The Impossible Astronaut (TV story): Difference between revisions

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{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}}{{real world}}
{{title dab away}}
{{Infobox NewTV
{{real world}}
| story name      = The Impossible Astronaut
{{ImageLinkTV}}
| image          = [[File:Burning boats.jpg|250px]]
{{Infobox Story SMW
| series          =
|image                = The Impossible Astronaut.jpg
| number         = [[Series 6 (Doctor Who)|Series 6]]
|series                =[[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
| story number   = 214a
|season number         = Series 6 (Doctor Who 2005)
| doctor         = [[Eleventh Doctor]]
|series episode number = 1
| companions     = [[Amy Pond]]<!-- To avoid spoiling the rest of the season, do not add that she is a Ganger --><br>[[Rory Williams]]<br>[[River Song]] (guest)
|story number         = 214a
| enemy          = [[The Silence]]<br>[[Little Girl (The Impossible Astronaut)|The Astronaut]] (Extended cameo,True Intentions and Identity Unknown)
|doctor               = Eleventh Doctor
| setting        = <ul><li>[[England]]</li><li>[[World War II]]</li><li>[[Stormcage Containment Facility]]</li><li>[[22nd April]], [[Utah]], [[United States of America|USA]], [[2011]]</li><li>[[White House]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States of America|USA]], [[8th April|8th]] [[April]] [[1969]]</li><li>[[Florida]], [[8th April|8th]] [[April]] [[1969]]</li></ul>
|companions           = [[Amy Pond|Amy]], [[River Song|River]], [[Rory Williams|Rory]]
| writer         = [[Steven Moffat]]
|featuring            = Canton Everett Delaware III|Canton
| director       = [[Toby Haynes]]  
|featuring2            = Richard Nixon
| producer       = [[Marcus Wilson]]
|featuring3            = Melody Pond (Prequel to The Impossible Astronaut)
| broadcast date = [[23rd April]] [[2011]]
|featuring4            = Charles II{{!}}Charles II
| confidential   = [[Coming to America]]
|enemy                = [[Silent]]s
| format         = 1x 45 minute episode
|setting              = {{il|[[Lake Silencio]], [[22 April]] [[2011]]|[[Washington DC]] and [[Florida]], [[8 April]] [[1969]]}}
| production code = 2.1
|writer               = Steven Moffat
| previous story = [[Time (TV story)|Time]]
|director             = [[Toby Haynes]]
| next story      = [[Day of the Moon]]
|producer             = [[Marcus Wilson]]
}}{{TV stub}}{{Semi-protect}}
|broadcast date       = 23 April 2011
'''''The Impossible Astronaut''''' was the first episode of the [[Series 6 (Doctor Who)|sixth series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''.  This story is perhaps most notable as the first opening two-parter of the [[BBC Wales]] series. Behind the scenes, it was notable for the significant amount of location filming with cast and crew travelling to [[Utah]] in the [[United States of America]].  
|network              = BBC One
|confidential         = Coming to America (CON episode)
|format               = 1x45 minute episode
|production code       = 2.1
|prev                  = A Christmas Carol (TV story)
|next                  = Day of the Moon (TV story)
|made prev            = Night Terrors (TV story)
|made next             = Day of the Moon (TV story)
|trailer              = Doctor Who The Impossible Astronaut - Series 6, Episode 1 Trailer - BBC One
|clip                  = The day the Doctor dies! - Doctor Who - The Impossible Astronaut - Series 6 - BBC
|clip2                = {{uc:Doctor Who clip}} 2
|clip3                = The Doctor in the White House - Doctor Who - The Impossible Astronaut - Series 6 - BBC
}}{{you may|The Impossible Astronaut & Day of the Moon (reference book)|n1=the reference book of the same name}}
'''''The Impossible Astronaut''''' was the first episode of [[Series 6 (Doctor Who 2005)|series 6]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''.


Narratively, it saw the reappearance of [[River Song]] with some insight into her back story. Yet again, questions of her trustworthiness were posed. Additionally, it introduced [[the Silence]] as a species, building on the references of the [[Series 5 (Doctor Who)|previous series]].
It brought into perspective a fiendish plot to kill [[the Doctor]] and its ultimate outcome, leading his [[companion]]s to believe he was going to die in the far future. This story is perhaps most notable as the first opening two-parter of the [[BBC Wales]] series. Behind the scenes, it was notable for the significant amount of location filming with cast and crew travelling to [[Utah]] in the [[United States of America]].


==Synopsis==
Narratively, it saw the reappearance of [[River Song]] with some insight into her backstory. Yet again, questions of her trustworthiness were posed. Additionally, it built on the references of the [[Series 5 (Doctor Who 2005)|previous series]] to "[[the Silence]]". Furthermore, it featured the formal introduction of the [[Silent]] species that inspired the order in the first place.
Four envelopes, numbered 2, 3 and 4, each containing a date, time and map reference, unsigned, but TARDIS blue: who sent them? And who received the missing envelope numbered 1? This strange summons reunites the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret the Doctor's friends must never reveal to him. Placing his life entirely in their hands, the Doctor agrees to search for the recipient of the fourth envelope and figure out just who Canton Everett Delaware the Third is. Also what is the relevance of their only other clue: 'Space 1969'? Their quest lands them—quite literally—in the Oval Office, where they are enlisted by President Nixon to assist enigmatic former-FBI agent Canton in saving a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman. <ref>http://doctorwho.bbcamerica.com/seasons/6/episodes/1</ref>
 
Unknown to the viewers at the time, [[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|another adventure]] was taking place right before the astronaut killed the Doctor; due to the complicated nature of time, Amy and Rory retained no memory of this until after ''[[The God Complex (TV story)|The God Complex]]''.
 
== Synopsis ==
[[Amy Pond]], [[Rory Williams]], [[River Song]] and the [[Eleventh Doctor]] receive a mysterious summons that takes them on an adventure to [[21st century]] [[Utah]] and [[Florida]] in [[1969]].
 
Along the way they meet [[Richard Nixon]], [[President of America|president]] of the [[United States of America]], and former [[FBI]] agent [[Canton Everett Delaware III]].


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
In the [[17th century]], [[Charles II]] bursts into a room, questioning [[Matilda (The Impossible Astronaut)|Matilda]], who is present, as to [[Eleventh Doctor|the Doctor]]’s whereabouts. By her stands ''"[[My Mysterious Doctor]]"'', a painting of the [[Time Lord]]. She asks [[The "Doctor Who?" running joke|“Doctor Who?”]]. An audible sneeze comes from beneath her skirt and the man lifts its hem with his [[sword]] to find the Doctor hiding naked underneath, explaining that it is not as bad as it seems.
In the [[17th century]], [[Charles II]] furiously bursts into the [[painter]] [[Matilda (The Impossible Astronaut)|Matilda's]] room, demanding to know the [[Eleventh Doctor]]'s location. By her stands [[painting (The Impossible Astronaut)|a painting]] of the Doctor covering himself with a [[red]] cloth; his clothes are strewn about the room. She asks, "Doctor ''who''?" in an embarrassed tone. Before she can speak further, a loud sneeze comes from beneath her [[skirt]]. The king lifts its hem with his [[sword]] to find the Doctor [[nudity|naked]] underneath. With the king scowling at him, the Doctor explains that things are not as bad as they look.
 
In [[2011]], [[Amy Pond]] reads to her husband, [[Rory Williams]], from a history book in their home; it is an account of "a mysterious doctor" imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]] on order of the king, without trial. Rory doubts it is ''the'' Doctor until Amy reads he was seen flying away from the Tower two days later via a [[balloon|magical sphere]]. With Rory now believing, Amy then notices there's more of the Doctor's exploits listed.
 
The Doctor is next seen taking part in a break-out from a POW camp during [[World War II]]. When the Doctor is asked by a fellow escapee if they have gotten past the fence, the Doctor pops his head down a duct. He asks if the Commandant's room is green with a big flag on the wall as dogs and angry yells are heard. The Doctor figures the answer's "yes", as he's pulled back out by the Germans.
 
[[File:Amy-recieves-letter.jpg|thumb|left|Amy opens the TARDIS blue envelope.]]
Amy wonders if the Doctor is being deliberately ridiculous to catch their attention — "waving through time". However, Rory shrugs the theory off as Amy complains about watching a [[Laurel and Hardy]] film again. The doorbell rings and Amy gets up to answer it. Rory looks in the book to see if Amy is right, missing a part of the film where a [[fez]]-wearing Doctor dances with the characters. Receiving their mail, Amy goes through it to find a [[TARDIS blue]] envelope plastered with stamps and labelled with the number 3. It holds an unsigned card with a map reference, date and time. They easily [[deduce]] it's from the Doctor.


In [[2011]], [[Amy Pond]] and [[Rory Williams]] are in their kitchen. Amy reads an account of how the Doctor was imprisoned in the [[Tower of London]] without trial on the personal request of the [[king]]. Rory is not certain that it is ''the'' Doctor until Amy reads that he was seen flying from the tower two days later on a sphere. Rory ''now'' believes it is the Doctor. She reads of how the Doctor took part in a [[World War II]] breakout from a POW camp, (which didn't end up so good for him in the flashback.)
In the [[52nd century]], [[River Song]] has an identical letter, marked number 2, delivered to her cell at [[Stormcage Containment Facility]]. Upon reading it, she smiles. The prison goes on alert as soon as they find River packing her belongings (again). When questioned about ''where'' she's going, River tells them she's heading for [[America]], which the guards mistake for a planet.


Amy ponders whether he is being deliberately ridiculous in non-important historical settings in order to gain their attention. Rory is distracted and so doesn’t see the Doctor waving at the camera in a scene from a [[Laurel and Hardy]] film. Amy answers the door and is handed her post. She finds a letter in a TARDIS blue envelope. There is no name in the letter but it gives her a map reference, a time and a date. In [[Stormcage Containment Facility]], [[River Song]] receives an identical letter. The prison goes on alert after [[prison Guard (The Impossible Astronaut)|a guard]] warns that she is packing and planning to go to a "planet" called America.
In the middle of the [[Utah]] desert, Amy and Rory depart a [[bus]]; Rory complains that there is nothing around them. As the bus leaves, they are happily greeted by the Doctor, now wearing a [[Stetson]] and sitting on the bonnet of a car. After exchanging greetings, Rory compliments the Doctor's hat. Just as the Doctor explains that it's the latest in his "cool" ensemble, his hat is shot off by River, who promptly greets him.


Rory and Amy arrive in [[Utah]] where they are greeted by the Doctor. River arrives shortly after, once again shooting off the Doctor's hat. In a café, the Doctor and River compare diaries. They have both “done” [[Easter Island]] and met [[Jim the Fish]]. The Doctor says that they're going somewhere new and different; space in [[1969]].
At a cafe, the Doctor and River compare diaries, finding that they have both had an adventure at [[Easter Island]] and met [[Jim the Fish]]. Rory becomes confused until Amy explains. Amy then asks why the Doctor summoned them to America. The Doctor explains that he has been running faster than he's ever had before, but he's decided to stop; they are going to have a [[picnic]] and then go on a trip to "Space [[1969]]".


They move to sit by a lake, where they have a picnic. The Doctor tries [[wine]] again, immediately disliking it, then mentions in passing that he's 1,103 years old; this means he's about 200 years older than the last time Amy and Rory saw him. Amy sees a mysterious figure watching them from a distance but as she turns away to mention him, she forgets all about him.
They picnic by [[Lake Silencio|a lake]], where they drink [[wine]]; the Doctor spits it out in disgust, commenting he's 1103 years old — nearly two hundred years older than when Amy and Rory last saw him. Amy spots a [[Silent|figure]] watching them from a distant cliff, but forgets about it when she looks away. Not long after, an elderly man pulls up in a truck and waves but makes no move to join them. The Doctor seems to know who the old man is and waves back.


Behind them [[Canton Delaware|an elderly man]] pulls up in his car and waits, and from the water [[Little Girl (The Impossible Astronaut)|an astronaut]] rises wearing an [[Apollo 11]]-style space suit.
River gasps, "Oh my God". While everyone else is facing the old man, she has been watching the lake. The other three turn around to see an astronaut rising out of the water, wearing an Apollo-style [[space suit]]. Spotting it, the Doctor orders his friends that they're [[Fixed point in time|not to interfere no matter what happens]]. He approaches the astronaut, who waits for him at the edge of the lake. The Doctor lets the wearer of the suit know he already knows their identity, and the astronaut's visor is lifted. The Doctor talks with the astronaut for a bit, leaving his [[companion]]s confused as to what they're doing. The astronaut raises its arm and shoots the Doctor.


