The Power of the Doctor (TV story)

Stand well clear, Jo!

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The Power of the Doctor
Doctor:	Thirteenth Doctor
Companion(s):	Yaz
Featuring:	Ace, Tegan, Dan, Kate, Vinder, Graham, Ian, Mel, Jo, Fourteenth Doctor
Main enemy:	The Spy Master
Main setting:	London, 2022
Release details
Story number:	300
Premiere broadcast:	23 October 2022
Premiere network:	BBC One
Format:	1x90 minute episode
Doctor Who television stories
← Previous	Legend of the Sea Devils

The Power of the Doctor was the 2022 Doctor Who Centenary Special, broadcast as part of the BBC 100 event in celebration of the BBC's 100th anniversary. It was the Thirteenth Doctor's final episode and introduced David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor in its closing moments.

Synopsis

Who is attacking a speeding bullet train on the edges of a distant galaxy? Why are seismologists going missing from 21st century Earth? Who is defacing some of history’s most iconic paintings? Why is a Dalek trying to make contact with the Doctor? And just what hold does the mesmeric Rasputin have over Tsar Nicholas in 1916 Russia?

The Doctor faces multiple threats…and a battle to the death

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Jodie Whittaker, David Bradley, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Jo Martin

And Introducing David Tennant as The Doctor

• Yaz - Mandip Gill
• The Master - Sacha Dhawan
• Dan - John Bishop
• Ace - Sophie Aldred
• Tegan Jovanka - Janet Fielding
• Kate Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
• Vinder - Jacob Anderson
• Graham - Bradley Walsh
• Ashad - Patrick O'Kane
• Deputy Marshal Arnhost - Joe Sims
• Train Marshal Halaz - Sanchia McCormack
• Curator - Danielle Bjelic
• Alexandra - Anna Andresen
• Nicholas - Richard Dempsey
• Messenger - Jos Slovick
• Voice of the Daleks & Cybermen - Nicholas Briggs
• Dalek Operators - Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg
• Cybermen - Simon Carew, Jon Davey, Chester Durrant, Mickey Lewis, Felix Young, Richard Price, Andrew Cross, Matthew Doman
• Melanie Bush - Bonnie Langford
• Jo Jones - Katy Manning
• Ian Chesterton - William Russell

Uncredited cast

to be added

Crew

to be added

References

The Doctor's clothing

• After stealing the Doctor's body, the Master dons the Fourth Doctor's multi-coloured scarf and the Seventh Doctor's jumper, and attaches a stick of celery on his lapel as worn by the Fifth Doctor. He also wears a tie very similar if not the same one worn by the Tenth Doctor. He also has the Second Doctor's Recorder tucked away in his coat.
• The Fourteenth Doctor's attire includes a white button-up shirt, with a paisley tie and a loose fitting tartan waistcoat and trousers. He also wears a navy blue trenchcoat and Converse shoes.

TARDISes

• The Spy Master's TARDIS is a Type 75.

Story notes

• This story was created in celebration of the BBC's 100th Anniversary, as part of BBC 100.
• Despite all being featured in 1983 story The Five Doctors, this is the first story to depict both the Daleks, the Cybermen and the Master all working together.
• This story touches on the circumstances of Ace leaving the Seventh Doctor's company, an event which was not seen on-screen but was most recently depicted in the novel At Childhood's End, written by Sophie Aldred. The Power of the Doctor contradicts At Childhood's End by having Ace meet the Thirteenth Doctor, Yasmin Khan and Graham O'Brien for the first time, though At Childhood's End does establish that Ace's timeline has multiple possible futures.
• Tegan's claims that she hasn't seen the Doctor since 1984 contradicts the Big Finish audio The Gathering, where the Fifth Doctor catches up with her in 2006 just as she's about to celebrate her 46th birthday. It also contradicts the date given by PROSE: Fixing a Hole for the events of A Fix with Sontarans, which was set on 23 February 1985.
• Mel is listed in the ending credits as "Melanie Bush", marking the first time on television that her surname, which was previously only established in audio and prose, has been used.
• Jo is listed in the ending credits as "Jo Jones" which is the first time on television that her married name has been used on credits. It was previously given in dialogue in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor.
• This story is the first on-screen appearance of William Russell as Ian Chesterton since 1965 story The Chase.
• The new BBC logo returned to the title sequence having been absent since Eve of the Daleks.
• The end credits also changed to groups instead of scrolling. This was last seen in Revolution of the Daleks. The text for the character names and crew roles were also changed to bold last seen for the title card for The Woman Who Fell to Earth.
• This episode is the first to have two actor's names appear at the same time in the title sequence, in this case Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding.

