The Crimson Horror (TV story)

The Crimson Horror
Doctor:	Eleventh Doctor
Companion(s):	Clara
Featuring:	Jenny, Vastra, Strax
Main enemy:	Winifred Gillyflower Mister Sweet
Main setting:	Yorkshire, 1893
Key crew
Writer:	Mark Gatiss
Director:	Saul Metzstein
Producer:	Marcus Wilson
Release details
Story number:	236
Premiere broadcast:	4 May 2013
Premiere network:	BBC One
Format:	1x45 minute episode
Production code:	3.12
Doctor Who television stories
← Previous	Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
Production order
← Previous	The Snowmen
Next →	Cold War

The Crimson Horror was the eleventh regular episode of the seventh series of Doctor Who produced by BBC Wales. It featured the return of Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax, who were last seen in The Snowmen. The episode marked the 100th episode of the revived series of Doctor Who, started in 2005.

Synopsis

A new project - Sweetville - has been opened, but only the perfect humans are allowed to live there. While Jenny, Vastra and Strax are trying to find out what is behind the project, Winifred Gillyflower, the project manager, is promoting the project. But who is the real manager? And who is the mysterious Mister Sweet?

Plot

Madame Vastra, Jenny and Strax receive word from a man concerned with a number of bodies found afflicted with 'The Crimson Horror'.

Cast

• The Doctor - Matt Smith
• Clara Oswald - Jenna-Louise Coleman
• Jenny Flint - Catrin Stewart
• Vastra - Neve McIntosh
• Strax - Dan Starkey
• Winifred Gillyflower - Diana Rigg
• Ada Gillyflower - Rachael Stirling
• Angie Maitland - Eve De Leon Allen
• Artie Maitland - Kassius Carey Johnson
• Edmund & Thursday - Brendan Patricks
• Amos - Graham Turner
• Effie - Olivia Vinall
• Abigail - Michelle Tate
• Urchin Boy - Jack Oliver Hudson

References

Cultural references from the real world

• Thomas Thomas, who uses the language of a modern GPS, is an obvious reference to the popular real-world GPS service, TomTom.

Story notes

• This story marks the first time in the revived series that a companion's associates have successfully deduced the person's time-travelling affairs with the Doctor's on their own, along with the Doctor's ability to time-travel, without questioning the Doctor directly or getting a firsthand experience of the TARDIS. Artie and Angie Maitland discovered pictures of Clara's travels from TV: Cold War, TV: Hide, and a picture of Clara during her Victorian life (TV: The Snowmen) on the Internet, which exposed her secret. They are also the first people in the revived series to blackmail a companion in order to time-travel with the Doctor.
• Likewise to the above, Clara sees herself in a past life for the first time by looking at the Victorian era photo of herself in London (TV: The Snowmen), cluing her in that she really has lived more than one life, which the Doctor confronted her over in their last adventure, TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS.

Ratings

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Filming locations

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Production errors

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.

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Continuity

• The Doctor mentioned failing to get Tegan Jovanka back to Heathrow Airport. (TV: The Visitation, AUDIO: Smoke and Mirrors, et al.)
• The Doctor uses his fifth incarnation's often-used phrase "Brave Heart..." to Clara.
• The Doctor does a Northern accent again, joined by Clara this time. He briefly put on a Northern accent in TV: The Rebel Flesh.
• Pictures on Angie's laptop are from TV: Cold War, Hide, and The Snowmen.
• The Doctor is once again aided by Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint and Strax. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War, The Snowmen)
• Strax chants the Sontaran battle cry, "Sontar-ha!" when he attacks the brainwashed humans surrounding the Doctor and Jenny. (TV: Sontaran Stratagem /The Poison Sky)

Home video releases

DVD releases

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Blu-ray releases

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External links

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