[[File:Dining on the sand.jpg|thumb|left|180px|The Doctor dines with his friends.]]
[[File:Regeration.jpg|thumb|The Doctor begins to regenerate.]]
The Doctor tells Amy, Rory, and River not to interfere, no matter what, and moves to meet the astronaut. Out of earshot of the others, the Doctor announces that he knows who is within the suit. The astronaut suddenly shoots him twice, initiating the Doctor's eleventh [[regeneration]], but fires again before the transformation can begin, causing the Doctor to truly die. The astronaut then retreats into the water, unfazed by the bullets River Song fires.
Amy tries running to the Doctor, but River and Rory restrain her. The Doctor picks himself up as Amy calls out to him; he's begun his eleventh [[regeneration]]. He apologises to his friends and prepares to regenerate. However, the astronaut shoots him in mid-process, killing him before his transformation can complete. As the astronaut heads back into the lake, River scans the Doctor, finding no pulse, and empties her gun shooting at the astronaut before it submerges, failing to get a hit. Amy is distraught, hoping the Doctor is a clone/copy of him.


The elderly man then approaches and hands the grieving trio a canister of gasoline; he, too, was invited to this meeting. They orchestrate a Viking-style funeral by burning the Doctor’s body aboard a boat to prevent his body from being studied. The man shows them that he too has an envelope: number four. Rory and Amy have three and River has two. He then tells them that his name is Canton Delaware, and that they will be seeing him again soon thought he would not himself.
However, the stranger approaches to tell the group that the Doctor is truly dead and places a container of gasoline next to them; the Doctor told him they would need it. River explains that a [[Time Lord]]'s body is one of the most sought-after things in the universe. Spotting a boat moored across the lake, Rory performs a [[Viking]]-style funeral to burn the Doctor's corpse. River wonders who the old man is, and he shows them an envelope like the ones they had received, labelled with a number 4. Greeting Amy, Rory and River by name, the old man introduces himself as [[Canton Everett Delaware III]], explaining that he will not see them again, but they will see him.


River, Rory, and Amy return to the café and find letter number one on a table. They ask the owner who was seated there but he only replies “some guy”. They turn and the Doctor emerges from a side door - fully alive and unharmed. The Doctor greets his companions happily, acting completely oblivious to their stunned expressions until a furious River slaps him. His companions eventually come to realise that this is a younger version of the Doctor, by some two hundred years. He was invited here by his older self, just the same as the others, and seems completely unaware of what they have just witnessed. They tell him that they have been "hired" by someone he trusts the most and it involves the year 1969 and a man named Canton Delaware III.
Seeing the number on Canton's invitation, River begins pondering who got number 1. As they return to the cafe, Rory and River want to know what the Doctor planned. Amy insists that it doesn't matter anymore, but because it mattered to the Doctor, Rory and River say it's important to them. Across the cafe, Rory spots another invitation on a table, labelled number 1; they question an employee about who had it, but he's vague and uncaring about their question. Obviously, this letter was addressed to the person the Doctor trusted most; River wonders who it is.


They return to the TARDIS and River tells Rory and Amy that they cannot tell the Doctor of his upcoming death, while the Doctor is reluctant to go to a location a mysterious person summons him to. Amy manages to get the Doctor to trust her and not to ask why he is doing the mission, by swearing on the meal they shared the first time they met ([[Fish finger]]s and [[Custard|custard]]).
Much to their shock, the Doctor steps out of the back room, which is where [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] is parked. He greets them happily, surprised they are all here. Amy wonders how he can be okay, getting hugged by the Doctor, who names himself the "King of Okay" (before discarding the title) and who calls Amy's husband "Rory the Roman". Getting to River, the Doctor wonders what trouble she's brought with her this time. River slaps him in fury, prompting him to ask if it's for something he hasn't done yet; upon learning that it is, the Doctor says he's looking forward to it. They wonder how he can be there and the Doctor says that he was invited like they were. With Amy and Rory still confused, River asks the Doctor to tell them his age, which is 909; he has not even met Jim the Fish yet. River says they've been hired by someone who trusts him to investigate something involving Space 1969, and a man called Canton Everett Delaware III. When the Doctor asks who hired them, River simply answers, "Spoilers".


They use the TARDIS to travel back to 1969, and land in the Oval Office after switching the TARDIS to a setting in which it is invisible and silent. The Doctor emerges alone and listens to President [[Richard Nixon]] and a young Canton Delaware as they discuss the president being called by a unknown person every day. The Doctor makes notes as a recording of one call is played, in which Nixon speaks with a young child of indeterminate gender. When the President asks the child for their name, the response is “Jefferson Adams Hamilton”.
In the TARDIS, the Doctor prepares to enter the clues River gave him into the TARDIS navigation system. River and Amy go under the console floor. When the Doctor asks Rory if they're mad at him, Rory says that he'll find out and follows after. Out of earshot, River explains to Amy that they saw a future version of the Doctor die at [[Lake Silencio]]; they cannot tell this Doctor of his coming death. As he has interacted with his own time stream, any foreknowledge could rip a hole in the universe should he find out. Amy reminds them that the Doctor has interacted with his past before; however, Rory points out that "in fairness, the universe ''did'' blow up". They ponder if the Doctor recruited them to avenge him, save him, or something else.


Canton and Nixon become aware of the Doctor's presence, and the [[Secret Service]] is called in. They quickly overwhelm the Doctor and the TARDIS becomes visible per the Doctor's request. The Doctor proposes to sort out the mysterious calls and pretends to be an undercover agent sent from [[Scotland Yard]]. Canton agrees, telling the Doctor he has five minutes to solve the mystery.
Popping his head under the floor, the Doctor complains that he is being utterly brilliant and no one's around to look impressed before resuming fiddling with the console. River expresses her anger about wanting to slap him for his smugness. Amy asks her how she can be okay with the Doctor dying, and River explains that everyone dies eventually and that neither the Doctor's death nor her own frighten her, as there is a worse day coming for her. All three head back up to the Doctor. He explains that the clues he was given lead to the [[Oval Office]] 1969, [[8 April|April 8th]]. However, he says that he is returning Amy and Rory home — "Off you pop and make babies" — while River is going back to prison. He explains that he will not go on a mysterious summons, wondering who sent them and why.


Amy sees the mysterious creature again, more clearly now as it stands out in the hallway, just a few feet from her. Rory blocks her vision and she again forgets what she has seen. She feels ill and asks to go the toilet. Canton allows her to do so. She enters to find [[the Silence|the alien]] waiting for her. As she looks at it, she remembers the previous sightings that she forgot. [[Joy|A woman]] emerges from one of the cubicles and sees the alien, thinking its one of her co-workers wearing a ''[[Star Trek]]'' mask. She looks towards Amy and forgets that the alien is even there, then looks again and repeats the same words, before looking back to Amy and forgetting ''again''. She looks to the alien for a third time, and this time, she stops herself from repeating the same phrase, remembering like Amy the previous sightings she had forgotten. The alien then kills her with [[electricity]]. The alien tells Amy that the woman's name was Joy, and cryptically instructs Amy to “tell the Doctor what he must know, and what he must ''never'' know”. Amy then exits and immediately forgets - but not before taking a photo of the alien on her cell phone. She returns to the Oval Office.
River tries to get the Doctor to trust them, but he turns the tables on her by asking who she is and who she killed to get imprisoned in [[Stormcage]]; he does not trust her. Amy then asks the Doctor to trust her instead, saying he must go on the summons and not ask why. The Doctor questions Amy to see if she's been threatened to say this, but she says no. He then asks her to swear on something that matters, to which Amy says, ''[[fish custard|fish fingers and custard]]'', their first shared meal. Smiling, the Doctor says, "My life in your hands, Amelia Pond." River softly thanks Amy for getting the Doctor to comply with his own order.


[[File:Doc in Oval Office.jpg|thumb|180px|The Doctor dissects the problem.]]
He sets the TARDIS for 1969, checking to see who's [[President of America|president]] during that time, learning it's [[Richard Nixon]], who was not exactly his favourite due to the events that happened during his tenure. River calls him a hippy for such views. The Doctor tells his [[companion]]s that he is going to turn the TARDIS [[invisibility|invisible]] and put it on "silent" to avoid drawing attention. However, each time he flips switches to initiate the process, River uses other ones to turn off loud noises and lights he has activated by accident. Each time, the Doctor asks her if she did something to help, but River lies and says that she is only watching; she's secretly enjoying watching the Doctor make a fool out of himself by failing to get the settings right.
The Doctor finds the only place the calls can be coming from. Another call from the mysterious caller is answered by Nixon. while the Doctor and his companions, plus Canton, leave in the TARDIS. The Doctor tells the others that Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton are three of America’s founding fathers, and that "Jefferson Adams Hamilton" isn't the name of the little boy calling (for indeed, it is a little girl), but the name of three streets that intersect near where the child is calling from; the girl had been trying to tell the President where she was, not who she was. He further reveals that the only place in the United States with those three street names on one junction is an area five miles from [[Cape Kennedy Space Center]].


Rory explains to a stunned Canton that the TARDIS is bigger on the inside as he is the newest companion beforehand. They search a building at the junction, unaware of the astronaut’s presence. Amy suggests to River the idea of neutralising the astronaut now to prevent it from killing the Doctor in the future. However, River tells Amy that it doesn’t work that way due to the nature of time travel being ''very'' complicated.
[[File:Doctorinovaloffice.jpg|thumb|left|The Doctor realises he's been seen.]]
On landing, the Doctor explains that the monitor doesn't work while the TARDIS is invisible, deciding to exit to see what's out there. Everyone prepares to disembark, but the Doctor tells them that since they're "in the most powerful city, in the most powerful country on [[Earth]]", they're going to take things slowly; he exits by himself. The Doctor exits into the Oval Office, where Nixon is meeting with a younger Canton Delaware. Nixon wants Canton to conduct an investigation independent of the [[FBI]], from which Canton was recently fired, to find a child who has been calling him every night, begging for help because the "spaceman" is coming to eat her. Nixon plays Canton a recording of a call, in which Nixon asks the child where she is and what her name is. The child answers, "Jefferson Adams Hamilton", which has led Nixon to mistakenly believe the caller is a little boy. Canton feels the FBI can handle this, but Nixon fears they may be in on it, which is why he called him in; he's not with them but has the training.


River discovers a tube leading down through a drain. She heads down once and finds a secret tunnel filed with the mysterious aliens, and quickly runs up to warn the Doctor. However, she forgets they are there and says she will take another look, perhaps out of subconcious memory. The Doctor sends Rory with River this time, out of concern. This time, the tunnel is empty and River opens a locked room, entering a large cavern. In the center sits a structure akin to a TARDIS console.
The Doctor, who has been taking notes, then notices that they have stopped talking and realises that they have seen him. He begins rambling as he backs up to the TARDIS. However, he bumps into it, knocking himself down. Inside, River complains about how he does this "every time". The Doctor explains the doors getting stuck happens commonly while the TARDIS is invisible. However, Canton pins him down as [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] agents swarm the office. He yells for them to stop and get off of him.


[[File:Astronaut framed.jpg|left|180px|thumb|The astronaut approaches the Doctor and Amy.]]
River gets the monitor working by hard-wiring it, laughing that the Doctor is usually wrong about how the TARDIS functions. As the monitor displays the Doctor, he asks River if she's gotten the monitor working again; this leads to their usual, "I hate him"/"No you don't" exchange. The Doctor yells for River to make the TARDIS visible again; River complies with the order, throwing switches on the console. The Doctor smiles as the Secret Service let him go and stare at the TARDIS. A shocked Nixon simply asks, "What the hell is that?"
They set off an alarm and Rory checks if anything is coming. He sees many of the aliens but forgets as soon as he turns to warn River, telling her the hallway is clear. River, using one of her devices, discovers that the tunnels cover the Earth and have been around for hundreds of years. Electricity crackles behind Rory and something approaches him.


Meanwhile Canton and Amy discuss the former agent's [[FBI]] career; he was kicked out for “attitude problems” as he wanted to get married. Amy hears the little girl calling and runs to the Doctor; Canton runs on ahead of them and they quickly follow...
The Doctor sits in Nixon's seat and addresses him, prompting the Secret Service to point their guns at him. He goes on to say that the mysterious caller told him everything he needed to know; they can find the child. The Doctor says he will take the case. He then taunts the Secret Service by bragging about how he broke into the Oval Office. River comes out of the TARDIS, reminding him they're [[American]]s, prompting the Doctor to tell them not to shoot. Amy and Rory depart the TARDIS as well. When Nixon questions who they are, the Doctor claims to be an undercover agent on loan from [[Metropolitan Police Service|Scotland Yard]] while his companions Amy, Rory and River are his top operatives: the [[Leg]]s, the [[Nose]], and [[Mrs Robinson]]. Upon hearing her codename, River tells the Doctor she hates him; the Doctor once again tells her that she doesn't.


