  • Daniel Ryan had announced in a 2006 interview that he was going to ask Russell T Davies for a role in the series, as he wanted his children to see him acting on television in a programme that was not inaccessible.
  • According to The Time Traveller's Almanac, this episode is set in the 27th century, during the era of the First Great and Bountiful Human Empire.
  • Russell T Davies drew upon his experience of writing Voyage of the Damned, in which a small group of people under siege behaved with the utmost courage and nobility. Now he wanted to explore what would happen in a similar situation if those involved instead gave in to their fears and baser natures.
  • There were few major changes to the narrative as it developed, although timing considerations forced the elimination of a sequence in which the possessed Sky ceased mimicking the other passengers, one by one, until she focussed solely upon the Doctor.
  • Alice Troughton chose to hew largely to the story order, a practice which had not been common since the early 1970s.
  • According to Russell T Davies, Sky Silvestry was planning to kill herself once she reached the waterfall and killing the monster was the only thing they could do, the stewardess was right the entire time but it was motivated by fear.
  • Daniel Ryan and Lesley Sharp had previously appeared together in Russell T Davies' sitcom Bob & Rose. Davies had previously written the Linda Green episode "Rest in Peace", which Ryan starred in.
  • This episode formed Block Six of season four, along with The Doctor's Daughter.
  • Colin Morgan was twenty-two when he played the teenaged Jethro.
  • Russell T Davies has stated that the episode was inspired by the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Darmok". While he hadn't actually seen the episode, he was intrigued by the idea of an alien that communicated in a completely different way. He was also inspired by the annoying habit of children to mimic others.
  • The setting was influenced by Jeepers Creepers 2, about a high school basketball team which was trapped on a bus by an ancient monster.

Rating[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Official BARB ratings - 8.05 million viewers. Midnight was the 5th most watched programme on British television for the week.[3]

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Billie Piper's brief cameo was taken from an earlier episode, most likely The Idiot's Lantern, in which she was also shown shouting silently from a TV screen, and was a last-minute addition. This was false, it was filmed during Series 4.
  • The Entity can be seen just before the mechanic spots it running. This 'sighting' is just a reflection of his hand in the windshield.
  • The Entity is the soul of a TARDIS that crashed on Midnight and had its exterior destroyed by the X-tonic radiation. This theory originates from Tumblr. The true nature of the Midnight Entity has never been officially confirmed.

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Studio[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest

Location[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Dylan's Health Spa, Newport

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.
  • Donna's phone in the prologue is clearly the handset of a wired phone due to the jack on the bottom. She was supposed to hold it upside down so no one would notice, but nobody on set caught the mistake.
  • In the prologue, when the Doctor is talking to Donna on the phone, his reflection in the glass behind him remains static even though he is moving.
  • Also in the prologue, as the Doctor is saying his last words to Donna on the phone, behind him you can see a green screen that is supposed to be the bus depot. (However, in some repeats of the story the error has been corrected and the background has been added.)
  • While trying to turn off the entertainment, the Doctor extends his sonic screwdriver. The camera then switches to Sky, then to the Doctor where he extends the sonic screwdriver again.
  • When the Hostess explains to the passengers that they are experiencing a small delay, movement of her walking to the front of the bus is repeated between shots.
  • When the Hostess tells Dee Dee that Sky has "stolen" the Doctor's voice, the second shot of Dee Dee is mirrored. The first shot shows her with a black blur to her left, presumably Jethro's shirt, and a bracelet on her right wrist, but in the second shot, it is reversed. Also, there is a different pattern on the wall that switches sides between shots.
  • When the Hostess apologises for the entertainment breaking you can see the boom mic operator in the reflection of the glass behind her.
  • When the Hostess closes the cabin door because of the X-Tonic light, movement is repeated between shots.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

  • The Complete David Tennant Years DVD Region 1 US cover

    The Complete David Tennant Years DVD
    Region 1 US cover

  • Series 4 Volume 3 DVD Cover

    Series 4 Volume 3 DVD Cover

  • Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series DVD cover

    Doctor Who: The Complete Fourth Series DVD cover

  • Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Four DVD box-set

    Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Four DVD box-set

  • Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven DVD box-set

    Doctor Who: The Complete Series One to Seven DVD box-set

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Midnight PDF shooting script (archived)
  2. ↑ The Time Traveller's Almanac
  3. ↑ Doctor Who Ratings - UK final
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