However, they find him unconscious after he yelled from something hitting him. As they examine Canton to make sure he's okay, Amy tells the Doctor that she is [[pregnant]] after having trouble trying to get him to listen. They then turn to see the astronaut, who begins to lift its faceplate. Despite River's warnings, Amy picks up Canton's [[firearm|gun]] as the the faceplate is fully lifted to reveal - the little girl who was calling the President for help. Before Amy can see the little girl, she fires off a shot much to the Doctor's and her horror.
Explaining that he figured out where the caller is from by what Canton and Nixon heard, the Doctor asks for five minutes to figure out the case. Despite protest from the head of the Secret Service in the office, Canton points out to Nixon that the Doctor got past the Secret Service with three of his friends and a big blue box; the Doctor will be given his allotted time, but with Canton promising to shoot him if he doesn't deliver a solution. The Doctor asks for a [[SWAT]] team ready to mobilise, street-level maps covering all of [[Florida]], a pot of [[coffee]], 12 [[Jammie Dodger]]s and a [[fez]]. Canton orders the Secret Service to get the Doctor his maps, leaving the Doctor saddened about not getting the rest. When questioned, "Why Florida," the Doctor explains that's where [[NASA]] is, where the spacemen live; he's also following another lead.


==Cast==
[[File:Shocker.jpg|thumb|right|A ruthless [[Silent|alien]] murders [[Joy (The Impossible Astronaut)|a woman]] in front of Amy.]]
*[[Eleventh Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Matt Smith]]
While researching the street maps, Amy sees [[Silent|a mysterious, suited alien]] standing in the doorway of the Oval Office, and remembers their encounter on the shore of the lake. However, she forgets as soon as Rory blocks her view. Feeling ill, she is escorted to the bathroom, where she finds the alien waiting for her. [[Joy (The Impossible Astronaut)|A woman]] who is also in the bathroom is vaporised by the alien after seeing and forgetting it numerous times. Amy, realising the alien's power, takes a picture of it with her camera [[Mobile phone|phone]]. Amy asks what it wants; it cryptically says she will tell the Doctor "what he must know and what he must ''never'' know". She asks how it knows that, but immediately flees in fear. As soon as she gets out of the bathroom, Amy forgets the encounter but remembers there is something she needs to tell the Doctor.
*[[Amy Pond]] - [[Karen Gillan]]
*[[Rory Williams]] - [[Arthur Darvill]]
*[[River Song]] - [[Alex Kingston]]
*[[Canton Delaware]] - [[Mark Sheppard]]
*Old [[Canton Delaware]] - [[William Morgan Sheppard]]
*[[Richard Nixon|President Richard Nixon]] - [[Stuart Milligan]]
*[[Carl (The Impossible Astronaut)|Carl]] - [[Chukwudi Iwuji]]
*[[Phil (The Impossible Astronaut)|Phil]] - [[Mark Griffin]]
*[[The Silence|The Silent]] - [[Marnix Van Den Broeke]]
*[[Little Girl (The Impossible Astronaut)|Little Girl]] - [[Sydney Wade]]
*[[Joy]] - [[Nancy Baldwin]]
*[[Prison Guard (The Impossible Astronaut)|Prison Guard]] - [[Kieran O'Connor]]
*[[Simmons (The Impossible Astronaut)|Captain Simmons]] - [[Adam Napier]]
*[[Matilda (The Impossible Astronaut)|Matilda]] - [[Henrietta Clemett]]
*[[Charles II]] - [[Paul Critoph]]
*[[Busboy]] - [[Emilio Aquino]]


==Crew==
In the Oval Office, the Doctor achieves success, pointing out that it's pretty obvious to figure out where the caller is when you think about it. Canton calls the Doctor a genius, which the Doctor says is a hobby. Nixon gets another call from the child, who says that a spaceman is coming to eat her. Fearing for the girl's life, the Doctor decides that there's no time for a SWAT team and departs with his companions in the TARDIS while Canton tails along after being told not to follow them in — reverse psychology.
*[[Writer]] - [[Steven Moffat]]
*[[Director]] - [[Toby Haynes]]


== References ==
In the TARDIS, the Doctor explains that [[Thomas Jefferson|Jefferson]], [[John Adams|Adams]] and [[Alexander Hamilton|Hamilton]] are the names of three of America's founding fathers; two of them fancied the Doctor. However, none of them are the child's name. At the same time, Canton is bewildered by the inside of the TARDIS and is left speechless. The Doctor goes on to explain that there is only one place in America where all three of those names are together. Amy asks where, and the Doctor lands the TARDIS. They rush for the doors but find Canton blocking the way out. The Doctor, Amy and River leave Rory to explain things to Canton as he's the newest companion.
===[[:Category:The Doctor|The Doctor]]===
*An older Eleventh Doctor who is 1,103 years old, begins to [[Regeneration|regenerate]], but is killed before the process completes.
*The younger Doctor states his current age as 909 years old.
*The Doctor says that he is late for a [[Aeroplane|biplane]] lesson in [[1911]] but gets confused and wonders if it is actually knitting.
*The Eleventh Doctor still dislikes [[Alcohol|wine]].
*The Doctor claims that two of the founding fathers mentioned in the girl's message fancied him, although he doesn't identify which two.


===[[:Category:Films from the real world|Films]] & TELEVISION===
They've materialised in a warehouse in Florida, just a few miles from [[Cape Kennedy]]; Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton are the three streets which cross right outside the window. As they explore the warehouse, the Doctor admits they have likely walked into a trap and the phone line has been cut, leading to the question as to how the girl called from there. Meanwhile, Rory attempts to explain the TARDIS and time travel to a stunned Canton, who eventually recovers; Canton tells the Doctor that he likes the TARDIS.
*Amy Pond and Rory Williams watch a Laurel & Hardy film, ''The Flying Deuces'', on television.
*This story shares numerous similarities with the 1988 John Carpenter film ''They Live, ''in which the primary protagonist discovers a hidden alien race living amongst humans and using subliminal messages to influence their development.
*The Doctor refers to River Song as Mrs. Robinson - a character from the 1967 film ''The Graduate''.
*The Silents are reminiscent and look a bit like the villians known as The Gentlemen in ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' episode ''Hush'' (S04E10). The Gentlemen steal townspeople's voices so they can't scream while their hearts are being cut out. Much of the episode takes place in silence.


===[[:Category:Fashion and clothing|Fashion and clothing]]===
They discover a console made of cables, coated in some sort of slime, and many boxes of Apollo space equipment. This leads to the question as to why aliens would steal [[Earth]] technology when it could barely get to [[the Moon]]. The Doctor believes it may be because it's cooler, suggesting that aliens are cool. While the Doctor, Rory and Canton are busy examining the stolen objects, Amy suggests to River that they find some way to kill the astronaut now to prevent it from killing the Doctor in the future. River admits time can be rewritten, but it is very complicated and doesn't work in the way that Amy hopes, so there's no guarantee that the Doctor can be saved.
*The Doctor is shown wearing a [[fez]] in a Laurel & Hardy film, ''The Flying Deuces''.
*The 1,103 year old Doctor is wearing a Stetson hat, and proclaims that "Stetsons are cool". As with the [[fez|last time]] he tried to adopt headgear, it is promptly dealt with by River Song's gun.


===[[:Category:Foods and beverages|Foods and beverages]]===
River finds a drain leading into a tunnel network below the warehouse. The Doctor tells her to yell if there's trouble; River jokes that she's a real screamer, a good spoiler for him. Canton asks what's going on; the Doctor misunderstands what he means and explains that he and River are just friends. Below, River sees many aliens of the same type Amy saw in the [[White House]], but they appear to be hibernating. She forgets them as soon as she climbs back to warn the Doctor. She says that it is safe but that she wants to take another look. The Doctor sends Rory down with her this time to make sure she stays safe.
*The Doctor thought wine would taste more like 'the gums', referring to wine gums.
*The Doctor asks for twelve [[Jammy Dodger]]s.


===[[:Category:Years|Years]]===
They discover a maintenance room, which River proceeds to open with her [[River Song's scanner|scanner]]. When Rory says it's easy to picture her and the Doctor as a couple, River explains her relationship with the Doctor: their timelines are mostly going in opposite directions of each other, meaning each time she meets him, he knows her less and she knows him more. She fears one day she will meet the Doctor and he will have no idea who she is, believing that it will kill her when it happens. She succeeds in unlocking the door, opening it to find a large control console like the TARDIS and the one that the Doctor encountered during [[The Lodger (TV story)|his stay]] with [[Craig Owens]]. River tells Rory to keep a lookout for anything odd. Rory sees some of the aliens, but when he turns to tell River, he says everything is okay. Scanning the console, River learns that there are tunnels like the one they're in all over Earth and that they've been here for thousands of years. Behind Rory, [[electricity]] crackles and something approaches.
*The Doctor states that the year 1482 is full of glitches, but also says 1969 is 'easy'. This suggests that some years are harder to travel to than others.


===[[:Category:TARDIS|TARDIS]]===
Above, Canton and Amy discuss the former agent's FBI career; he was kicked out because he wanted to get married. He questions her relationship with the Doctor, but Amy explains that he is only her friend and there was something important that she wanted to tell him, but seems to have forgotten. Still wondering who the mysterious Doctor is, Canton asks, "Doctor Who?"; Amy says that it's classified. When he asks by whom, Amy can only say, "God knows", as she has no idea. They hear the little girl calling for help and run after her. Amy crumples with pain while Canton runs ahead. Canton calls for the Doctor to hurry, and Amy tells the Doctor that there is something ''very'' important that she has to tell him.
*The Doctor makes the TARDIS invisible when he materializes in the Oval Office. The Doctor states that this causes a huge drain on the TARDIS energy. When he tries to re-enter the TARDIS, he smashes into it.
 
*The Doctor also manages to land the TARDIS silently.
As they run after Canton, they find him unconscious; he got a good blow to the head. As the Doctor examines Canton to see if he's been badly injured, Amy tells him that she's [[pregnancy|pregnant]]. Before he reacts to this, he spots the astronaut approaching them. Amy recognises it from the lakeside and turns to pick up Canton's gun. Her back is turned when the astronaut lifts its faceplate, revealing the little girl is inside. Amy spins to shoot the astronaut but is unable to stop when the Doctor tells her to and fires.
*The Doctor claims that the TARDIS scanner cannot be activated when the TARDIS is invisible. This is later shown to be an exaggeration, as River makes adjustments inside the TARDIS and operates the scanner, as the Doctor's later dialogue indicates he had expected her to do.
 
== Cast ==
* [[Eleventh Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Matt Smith]]
* [[Amy Pond]] - [[Karen Gillan]]
* [[Rory Williams|Rory]] - [[Arthur Darvill]]
* [[River Song]] - [[Alex Kingston]]
* [[Canton Everett Delaware III|Canton Delaware]] - [[Mark Sheppard]]
* [[Canton Everett Delaware III|Old Canton Delaware]] - [[William Morgan Sheppard]]
* [[Silent|The Silent]] - [[Marnix Van Den Broeke]]
* [[Richard Nixon|President Richard Nixon]] - [[Stuart Milligan]]
* [[Carl Peterson|Carl]] - [[Chukwudi Iwuji|Chuk Iwuji]]
* [[Phil (The Impossible Astronaut)|Phil]] - [[Mark Griffin]]
* [[Melody Pond (Prequel to The Impossible Astronaut)|Little girl]] - [[Sydney Wade]]
* [[Joy (The Impossible Astronaut)|Joy]] - [[Nancy Baldwin]]
* [[Prison guard (The Impossible Astronaut)|Prison guard]] - [[Kieran O'Connor]]
* [[Simmons (The Impossible Astronaut)|Captain Simmons]] - [[Adam Napier]]
* [[Matilda (The Impossible Astronaut)|Matilda]] - [[Henrietta Clemett]]
* [[Charles II|Charles]] - [[Paul Critoph]]
* [[Busboy (The Impossible Astronaut)|Busboy]] - [[Emilio Aquino]]
 
== Crew ==
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|1stAD=Martin Curry
|2ndAD=James DeHaviland
|3rdAD=Heddi-Joy Taylor-Welch
|AD=Jay Harley{{!}}Janine H Jones <nowiki>[Jay Harley]</nowiki>
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|FloorRunner3=
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|LocationAssistant=Geraint Williams
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|ProductionCoOrdinator=Claire Hildred
|AsstProductionCoOrdinator=Helen Blyth
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|Driver2=
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|AssistantProductionAccountant3=
|ContractsAssistant=
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|ScriptEditor=Caroline Henry
|ScriptEditor2=
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|ScriptSupervisor=Caroline Holder
|Continuity=
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|CameraOperator2=
|BCameraOperator=
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|FocusPuller=Steve Rees
|FocusPuller2=Jonathan Vidgen
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|AssistantGrip=Owen Charnley
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|CameraAsst3=Matthew Lepper
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|BoomOperator=
|BoomOperator2=
|SoundMaintenanceEngineer=Jeff Welch
|SoundMaintenanceEngineer2=Dafydd Parry
|Gaffer=Mark Hutchings
|BestBoy=Pete Chester
|Electrician=Ben Griffiths
|Electrician2=Bob Milton
|Electrician3=Stephen Slocombe
|Electrician4=Alan Tippets
|StuntCoOrdinator=Crispin Layfield
|StuntCoOrdinator2=
|Choreographer=Ailsa Berk
|Wires=
|Stunt=
|Stunt2=
|Stunt3=
|Stunt4=
|Stunt5=
|Stunt6=
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|ChiefSupervisingArtDirector=
|SupervisingArtDirector=Stephen Nicholas
|ArtDirector=
|AssistantArtDirector=Jackson Pope
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|AssociateDesigner=
|ProductionBuyer=Ben Morris (crew){{!}}Ben Morris
|SetDecorator=Julian Luxton
|PropsBuyer=Catherine Samuel
|PettyCashBuyer=Kate Wilson (crew)
|StandbyArtDirector=Amy Pickwoad
|ASupervisingArtDirector=
|SetDesigner=
|StoryboardArtist=
|ConceptArtist=Richard Shaun Williams
|ConceptArtist2=
|DesignAssistant=Dan Martin
|DesignAssistant2=
|DesignAssistant3=
|DesignAssistant4=
|CyfleTrainee=
|GraphicArtist=Christina Tom
|Draughtsman=Julia Jones
|StandbyProps=Phil Shellard
|StandbyProps2=Katherine Archer
|StandbyProps3=
|StandbyCarpenter=Will Pope
|StandbyRigger=Bryan Griffiths
|StandbyPainter=Helen Atherton
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|ConstructionChargehand=Scott Fisher
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|CostumeAsst=Jason Gill
|CostumeAsst2=Yasemin Kascioglu
|CostumeAsst3=Emma Jones
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|Make-upSupervisor=Pam Mullins
|Make-upArtist=Vivienne Simpson
|Make-upArtist2=Allison Sing
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|PostProdSupervisor=Nerys Davies
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|FoleyEditor=Jamie Talbutt
|Colourist=Mick Vincent
|Colourist2=
|SeniorVFXArtist=
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|WithThanksTo2=
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|ConductedAndOrchestratedBy=Ben Foster
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|CounterTenor=
|RecordedBy=Gerry O'Riordan
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|CrouchEnd=
|FromIdeaBy=
|Character1=
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|Director=Toby Haynes
|ExecutiveProd=Steven Moffat
|ExecutiveProd2=Piers Wenger
|ExecutiveProd3=Beth Willis
|DedicatedTo=<!--This exact credit never actually used as of April 2010; left for future use-->
|InMemoryOf=Elisabeth Sladen
|Note=[[Rhys Jones (props)|Rhys Jones]] is credited as a "Prop Chargehand" rather than a "Props Chargehand".
|Note2=[[Jay Harley]] was credited under their [[T:ACTOR#Crediting trans people|deadname]] as [[assistant director]].
}}
 
== Worldbuilding ==
=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor is [[909 (number)|909]], though Amy initially believes him to be [[908 (number)|908]].
* An older Eleventh Doctor, who is [[1103 (number)|1103]] years old, begins to [[Regeneration|regenerate]], but is killed before the process completes.
* The Doctor says that he is late for a [[biplane]] lesson in [[1911]] but gets confused and wonders if it is actually a [[knitting]] lesson.
* The Eleventh Doctor still dislikes [[wine]].
* The Doctor coordinates his [[The Eleventh Doctor's diary|diary]] with River's.
* The Doctor owns a 'special' straw which "adds more fizz".
 
=== Individuals ===
* When Joy sees the Silent, she thinks it is [[Ben (The Impossible Astronaut)|Ben]] wearing a ''[[Star Trek]]'' mask.
 
=== Art from the real world ===
 
* In Richard Nixon's office, the portrait of [[George Washington]] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Stuart Gilbert Stuart] and the portrait of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Henry_Harrison William Henry Harrison] by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lambdin James Lambdin] can be seen on the wall.
 
=== Music from the real world ===
* When the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River are in the diner before going to Lake Silencio, "[[Rolling in the Deep]]" is playing in the background.
 
=== Films from the real world ===
* Amy and Rory watch a [[Laurel and Hardy|Laurel & Hardy]] film, ''[[The Flying Deuces]]'', on television.
 
=== Fashion and clothing ===
* The Doctor wears a [[fez]].
* The older Doctor wears a [[Stetson]] hat.
 
=== Foods and beverages ===
* Amy, Rory and the Doctor all get a bottle of [[Coca-Cola]] whilst in the diner.
* The Doctor thought wine would taste more like 'the gums', referring to [[wine gum]]s.
* The Doctor asks for twelve [[Jammie Dodger]]s.
 
=== Years ===
* The Doctor states that the year [[1482]] is full of glitches, but also says [[1969]] is easy.
 
=== Locations ===
* River says that the people of [[Easter Island]] "worshipped" the Doctor.
 
=== References ===
 
* The sequence with the Doctor inserted into ''[[The Flying Deuces]]'' clip is a reference to the [[1992]] [[Academy Award|American Academy Awards]]. Host [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Crystal Billy Crystal] was digitally added into the same clip and was depicted dancing alongside [[Laurel and Hardy]]. In this version, the Doctor begins to dance with Laurel and Hardy at the end of the clip, standing in the same spot that was occupied by Crystal.
* The repeated phrase "Space: 1969" is a reference to the British science fiction series ''[[Space: 1999]]'', which is set on the moon.
* The idea of tunnelling out of a German POW camp is based on actual incidents that occurred during [[World War II]], immortalised in ''[[The Great Escape]]'' and parodied in the ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogan%27s_Heroes Hogan's Heroes]''.
* Joy asks if the Silent is wearing a ''[[Star Trek]]'' mask. Star Trek was cancelled the same year this story takes place, with the last episode airing on 3 June 1969.
* The Doctor calls River Song "Mrs. Robinson", referencing the character from ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Graduate The Graduate]''. Mrs. Robinson has an affair with a younger man, so the nickname may be the Doctor's way of teasing Song about their relationship and the fact that physically she appears to be older than he is. Oddly enough, the Doctor doesn't recognise the reference when River Song calls him 'Benjamin' (her lover) when reenacting the iconic Graduate scene in ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]''.
 
=== Influences ===
 
* [[Steven Moffat]] was a fan of ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_West_Wing The West Wing]'' and wanted to have a scene in the Oval Office.


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
*This episode had the working title '''The Year of the Moon'''<ref>http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-titles-and-date-16375.htm</ref>
[[File:Elizabeth Sladen Memorial Card.jpg|thumb|right|Dedication to the late [[Elisabeth Sladen]].]]
*This is the first two part opening episode of the revived series, and the first since ''[[Attack of the Cybermen]]''.
* The working title for this episode was ''The Year of the Moon''.
*A prequel for this story was released on the official BBC website.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110325_01/The_Prequel_Has_Landed</ref>
* This is the first two-part opening episode of the revived series.
*The monsters in this episode were said to be "the scariest monsters yet".<ref>http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a289472/smith-teases-scary-who-monsters-for-us-eps.html</ref>
* A [[Prequel (The Impossible Astronaut)|prequel for this story]] was released on the official BBC website.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110325_01/The_Prequel_Has_Landed</ref>
*The episode was dedicated to [[Elisabeth Sladen]], who had passed away four days before the episode's initial broadcast. The dedication was shown before the episode on BBC1 and Space, and after the episode on BBC America.
* The monsters in this episode were said to be "the scariest monsters yet".<ref>http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a289472/smith-teases-scary-who-monsters-for-us-eps.html</ref>
*The version supplied for broadcast in the United States and Australia is the first episode of ''Doctor Who'' to have a voiceover introductory sequence before the main titles, with the voice of Amy explaining her relationship with the Doctor.
* The episode was dedicated to [[Elisabeth Sladen]], who passed away four days before the episode's initial broadcast. The dedication was shown before the episode on BBC1 and Space, and after the episode on BBC America. The dedication was omitted from the DVD and Blu-ray release. Due to a typographical error made at the start of her acting career, it displays 1948 as her birth year, when it should say 1946.
*While the local date and time when the [[Eleventh Doctor|Doctor]] is killed is the evening of April 22, 2011, the local date and time in Britain (a 7-hour difference from Utah) would be just after midnight the morning of April 23. Thus, this is the third story in the revived series whose airdate coincides with in-story events (the first being [[DW]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'' on December 25, 2009, and the second being [[DW]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'' on June 26, 2010).  <!--It should be noted that while the REUNION was 4:30pm MDT (11:30pm BST), they then spent time on the road, and the diner, and having a picnic.  30 minutes has certainly passed by the time the Doctor is shot.-->
* The version supplied for broadcast in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Latin America and Italy featured a voiceover introductory sequence before the main titles, with the voice of Amy explaining her relationship with the Doctor. This version is also used on [[Netflix]].
*The attempted [[regeneration]] in this episode occurs in front of six witnesses, the greatest number in the revived series ([[Amy Pond]], [[Rory Williams]], [[River Song]], [[Canton Delaware]], the [[Astronaut]], and a [[Silent]]).
* While the local date and time when the [[Eleventh Doctor|Doctor]] is killed is the evening of the 22nd April 2011, the local date and time in Britain (a seven-hour difference from Utah) would be two minutes after midnight on 23rd April, as [[TV]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler (TV story)|Let's Kill Hitler]]'' establishes the point of death as 5:02pm local time. Thus, this is the third story in the revived series whose airdate coincides with in-story events, the first being [[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'' on [[25 December (releases)|25 December]] [[2009 (releases)|2009]], and the second being [[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'' on [[26 June (releases)|26 June]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]].
*This is the first episode of the revived series to feature a regeneration (albeit an unsuccessful one) outside the TARDIS.
* The attempted [[regeneration]] in this episode occurs in front of six witnesses, the greatest number in the revived series ([[Amy Pond]], [[Rory Williams]], [[River Song]], [[Canton Delaware]], the [[astronaut]], and a [[Silent]]).
*The sequence with the Doctor inserted into the Laurel and Hardy clip is a reference to the 1992 American Academy Awards. Host Billy Crystal was digitally added into the same clip and was depicted dancing alongside Laurel and Hardy. In this version, the Doctor begins to dance with Laurel and Hardy at the end of the clip, standing in the same spot that was occupied by Crystal.
* This is the first episode of the revived series to feature a regeneration, albeit an unsuccessful one outside the TARDIS. However, this regeneration is unveiled as a trick created by the ''Tesselecta'' at the end of Series 6. The first legitimate regeneration outside the TARDIS took place in [[Day of the Moon (TV story)|the next episode]].
*The repeated phrase "Space: 1969" is a reference to the British science fiction series "Space: 1999", which is set on the Moon.
* The Doctor asks the Secret Service agents for a [[SWAT]] team. The first SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team had only been established the year before in 1968 (by Darryl Gates in [[Los Angeles]]) and it's possible the agents might not have even known what the Doctor was talking about.
*The Doctor asks the Secret Service agents for a SWAT team. The first SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team had only been established the year before in 1968 (by Darryl Gates in Los Angeles) and it's possible the agents might not have even known what the Doctor was talking about.
* [[William Morgan Sheppard]] is the real-life father of [[Mark Sheppard]]; the two have portrayed father & son pairs and, as in this episode, older & younger versions of the same character.
*The idea of tunneling out of a German POW camp is based on an actual incident that occurred during World War II, immortalized in the film ''The Great Escape'' and parodied in the television series ''Hogan's Heroes''.
* [[Alex Kingston]] and [[Sydney Wade]] had come off of filming ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marchlands Marchlands]'' in which they played a mother & daughter, immediately prior to filming this episode in which they portrayed older & younger versions of [[River Song|Melody Pond/River Song]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDziWYKQdMw&feature=related Alex Kingston interview, Hurricane Who, 28 June 2012, at 10:36]</ref>
*Joy asks if the Silence is wearing a ''Star Trek'' mask. ''Star Trek'' was cancelled the same year as this story takes place, with the last episode airing on June 3, 1969.
* The Doctor's apparent death and funeral are remarkably similar to a concept from the unproduced TV story ''[[The Dark Dimension (TV story)|The Dark Dimension]]''.
*The Doctor calls River Song "Mrs. Robinson", referencing the character from the film ''The Graduate''. Mrs. Robinson is notorious for having an affair with a younger man, so the nickname may be the Doctor's way of teasing Song about their relationship and the fact that physically she appears to be older than he is.
* Originally, [[Mark Sheppard]] was to wear old age makeup in order to play the 2011 version of Canton. Instead, at Mark's suggestion, [[William Morgan Sheppard]] was cast for the part. The pair had also played two versions of the same character about a year earlier in an episode of ''[[NCIS]]''.
* [[Alex Kingston]] had to genuinely slap [[Matt Smith]] several times in a scene because it was difficult to fake. Kingston recalled that after a few takes, Smith got red cheeked and grew frustrated at having to do the sequence over and over again.
* [[Stuart Milligan]] found the role of [[Richard Nixon]] exciting, having played other presidents in the past, including [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. Prosthetic pieces were applied on Milligan's cheeks, nose, and ears to make him resemble Nixon as much as possible. He also practiced how Nixon would speak, but initially found it difficult since he had to wear fake teeth.
* In filming the "Viking funeral" scene, [[Toby Haynes]] wanted to film it during the sunset. However, the sun set over the desert, so was instead filmed during sunrise, as the sun rose over the water.
* [[Florida]] (to tie into the [[NASA]] element) and [[Mount Rushmore]] were also considered as potential locations.
* In the script, Amy and Rory were dropped off by a truck. [[Toby Haynes]] altered this to a yellow school bus as he felt it was more distinctly American.
* A scene had been written and filmed by got cut because [[Steven Moffat]] felt it was too naughty, which a naked River Song winks at an unknown man. The deleted scene could be glimpsed in the Series 6 trailer.
* While recording the Doctor's apparent demise, [[Alex Kingston]] drew on her knowledge of the season's secrets and decided that River would react in a particularly comforting way towards Amy. [[Karen Gillan]], however, was unaware that their characters would soon be revealed as mother and daughter, and was quietly baffled by Kingston's demeanour.
* [[Karen Gillan]] was genuinely upset while filming The Doctor's 'death' scene and was "acting her heart out".
* [[Karen Gillan]] and [[Chukwudi Iwuji]] would later play enemies in ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._3 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3].''
* [[Florida]] and [[Mount Rushmore]] were considered as potential locations. However, it was eventually decided that Utah and Arizona were the best choices to achieve a setting which would be distinctly different from anything that could be recorded in the United Kingdom.
* This two-parter formed Block Two of season six.
* [[Mark Sheppard]]'s involvement was slotted into a gap in his recording schedule for ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supernatural_(American_TV_series) Supernatural].''
* As with the portraits seen in ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'', the painting of the Doctor was created by Katie Pickwoad, the daughter of production designer [[Michael Pickwoad]].
* [[Steven Moffat]] wanted the season to start with a two-part story in an attempt to begin with more gravity and a wider scope in plot, as well as wanting the episodes to be one of the darker ones in the series. He stated that in his view, this was one of the darker episodes of the series, but still maintained the same level of humour.  
* The inclusion of the Doctor's death felt like a series ender for some of the producers, but was actually there to "kick it off."
* In writing the death scene of the older version of the Doctor, [[Steven Moffat]] wanted to acknowledge to the audience that Time Lords are not invincible, and could still die permanently if killed before regeneration.
* This was [[Mark Sheppard]]'s first appearance in a British series.
* [[Mark Sheppard]] described playing Canton as a "dream job," and said he wished to appear in another of [[Steven Moffat]]'s works, including ''[[Sherlock (series)|Sherlock]]''.
* For the opening shot of Utah, [[Toby Haynes]] wanted it to be epic so that the audience could recognise where the episode was set.
* The crew wanted to add as many American icons as they could into those shots, including a Stetson hat, a 1950s Edsel Villager, and a yellow school bus.
* [[Steven Moffat]], having enjoyed writing episodes featuring River Song, wanted to give her an impressive entrance. [[Toby Haynes]] had [[Alex Kingston]] block the sunlight from the camera angle and blow smoke from her revolver.
* The suit worn by the future-Doctor's killer was a fabricated replica of an Apollo space suit.
* In filming the "Viking funeral" scene, [[Toby Haynes]] wished to film it during the sunset. However, the sun set over the desert, so was instead filmed during sunrise, as the sun rose over the water.
* The Oval Office set was constructed at [[Upper Boat Studios]]. Because the production crew had access to several pictures and plans of the real office, they were able to replicate it in almost every detail. The main problem for building the set was the plastering; the crew normally plaster one wall at a time for normal rooms, but because the Oval Office was round, they had to do the entire set at once.
* At one stage during production, a non-speaking extra who resembled [[Henry Kissinger]], Nixon's {{w|National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor}} in 1969, was planned to appear in scenes taking place in the Oval Office.<ref>[[DWMSE 29|''DWMSE'' 29]], p. 42</ref>


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
*8.86 million. (43.3% market share)
* 8.86 million. (43.3% market share; UK final)<ref>[http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date Doctor Who Ratings - UK final]</ref>
*Viewership for the episode on [[BBC America]] was 1.3 million, breaking the station's previous viewership record which had been set by the premiere of ''[[The Eleventh Hour]].'' <ref>http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/861725-doctor-who-breaks-bbc-america-records-after-1-3-million-tune-in</ref>
* Viewership for the episode on [[BBC America]] was 1.3 million, breaking the station's previous viewership record which had been set by the premiere of ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]''.<ref>http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/861725-doctor-who-breaks-bbc-america-records-after-1-3-million-tune-in</ref>
*The episode was the most recorded show in UK history with 4.1 Million viewers
* The episode was the most recorded show in UK history with 4.1 million viewers.
 
=== Filming locations ===
* [[Valley of the Gods (Earth)|Valley of the Gods]], [[Utah]], [[United States of America]]
* Eddie's Diner, Cardiff Bay
* Lake Powell, Utah/Arizona (Lake Silencio)


=== Myths ===
=== Myths ===
*We will see River Song as a child.<ref>http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2010/10/will-we-see-river-as-child.html</ref> ''This may have been proven true in [[A Good Man Goes to War]], however it has yet to be offically confirmed that River was in fact the child in the Astronaut suit.''
* Fans speculated that the Doctor survived the astronaut's attack because of the events of [[Miracle Day]] in Torchwood. This was proven false by the season finale and in the series 4 episode of Torchwood, ''[[The New World (TV story)|The New World]]'', when it stated only humans were under the effect of Miracle Day.
*The second episode will air the day after the first.<ref>http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/new-series-6-trailer-air-date-rumours-15879.htm</ref><ref>http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/talk-of-air-dates.html</ref><ref>http://tardisspoilers.blogspot.com/2011/03/double-who.html</ref> ''This has been proven false.''
* A minor fan outrage was sparked when initial trailers for Series 6 showed the TARDIS appearing in the Oval Office using what was believed to be a new materialisation effect. This was, of course, revealed to be the TARDIS decloaking.
*Overnight figures for BBC was 6.4 million making this the least watched series opener since the [[2005]] relaunch. ''The Daily Mail and other places were comparing the overnight-only ratings of this episode to the full consolidated BARB ratings for the previous season openers, which include people watching time-shifted playback and recordings (such as with Sky+). The consolidated figures were 8.86 million, which compares favourably to other series openers.''
 
=== Filming locations ===
*[[Valley of the Gods]], [[Utah]], [[United States of America]].
*Eddie's Diner, Cardiff Bay


=== Production errors ===
=== Production errors ===
*While the Doctor appears in the Laurel & Hardy film, Rory's shifts through the pages of the history book which appear underneath the screen imply the film footage was overlaid on the actual shot.
{{discontinuity}}
*When The Doctor approaches the Astronaut he leaves the picnic with a wine bottle in his hand. In the next shot the bottle is gone.
*
*During the Doctor's death scene, someone is visible by Canton's car.[[File:Shadow-impossible-astronaut.jpg|thumb|180px|Production Error- the figure by Canton's car.]]
* While the Doctor appears in the Laurel & Hardy film, ''[[The Flying Deuces]]'', Rory shifts through the pages of the history book which appear behind the screen image, revealing that the film footage was overlaid onto the shot.
*When Amy is talking to the agent outside of the toilet, a boom mic can be seen over his shoulder.
* As the Doctor waves to the camera in the Laurel & Hardy film, part of his left arm vanishes in an overlay error.
*When the Doctor exits the TARDIS control room he opens the right door but when he walks out to the Oval office he goes out the left.
* When Amy first sees a Silent and Rory asks what her about it, she turns her head toward him twice.
*One of the Mission Patches on the Astronaut's space suit is an anachronism; the "Vitruvian Emblem" was first used during the Space Shuttle missions of the early Eighties.
* When the Doctor approaches the astronaut, he leaves the picnic with a wine bottle in his hand. In the next shot, the bottle is gone.
*The Secret Service agents all carry revolvers, which were more commonly in use during the period, however by 1969 the Secret Service had transitioned to the semi-automatic Colt M1911.  
* While River is shooting at the astronaut, the Doctor's hands change position. His left hand, which was spread out to one side, is on his stomach when the shot changes. It swaps back and forth a couple of times.
*There are two African-Americans on the president's detail. The first African American Secret Service agent assigned was Abraham Bolden in 1961, but such appointments were comparatively rare until some years later.
* The astronaut does not put their visor back up as they walk back into the lake.
* When Amy is talking to the agent outside of the toilet, a boom mic can be seen over his shoulder.
* When the Doctor exits the TARDIS control room, he opens the right door, but when he walks out to the Oval Office, he goes out the left.
* When Amy and Rory get off the bus, it drives away, but when the Doctor and Amy hug, the bus is nowhere to be seen.
* In the scene where the Silent gets ready to kill Joy, electricity can be seen flying into its body, but not in the mirror next to it.
* When the astronaut first raises its visor, advancing frame-by-frame reveals there is just another identical visor underneath.


== Continuity ==
== Continuity ==
{{discontinuity}}
* Amy recalls that when she last saw the Doctor, he was 908, which he first mentioned in [[COMIC]]: ''[[The Cleverest King (comic story)|The Cleverest King]]''.
*River Song shoots the Doctor's headwear. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'')
* River uses the term "[[regeneration cycle (The Christmas Invasion)|regeneration cycle]]", which was first mentioned in [[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]''.
*Amy mentions [[fish finger]]s and [[custard]] ([[DW]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour]]'')
* The [[Eleventh Doctor]] claims that he won't obey a mysterious summons. The [[Tenth Doctor]] did such a thing at least twice, in [[TV]]: ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'' and ''[[Silence in the Library (TV story)|Silence in the Library]]''.
*The Doctor requests [[Jammie Dodger]]s and a [[Fez]]. ([[DW]]: ''[[Victory of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Big Bang]]'')
* River Song shoots the Doctor's headwear, as in [[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]''.
*The Doctor says that time isn't a straight line. ([[DW]]: ''[[Blink]]'')
* Amy mentions [[fish finger]]s and [[custard]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour (TV story)|The Eleventh Hour]]'')
*The Doctor once again asks River whom she murdered. ([[DW]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone]]'')
* The Doctor requests [[Jammie Dodger]]s and a [[fez]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Victory of the Daleks (TV story)|Victory of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'')
*The Doctor again expresses his dislike of wine, despite drinking it. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'').
* The Doctor says that time isn't a straight line. ([[TV]]: ''[[Blink (TV story)|Blink]]'')
*River Song suspects that she will one day meet [[Tenth Doctor|a Doctor]] who hasn't met her yet, and it will be the death of her. ([[DW]]: ''[[Silence in the Library]]'' / ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'')
* The Doctor again asks River whom she murdered, which he found out in [[TV]]: ''[[Flesh and Stone (TV story)|Flesh and Stone]]''.
*As of this episode, River and the Doctor are each aware of how the other (apparently) dies, though neither will say so ''to'' the other. ([[DW]]: ''[[Silence in the Library]]'' / ''[[Forest of the Dead]]'')
* The Doctor again expresses his dislike of wine, despite drinking it. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
*River Song says "I hate you" to the Doctor and he replies "No, you don't". ([[DW]] : [[Forest of the Dead|''Forest of the Dead'']] , [[Flesh and Stone|''Flesh and Stone'']] )
* The Doctor has previously had a group of soldiers aim their guns at him. ([[TV]]: ''[[Aliens of London (TV story)|Aliens of London]]'', ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'', ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'', ''[[Army of Ghosts (TV story)|Army of Ghosts]]'', ''[[Victory of the Daleks (TV story)|Victory of the Daleks]]'')
*The attempted TARDIS is seen again. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'')
* River tells Rory that her and the Doctor's timelines are meeting in reverse and she keeps meeting younger and younger versions of the Doctor while he does the same with her. Her greatest fear, beyond even dying, is that one day she will meet [[Tenth Doctor|a Doctor]] who doesn't know her yet. She believes that the experience will "kill" her. ([[TV]]: ''[[Silence in the Library (TV story)|Silence in the Library]]''/''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'')
*The Doctor looks at the front and then back of his hands before he is about to regenerate. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
* River Song says, "I hate you", to the Doctor and he replies, "No, you don't". ([[TV]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'', ''[[Flesh and Stone (TV story)|Flesh and Stone]]'')
*The TARDIS has previously been made invisible, and the Doctor has previously operated the scanner while it was such. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Invasion]]'')
* The attempted TARDIS from [[TV]]: ''[[The Lodger (TV story)|The Lodger]]'' is seen again.
*The Doctor has several times landed the TARDIS silently before. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]'')
* The Doctor looks at the front and then back of his hands before he is about to regenerate. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways (TV story)|The Parting of the Ways]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'')
*The danger of the Doctor's body being used as a commodity was seen in [[EDA]]: ''[[Alien Bodies]]''.
* The TARDIS has previously been made invisible during [[TV]]: ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]'', and the Doctor has previously operated the scanner while it was.
*Rory pokes the Doctor and asks him "How can you be here?", much in the same way the Doctor did to him. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens]]'')
* The Doctor has landed the TARDIS silently before, during [[TV]]: ''[[The Dalek Invasion of Earth (TV story)|The Dalek Invasion of Earth]]''.
*The Doctor says "Brave heart, Canton", referencing the catch phrase "Brave heart, Tegan", used by the Fifth Doctor.
* The danger of the Doctor's body being used as a commodity was seen in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Alien Bodies (novel)|Alien Bodies]]''.
*River says no one must be allowed to take a single cell of the Doctor. However, every story since then has featured alien creatures stealing some piece of Gallifreyan biology (from the Doctor himself in [[DW]]: ''[[The Curse of the Black Spot]]'', ''[[The Rebel Flesh]]'' and from the TARDIS in [[DW]]: ''[[The Doctor's Wife]]'').
* Rory pokes the Doctor and asks him, "How can you be here?", much as the Doctor did to him in [[TV]]: ''[[The Pandorica Opens (TV story)|The Pandorica Opens]]''.
* The Doctor says, "Brave heart, Canton", referencing the catchphrase, "Brave heart, [[Tegan Jovanka|Tegan]]", used by his [[Fifth Doctor|fifth incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Earthshock (TV story)|Earthshock]]'', ''[[The Caves of Androzani (TV story)|The Caves of Androzani]]'')
* In the Oval Office, the Doctor refers to [[Canton Delaware|Canton Delaware III]] as "Canton Three". This is a similar naming convention to the one used by [[Liz Ten]] for herself and earlier ruling members of the Royal Family. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below (TV story)|The Beast Below]]'')
* The Doctor says, "Human beings. I thought I'd never get done saving you", echoing his line, "You're like rabbits! I'll never get done saving you!" ([[TV]]: ''[[The Time of Angels (TV story)|The Time of Angels]]'')
* The Doctor closes his eyes, holds out his arms, and waits to be shot. He previously did this both in his [[Ninth Doctor|ninth]] ([[TV]]: ''[[The Parting of the Ways (TV story)|The Parting of the Ways]]'') and [[Tenth Doctor|tenth]] incarnations. ([[TV]]: ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'')
* When sitting at the President's desk, the Doctor says, "Mister President", in the exact same manner as [[Ramón Salamander]], a doppelganger of his [[Second Doctor|second incarnation]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Enemy of the World (TV story)|The Enemy of the World]]'')
* The Doctor is initially calm when the Secret Service point their guns at him, but immediately puts his hands up and says "No Shooting!" While unlikely, this may be in reference to when the [[Seventh Doctor]] was shot in America, leading to a botched heart surgery and subsequent regeneration into the [[Eighth Doctor]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Doctor Who (TV story)|Doctor Who]]''). More likely, however, this reaction was due to River, Amy, and Rory exiting the TARDIS into harm's way.
* Later in her personal timeline, River would also shoot the [[Fifth Doctor]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[My Dinner with Andrew (audio story)|My Dinner with Andrew]]'')
* The Doctor seemingly starts to regenerate. However, the Doctor shot by the astronaut is revealed to be the ''[[Teselecta]]'' in ([[TV]]: ''[[The Wedding of River Song (TV story)|The Wedding of River Song]]''. ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'' reveals he has no regenerations left at this point.
* The story revealed the real reason that [[Tenth Doctor]] burned the [[Saxon Master|Master's]] body in a funeral pyre after his death in [[Valiant (aircraft carrier)|the ''Valiant'']] during [[TV]]: [[Last of the Time Lords (TV story)|''Last of the Time Lords'']]: According to River, a Time Lord's corpse is sought after by every species because of their ability to regenerate; going as far to destroy entire civilisations for one single cell.
 
== Home video releases ==
[[File:Series-6-part-1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb|Series 6, part 1 DVD cover]]
 
=== DVD & Blu-ray releases ===
 
* ''The Impossible Astronaut'' was released in Series 6 Part One on DVD and Blu-Ray in region 1/A on [[19 July (releases)|19 July]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]], in region 2/B on [[11 July (releases)|11 July]] 2011 and in region 4/B on [[4 August (releases)|4 August]] 2011. It is a collection of the first seven episodes.
* The episode was later released in the Complete Sixth Series boxset on both DVD and Blu-ray, in region 1/A on [[22 November (releases)|22 November]] 2011, in region 2/B on [[21 November (releases)|21 November]] 2011 and in region 4/B on [[1 December (releases)|1 December]] 2011.


== Timeline ==
=== Digital releases ===
* ''The Impossible Astronaut'' takes place after [[DW]]: ''[[Time (TV story)|Time]]'' for the present Doctor and his companions.
* ''The Impossible Astronaut'' takes place before [[DW]]: ''[[Day of the Moon]]'' for the present Doctor and his companions.
* ''The Impossible Astronaut ''takes place before [[DW]]: ''[[The Big Bang]]'' for River Song.
* ''The Impossible Astronaut'' takes place sometime after [[DW]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War]]'' for the future [[Eleventh Doctor|Doctor]].


== Home video releases ==
* In the United Kingdom, this story is available on [[BBC iPlayer]].
[[File:Series-6-part-1-dvd-cover.jpg|thumb]]
The DVD set will be released in two halves. Part One, which will contain episodes one to seven, will be released in Summer, shortly after the airing of episode seven.<ref>http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-dvd-releases-15635.htm</ref>


==External links==
== External links ==
*[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tb7q BBC - BBC One Programmes - '''''The Impossible Astronaut''''']
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010tb7q BBC - BBC One Programmes - '''''The Impossible Astronaut''''']
* {{locguide|impossibleastronaut|The Impossible Astronaut}}
{{dwrefguide|who_tv58.htm|The Impossible Astronaut}}


==Footnotes==
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{DWTV}}
{{Regeneration stories}}
{{Silent stories}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}


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Latest revision as of 01:00, 22 October 2024

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You may be looking for the reference book of the same name.

The Impossible Astronaut was the first episode of series 6 of Doctor Who.

It brought into perspective a fiendish plot to kill the Doctor and its ultimate outcome, leading his companions to believe he was going to die in the far future. This story is perhaps most notable as the first opening two-parter of the BBC Wales series. Behind the scenes, it was notable for the significant amount of location filming with cast and crew travelling to Utah in the United States of America.

Narratively, it saw the reappearance of River Song with some insight into her backstory. Yet again, questions of her trustworthiness were posed. Additionally, it built on the references of the previous series to "the Silence". Furthermore, it featured the formal introduction of the Silent species that inspired the order in the first place.

Unknown to the viewers at the time, another adventure was taking place right before the astronaut killed the Doctor; due to the complicated nature of time, Amy and Rory retained no memory of this until after The God Complex.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song and the Eleventh Doctor receive a mysterious summons that takes them on an adventure to 21st century Utah and Florida in 1969.

Along the way they meet Richard Nixon, president of the United States of America, and former FBI agent Canton Everett Delaware III.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

In the 17th century, Charles II furiously bursts into the painter Matilda's room, demanding to know the Eleventh Doctor's location. By her stands a painting of the Doctor covering himself with a red cloth; his clothes are strewn about the room. She asks, "Doctor who?" in an embarrassed tone. Before she can speak further, a loud sneeze comes from beneath her skirt. The king lifts its hem with his sword to find the Doctor naked underneath. With the king scowling at him, the Doctor explains that things are not as bad as they look.

In 2011, Amy Pond reads to her husband, Rory Williams, from a history book in their home; it is an account of "a mysterious doctor" imprisoned in the Tower of London on order of the king, without trial. Rory doubts it is the Doctor until Amy reads he was seen flying away from the Tower two days later via a magical sphere. With Rory now believing, Amy then notices there's more of the Doctor's exploits listed.

The Doctor is next seen taking part in a break-out from a POW camp during World War II. When the Doctor is asked by a fellow escapee if they have gotten past the fence, the Doctor pops his head down a duct. He asks if the Commandant's room is green with a big flag on the wall as dogs and angry yells are heard. The Doctor figures the answer's "yes", as he's pulled back out by the Germans.

Amy opens the TARDIS blue envelope.

Amy wonders if the Doctor is being deliberately ridiculous to catch their attention — "waving through time". However, Rory shrugs the theory off as Amy complains about watching a Laurel and Hardy film again. The doorbell rings and Amy gets up to answer it. Rory looks in the book to see if Amy is right, missing a part of the film where a fez-wearing Doctor dances with the characters. Receiving their mail, Amy goes through it to find a TARDIS blue envelope plastered with stamps and labelled with the number 3. It holds an unsigned card with a map reference, date and time. They easily deduce it's from the Doctor.

In the 52nd century, River Song has an identical letter, marked number 2, delivered to her cell at Stormcage Containment Facility. Upon reading it, she smiles. The prison goes on alert as soon as they find River packing her belongings (again). When questioned about where she's going, River tells them she's heading for America, which the guards mistake for a planet.

In the middle of the Utah desert, Amy and Rory depart a bus; Rory complains that there is nothing around them. As the bus leaves, they are happily greeted by the Doctor, now wearing a Stetson and sitting on the bonnet of a car. After exchanging greetings, Rory compliments the Doctor's hat. Just as the Doctor explains that it's the latest in his "cool" ensemble, his hat is shot off by River, who promptly greets him.

At a cafe, the Doctor and River compare diaries, finding that they have both had an adventure at Easter Island and met Jim the Fish. Rory becomes confused until Amy explains. Amy then asks why the Doctor summoned them to America. The Doctor explains that he has been running faster than he's ever had before, but he's decided to stop; they are going to have a picnic and then go on a trip to "Space 1969".

They picnic by a lake, where they drink wine; the Doctor spits it out in disgust, commenting he's 1103 years old — nearly two hundred years older than when Amy and Rory last saw him. Amy spots a figure watching them from a distant cliff, but forgets about it when she looks away. Not long after, an elderly man pulls up in a truck and waves but makes no move to join them. The Doctor seems to know who the old man is and waves back.

River gasps, "Oh my God". While everyone else is facing the old man, she has been watching the lake. The other three turn around to see an astronaut rising out of the water, wearing an Apollo-style space suit. Spotting it, the Doctor orders his friends that they're not to interfere no matter what happens. He approaches the astronaut, who waits for him at the edge of the lake. The Doctor lets the wearer of the suit know he already knows their identity, and the astronaut's visor is lifted. The Doctor talks with the astronaut for a bit, leaving his companions confused as to what they're doing. The astronaut raises its arm and shoots the Doctor.

The Doctor begins to regenerate.

Amy tries running to the Doctor, but River and Rory restrain her. The Doctor picks himself up as Amy calls out to him; he's begun his eleventh regeneration. He apologises to his friends and prepares to regenerate. However, the astronaut shoots him in mid-process, killing him before his transformation can complete. As the astronaut heads back into the lake, River scans the Doctor, finding no pulse, and empties her gun shooting at the astronaut before it submerges, failing to get a hit. Amy is distraught, hoping the Doctor is a clone/copy of him.

However, the stranger approaches to tell the group that the Doctor is truly dead and places a container of gasoline next to them; the Doctor told him they would need it. River explains that a Time Lord's body is one of the most sought-after things in the universe. Spotting a boat moored across the lake, Rory performs a Viking-style funeral to burn the Doctor's corpse. River wonders who the old man is, and he shows them an envelope like the ones they had received, labelled with a number 4. Greeting Amy, Rory and River by name, the old man introduces himself as Canton Everett Delaware III, explaining that he will not see them again, but they will see him.

Seeing the number on Canton's invitation, River begins pondering who got number 1. As they return to the cafe, Rory and River want to know what the Doctor planned. Amy insists that it doesn't matter anymore, but because it mattered to the Doctor, Rory and River say it's important to them. Across the cafe, Rory spots another invitation on a table, labelled number 1; they question an employee about who had it, but he's vague and uncaring about their question. Obviously, this letter was addressed to the person the Doctor trusted most; River wonders who it is.

Much to their shock, the Doctor steps out of the back room, which is where the TARDIS is parked. He greets them happily, surprised they are all here. Amy wonders how he can be okay, getting hugged by the Doctor, who names himself the "King of Okay" (before discarding the title) and who calls Amy's husband "Rory the Roman". Getting to River, the Doctor wonders what trouble she's brought with her this time. River slaps him in fury, prompting him to ask if it's for something he hasn't done yet; upon learning that it is, the Doctor says he's looking forward to it. They wonder how he can be there and the Doctor says that he was invited like they were. With Amy and Rory still confused, River asks the Doctor to tell them his age, which is 909; he has not even met Jim the Fish yet. River says they've been hired by someone who trusts him to investigate something involving Space 1969, and a man called Canton Everett Delaware III. When the Doctor asks who hired them, River simply answers, "Spoilers".

In the TARDIS, the Doctor prepares to enter the clues River gave him into the TARDIS navigation system. River and Amy go under the console floor. When the Doctor asks Rory if they're mad at him, Rory says that he'll find out and follows after. Out of earshot, River explains to Amy that they saw a future version of the Doctor die at Lake Silencio; they cannot tell this Doctor of his coming death. As he has interacted with his own time stream, any foreknowledge could rip a hole in the universe should he find out. Amy reminds them that the Doctor has interacted with his past before; however, Rory points out that "in fairness, the universe did blow up". They ponder if the Doctor recruited them to avenge him, save him, or something else.

Popping his head under the floor, the Doctor complains that he is being utterly brilliant and no one's around to look impressed before resuming fiddling with the console. River expresses her anger about wanting to slap him for his smugness. Amy asks her how she can be okay with the Doctor dying, and River explains that everyone dies eventually and that neither the Doctor's death nor her own frighten her, as there is a worse day coming for her. All three head back up to the Doctor. He explains that the clues he was given lead to the Oval Office 1969, April 8th. However, he says that he is returning Amy and Rory home — "Off you pop and make babies" — while River is going back to prison. He explains that he will not go on a mysterious summons, wondering who sent them and why.

River tries to get the Doctor to trust them, but he turns the tables on her by asking who she is and who she killed to get imprisoned in Stormcage; he does not trust her. Amy then asks the Doctor to trust her instead, saying he must go on the summons and not ask why. The Doctor questions Amy to see if she's been threatened to say this, but she says no. He then asks her to swear on something that matters, to which Amy says, fish fingers and custard, their first shared meal. Smiling, the Doctor says, "My life in your hands, Amelia Pond." River softly thanks Amy for getting the Doctor to comply with his own order.

He sets the TARDIS for 1969, checking to see who's president during that time, learning it's Richard Nixon, who was not exactly his favourite due to the events that happened during his tenure. River calls him a hippy for such views. The Doctor tells his companions that he is going to turn the TARDIS invisible and put it on "silent" to avoid drawing attention. However, each time he flips switches to initiate the process, River uses other ones to turn off loud noises and lights he has activated by accident. Each time, the Doctor asks her if she did something to help, but River lies and says that she is only watching; she's secretly enjoying watching the Doctor make a fool out of himself by failing to get the settings right.

The Doctor realises he's been seen.

On landing, the Doctor explains that the monitor doesn't work while the TARDIS is invisible, deciding to exit to see what's out there. Everyone prepares to disembark, but the Doctor tells them that since they're "in the most powerful city, in the most powerful country on Earth", they're going to take things slowly; he exits by himself. The Doctor exits into the Oval Office, where Nixon is meeting with a younger Canton Delaware. Nixon wants Canton to conduct an investigation independent of the FBI, from which Canton was recently fired, to find a child who has been calling him every night, begging for help because the "spaceman" is coming to eat her. Nixon plays Canton a recording of a call, in which Nixon asks the child where she is and what her name is. The child answers, "Jefferson Adams Hamilton", which has led Nixon to mistakenly believe the caller is a little boy. Canton feels the FBI can handle this, but Nixon fears they may be in on it, which is why he called him in; he's not with them but has the training.

The Doctor, who has been taking notes, then notices that they have stopped talking and realises that they have seen him. He begins rambling as he backs up to the TARDIS. However, he bumps into it, knocking himself down. Inside, River complains about how he does this "every time". The Doctor explains the doors getting stuck happens commonly while the TARDIS is invisible. However, Canton pins him down as Secret Service agents swarm the office. He yells for them to stop and get off of him.

River gets the monitor working by hard-wiring it, laughing that the Doctor is usually wrong about how the TARDIS functions. As the monitor displays the Doctor, he asks River if she's gotten the monitor working again; this leads to their usual, "I hate him"/"No you don't" exchange. The Doctor yells for River to make the TARDIS visible again; River complies with the order, throwing switches on the console. The Doctor smiles as the Secret Service let him go and stare at the TARDIS. A shocked Nixon simply asks, "What the hell is that?"

The Doctor sits in Nixon's seat and addresses him, prompting the Secret Service to point their guns at him. He goes on to say that the mysterious caller told him everything he needed to know; they can find the child. The Doctor says he will take the case. He then taunts the Secret Service by bragging about how he broke into the Oval Office. River comes out of the TARDIS, reminding him they're Americans, prompting the Doctor to tell them not to shoot. Amy and Rory depart the TARDIS as well. When Nixon questions who they are, the Doctor claims to be an undercover agent on loan from Scotland Yard while his companions Amy, Rory and River are his top operatives: the Legs, the Nose, and Mrs Robinson. Upon hearing her codename, River tells the Doctor she hates him; the Doctor once again tells her that she doesn't.

Explaining that he figured out where the caller is from by what Canton and Nixon heard, the Doctor asks for five minutes to figure out the case. Despite protest from the head of the Secret Service in the office, Canton points out to Nixon that the Doctor got past the Secret Service with three of his friends and a big blue box; the Doctor will be given his allotted time, but with Canton promising to shoot him if he doesn't deliver a solution. The Doctor asks for a SWAT team ready to mobilise, street-level maps covering all of Florida, a pot of coffee, 12 Jammie Dodgers and a fez. Canton orders the Secret Service to get the Doctor his maps, leaving the Doctor saddened about not getting the rest. When questioned, "Why Florida," the Doctor explains that's where NASA is, where the spacemen live; he's also following another lead.

A ruthless alien murders a woman in front of Amy.

While researching the street maps, Amy sees a mysterious, suited alien standing in the doorway of the Oval Office, and remembers their encounter on the shore of the lake. However, she forgets as soon as Rory blocks her view. Feeling ill, she is escorted to the bathroom, where she finds the alien waiting for her. A woman who is also in the bathroom is vaporised by the alien after seeing and forgetting it numerous times. Amy, realising the alien's power, takes a picture of it with her camera phone. Amy asks what it wants; it cryptically says she will tell the Doctor "what he must know and what he must never know". She asks how it knows that, but immediately flees in fear. As soon as she gets out of the bathroom, Amy forgets the encounter but remembers there is something she needs to tell the Doctor.

In the Oval Office, the Doctor achieves success, pointing out that it's pretty obvious to figure out where the caller is when you think about it. Canton calls the Doctor a genius, which the Doctor says is a hobby. Nixon gets another call from the child, who says that a spaceman is coming to eat her. Fearing for the girl's life, the Doctor decides that there's no time for a SWAT team and departs with his companions in the TARDIS while Canton tails along after being told not to follow them in — reverse psychology.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor explains that Jefferson, Adams and Hamilton are the names of three of America's founding fathers; two of them fancied the Doctor. However, none of them are the child's name. At the same time, Canton is bewildered by the inside of the TARDIS and is left speechless. The Doctor goes on to explain that there is only one place in America where all three of those names are together. Amy asks where, and the Doctor lands the TARDIS. They rush for the doors but find Canton blocking the way out. The Doctor, Amy and River leave Rory to explain things to Canton as he's the newest companion.

They've materialised in a warehouse in Florida, just a few miles from Cape Kennedy; Jefferson, Adams, and Hamilton are the three streets which cross right outside the window. As they explore the warehouse, the Doctor admits they have likely walked into a trap and the phone line has been cut, leading to the question as to how the girl called from there. Meanwhile, Rory attempts to explain the TARDIS and time travel to a stunned Canton, who eventually recovers; Canton tells the Doctor that he likes the TARDIS.

They discover a console made of cables, coated in some sort of slime, and many boxes of Apollo space equipment. This leads to the question as to why aliens would steal Earth technology when it could barely get to the Moon. The Doctor believes it may be because it's cooler, suggesting that aliens are cool. While the Doctor, Rory and Canton are busy examining the stolen objects, Amy suggests to River that they find some way to kill the astronaut now to prevent it from killing the Doctor in the future. River admits time can be rewritten, but it is very complicated and doesn't work in the way that Amy hopes, so there's no guarantee that the Doctor can be saved.

River finds a drain leading into a tunnel network below the warehouse. The Doctor tells her to yell if there's trouble; River jokes that she's a real screamer, a good spoiler for him. Canton asks what's going on; the Doctor misunderstands what he means and explains that he and River are just friends. Below, River sees many aliens of the same type Amy saw in the White House, but they appear to be hibernating. She forgets them as soon as she climbs back to warn the Doctor. She says that it is safe but that she wants to take another look. The Doctor sends Rory down with her this time to make sure she stays safe.

They discover a maintenance room, which River proceeds to open with her scanner. When Rory says it's easy to picture her and the Doctor as a couple, River explains her relationship with the Doctor: their timelines are mostly going in opposite directions of each other, meaning each time she meets him, he knows her less and she knows him more. She fears one day she will meet the Doctor and he will have no idea who she is, believing that it will kill her when it happens. She succeeds in unlocking the door, opening it to find a large control console like the TARDIS and the one that the Doctor encountered during his stay with Craig Owens. River tells Rory to keep a lookout for anything odd. Rory sees some of the aliens, but when he turns to tell River, he says everything is okay. Scanning the console, River learns that there are tunnels like the one they're in all over Earth and that they've been here for thousands of years. Behind Rory, electricity crackles and something approaches.

Above, Canton and Amy discuss the former agent's FBI career; he was kicked out because he wanted to get married. He questions her relationship with the Doctor, but Amy explains that he is only her friend and there was something important that she wanted to tell him, but seems to have forgotten. Still wondering who the mysterious Doctor is, Canton asks, "Doctor Who?"; Amy says that it's classified. When he asks by whom, Amy can only say, "God knows", as she has no idea. They hear the little girl calling for help and run after her. Amy crumples with pain while Canton runs ahead. Canton calls for the Doctor to hurry, and Amy tells the Doctor that there is something very important that she has to tell him.

As they run after Canton, they find him unconscious; he got a good blow to the head. As the Doctor examines Canton to see if he's been badly injured, Amy tells him that she's pregnant. Before he reacts to this, he spots the astronaut approaching them. Amy recognises it from the lakeside and turns to pick up Canton's gun. Her back is turned when the astronaut lifts its faceplate, revealing the little girl is inside. Amy spins to shoot the astronaut but is unable to stop when the Doctor tells her to and fires.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

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.
          

Rhys Jones is credited as a "Prop Chargehand" rather than a "Props Chargehand".  Jay Harley was credited under their deadname as assistant director.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

  • The Doctor is 909, though Amy initially believes him to be 908.
  • An older Eleventh Doctor, who is 1103 years old, begins to regenerate, but is killed before the process completes.
  • The Doctor says that he is late for a biplane lesson in 1911 but gets confused and wonders if it is actually a knitting lesson.
  • The Eleventh Doctor still dislikes wine.
  • The Doctor coordinates his diary with River's.
  • The Doctor owns a 'special' straw which "adds more fizz".

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • When Joy sees the Silent, she thinks it is Ben wearing a Star Trek mask.

Art from the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

Music from the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • When the Doctor, Amy, Rory and River are in the diner before going to Lake Silencio, "Rolling in the Deep" is playing in the background.

Films from the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

Fashion and clothing[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor wears a fez.
  • The older Doctor wears a Stetson hat.

Foods and beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Amy, Rory and the Doctor all get a bottle of Coca-Cola whilst in the diner.
  • The Doctor thought wine would taste more like 'the gums', referring to wine gums.
  • The Doctor asks for twelve Jammie Dodgers.

Years[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor states that the year 1482 is full of glitches, but also says 1969 is easy.

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • River says that the people of Easter Island "worshipped" the Doctor.

References[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The sequence with the Doctor inserted into The Flying Deuces clip is a reference to the 1992 American Academy Awards. Host Billy Crystal was digitally added into the same clip and was depicted dancing alongside Laurel and Hardy. In this version, the Doctor begins to dance with Laurel and Hardy at the end of the clip, standing in the same spot that was occupied by Crystal.
  • The repeated phrase "Space: 1969" is a reference to the British science fiction series Space: 1999, which is set on the moon.
  • The idea of tunnelling out of a German POW camp is based on actual incidents that occurred during World War II, immortalised in The Great Escape and parodied in the Hogan's Heroes.
  • Joy asks if the Silent is wearing a Star Trek mask. Star Trek was cancelled the same year this story takes place, with the last episode airing on 3 June 1969.
  • The Doctor calls River Song "Mrs. Robinson", referencing the character from The Graduate. Mrs. Robinson has an affair with a younger man, so the nickname may be the Doctor's way of teasing Song about their relationship and the fact that physically she appears to be older than he is. Oddly enough, the Doctor doesn't recognise the reference when River Song calls him 'Benjamin' (her lover) when reenacting the iconic Graduate scene in Let's Kill Hitler.

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

Dedication to the late Elisabeth Sladen.
  • The working title for this episode was The Year of the Moon.
  • This is the first two-part opening episode of the revived series.
  • A prequel for this story was released on the official BBC website.[1]
  • The monsters in this episode were said to be "the scariest monsters yet".[2]
  • The episode was dedicated to Elisabeth Sladen, who passed away four days before the episode's initial broadcast. The dedication was shown before the episode on BBC1 and Space, and after the episode on BBC America. The dedication was omitted from the DVD and Blu-ray release. Due to a typographical error made at the start of her acting career, it displays 1948 as her birth year, when it should say 1946.
  • The version supplied for broadcast in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, Latin America and Italy featured a voiceover introductory sequence before the main titles, with the voice of Amy explaining her relationship with the Doctor. This version is also used on Netflix.
  • While the local date and time when the Doctor is killed is the evening of the 22nd April 2011, the local date and time in Britain (a seven-hour difference from Utah) would be two minutes after midnight on 23rd April, as TV: Let's Kill Hitler establishes the point of death as 5:02pm local time. Thus, this is the third story in the revived series whose airdate coincides with in-story events, the first being TV: The End of Time on 25 December 2009, and the second being TV: The Big Bang on 26 June 2010.
  • The attempted regeneration in this episode occurs in front of six witnesses, the greatest number in the revived series (Amy Pond, Rory Williams, River Song, Canton Delaware, the astronaut, and a Silent).
  • This is the first episode of the revived series to feature a regeneration, albeit an unsuccessful one outside the TARDIS. However, this regeneration is unveiled as a trick created by the Tesselecta at the end of Series 6. The first legitimate regeneration outside the TARDIS took place in the next episode.
  • The Doctor asks the Secret Service agents for a SWAT team. The first SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) team had only been established the year before in 1968 (by Darryl Gates in Los Angeles) and it's possible the agents might not have even known what the Doctor was talking about.
  • William Morgan Sheppard is the real-life father of Mark Sheppard; the two have portrayed father & son pairs and, as in this episode, older & younger versions of the same character.
  • Alex Kingston and Sydney Wade had come off of filming Marchlands in which they played a mother & daughter, immediately prior to filming this episode in which they portrayed older & younger versions of Melody Pond/River Song.[3]
  • The Doctor's apparent death and funeral are remarkably similar to a concept from the unproduced TV story The Dark Dimension.
  • Originally, Mark Sheppard was to wear old age makeup in order to play the 2011 version of Canton. Instead, at Mark's suggestion, William Morgan Sheppard was cast for the part. The pair had also played two versions of the same character about a year earlier in an episode of NCIS.
  • Alex Kingston had to genuinely slap Matt Smith several times in a scene because it was difficult to fake. Kingston recalled that after a few takes, Smith got red cheeked and grew frustrated at having to do the sequence over and over again.
  • Stuart Milligan found the role of Richard Nixon exciting, having played other presidents in the past, including Dwight D. Eisenhower. Prosthetic pieces were applied on Milligan's cheeks, nose, and ears to make him resemble Nixon as much as possible. He also practiced how Nixon would speak, but initially found it difficult since he had to wear fake teeth.
  • In filming the "Viking funeral" scene, Toby Haynes wanted to film it during the sunset. However, the sun set over the desert, so was instead filmed during sunrise, as the sun rose over the water.
  • Florida (to tie into the NASA element) and Mount Rushmore were also considered as potential locations.
  • In the script, Amy and Rory were dropped off by a truck. Toby Haynes altered this to a yellow school bus as he felt it was more distinctly American.
  • A scene had been written and filmed by got cut because Steven Moffat felt it was too naughty, which a naked River Song winks at an unknown man. The deleted scene could be glimpsed in the Series 6 trailer.
  • While recording the Doctor's apparent demise, Alex Kingston drew on her knowledge of the season's secrets and decided that River would react in a particularly comforting way towards Amy. Karen Gillan, however, was unaware that their characters would soon be revealed as mother and daughter, and was quietly baffled by Kingston's demeanour.
  • Karen Gillan was genuinely upset while filming The Doctor's 'death' scene and was "acting her heart out".
  • Karen Gillan and Chukwudi Iwuji would later play enemies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
  • Florida and Mount Rushmore were considered as potential locations. However, it was eventually decided that Utah and Arizona were the best choices to achieve a setting which would be distinctly different from anything that could be recorded in the United Kingdom.
  • This two-parter formed Block Two of season six.
  • Mark Sheppard's involvement was slotted into a gap in his recording schedule for Supernatural.
  • As with the portraits seen in A Christmas Carol, the painting of the Doctor was created by Katie Pickwoad, the daughter of production designer Michael Pickwoad.
  • Steven Moffat wanted the season to start with a two-part story in an attempt to begin with more gravity and a wider scope in plot, as well as wanting the episodes to be one of the darker ones in the series. He stated that in his view, this was one of the darker episodes of the series, but still maintained the same level of humour.
  • The inclusion of the Doctor's death felt like a series ender for some of the producers, but was actually there to "kick it off."
  • In writing the death scene of the older version of the Doctor, Steven Moffat wanted to acknowledge to the audience that Time Lords are not invincible, and could still die permanently if killed before regeneration.
  • This was Mark Sheppard's first appearance in a British series.
  • Mark Sheppard described playing Canton as a "dream job," and said he wished to appear in another of Steven Moffat's works, including Sherlock.
  • For the opening shot of Utah, Toby Haynes wanted it to be epic so that the audience could recognise where the episode was set.
  • The crew wanted to add as many American icons as they could into those shots, including a Stetson hat, a 1950s Edsel Villager, and a yellow school bus.
  • Steven Moffat, having enjoyed writing episodes featuring River Song, wanted to give her an impressive entrance. Toby Haynes had Alex Kingston block the sunlight from the camera angle and blow smoke from her revolver.
  • The suit worn by the future-Doctor's killer was a fabricated replica of an Apollo space suit.
  • In filming the "Viking funeral" scene, Toby Haynes wished to film it during the sunset. However, the sun set over the desert, so was instead filmed during sunrise, as the sun rose over the water.
  • The Oval Office set was constructed at Upper Boat Studios. Because the production crew had access to several pictures and plans of the real office, they were able to replicate it in almost every detail. The main problem for building the set was the plastering; the crew normally plaster one wall at a time for normal rooms, but because the Oval Office was round, they had to do the entire set at once.
  • At one stage during production, a non-speaking extra who resembled Henry Kissinger, Nixon's National Security Advisor in 1969, was planned to appear in scenes taking place in the Oval Office.[4]

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • 8.86 million. (43.3% market share; UK final)[5]
  • Viewership for the episode on BBC America was 1.3 million, breaking the station's previous viewership record which had been set by the premiere of The Eleventh Hour.[6]
  • The episode was the most recorded show in UK history with 4.1 million viewers.

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

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Fans speculated that the Doctor survived the astronaut's attack because of the events of Miracle Day in Torchwood. This was proven false by the season finale and in the series 4 episode of Torchwood, The New World, when it stated only humans were under the effect of Miracle Day.
  • A minor fan outrage was sparked when initial trailers for Series 6 showed the TARDIS appearing in the Oval Office using what was believed to be a new materialisation effect. This was, of course, revealed to be the TARDIS decloaking.

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.
  • While the Doctor appears in the Laurel & Hardy film, The Flying Deuces, Rory shifts through the pages of the history book which appear behind the screen image, revealing that the film footage was overlaid onto the shot.
  • As the Doctor waves to the camera in the Laurel & Hardy film, part of his left arm vanishes in an overlay error.
  • When Amy first sees a Silent and Rory asks what her about it, she turns her head toward him twice.
  • When the Doctor approaches the astronaut, he leaves the picnic with a wine bottle in his hand. In the next shot, the bottle is gone.
  • While River is shooting at the astronaut, the Doctor's hands change position. His left hand, which was spread out to one side, is on his stomach when the shot changes. It swaps back and forth a couple of times.
  • The astronaut does not put their visor back up as they walk back into the lake.
  • When Amy is talking to the agent outside of the toilet, a boom mic can be seen over his shoulder.
  • When the Doctor exits the TARDIS control room, he opens the right door, but when he walks out to the Oval Office, he goes out the left.
  • When Amy and Rory get off the bus, it drives away, but when the Doctor and Amy hug, the bus is nowhere to be seen.
  • In the scene where the Silent gets ready to kill Joy, electricity can be seen flying into its body, but not in the mirror next to it.
  • When the astronaut first raises its visor, advancing frame-by-frame reveals there is just another identical visor underneath.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

Series 6, part 1 DVD cover

DVD & Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Impossible Astronaut was released in Series 6 Part One on DVD and Blu-Ray in region 1/A on 19 July 2011, in region 2/B on 11 July 2011 and in region 4/B on 4 August 2011. It is a collection of the first seven episodes.
  • The episode was later released in the Complete Sixth Series boxset on both DVD and Blu-ray, in region 1/A on 22 November 2011, in region 2/B on 21 November 2011 and in region 4/B on 1 December 2011.

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • In the United Kingdom, this story is available on BBC iPlayer.

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

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/dw/news/bulletin_110325_01/The_Prequel_Has_Landed
  2. ↑ http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/cult/s7/doctor-who/news/a289472/smith-teases-scary-who-monsters-for-us-eps.html
  3. ↑ Alex Kingston interview, Hurricane Who, 28 June 2012, at 10:36
  4. ↑ DWMSE 29, p. 42
  5. ↑ Doctor Who Ratings - UK final
  6. ↑ http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/861725-doctor-who-breaks-bbc-america-records-after-1-3-million-tune-in
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v • e
Silent stories
For the purposes of this list, a "Silent story" is one in which one living, authentic Silent plays a part within the confines of the story, outside of flashbacks to previous stories and cliffhangers that lead into the following story. For this reason, stories such as Closing Time are not counted due to the Silents' appearance being defined by their importance to following stories. Stories like The Gunpowder Plot, A Night with the Stars and Revolution of the Daleks are also not included due to the Silents' appearance being of no consequence to the plot of the story.
Television
Webcast
Audio
Prose
Video games
Complete list of appearances
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