Continuity

• The Doctor recalls the Master creating the CyberMasters. (TV: The Timeless Children)
• Tegan last saw the Doctor 38 years ago. (TV: Resurrection of the Daleks)
• Ace mentions it being three decades since she last met the Doctor. (AUDIO: An Alien Werewolf in London)
• Kate is rebuilding UNIT. (TV: Survivors of the Flux)
• The Doctor asks the Master how he escaped Gallifrey. (TV: The Timeless Children)
• The Master taunts Tegan by mentioning her Aunt Vanessa. (TV: Logopolis)
• Ace recalls that the Master was "half cat" the last time she saw him. (TV: Survival)
• The Master is aware of the Time Lords enforcing a regeneration onto the Second Doctor. (TV: The War Games)
• Both Ace and the Master acknowledge that she had a "fall[ing] out" with the Seventh Doctor. (PROSE: At Childhood's End)
• The Master mentions he killed Ashad. (TV: The Timeless Children)
• Ace refers to the Cybermen's weakness to gold, (TV: Silver Nemesis) and UNIT has guns with gold bullets. (AUDIO: Code Silver)
• The Master says that he has "dressed for the occasion" before switching bodies with the Doctor. (TV: Doctor Who)
• Yaz has post-it notes on how to fly the TARDIS. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks)
• Vinder uses the communications device the Doctor gave him. (TV: Once, Upon Time)
• Tegan confides to the Fifth Doctor's image that seeing the Cybermen makes her think of Adric. (TV: Earthshock)
• The Doctor has previously met past incarnations after death in her mind. (AUDIO: Zagreus)
• When in the Doctor's body, the Master plays the recorder. (TV: The Power of the Daleks et al.)
• Ace has forgotten that she was taught to pilot a TARDIS and piloted both her own (AUDIO: Intervention Earth, Enemy Lines) Irving Braxiatel's TARDIS (AUDIO: Soldier Obscura) and The Doctor's TARDIS. (AUDIO: The Vaults of Osiris) She is also surprised at someone else piloting it, despite knowing that Melanie Bush taught herself to do it. (AUDIO: The Quantum Possibility Engine)
• Yaz recognises the Fugitive Doctor as a tour guide she met in Gloucester. (TV: Fugitive of the Judoon)
• Graham owns psychic paper. (TV: Revolution of the Daleks)
• Ace recalls fighting the Daleks in 1963. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
• Cortalian also had a Type 75 timeship. (PROSE: Going Once, Going Twice)
• The Doctor remarks on the "blossomiest blossom", akin to the Third Doctor's recollections of the "daisiest daisy". (TV: The Time Monster)
• The regenerated Doctor remarks on his teeth, (TV: The Parting of the Ways) and repeats the word "what" in rapid succession. (TV: Doomsday, Last of the Time Lords, Time Crash)
• The Doctor changes clothes when they regenerate. (TV: The Tenth Planet, The Power of the Daleks)
• Graham, Yaz, and Dan, are invited to a meeting of some of the Doctor's past companions, alongside Tegan, Ace, Ian Chesterton, Jo Jones, and Melanie Bush. A similar meeting was previously organised by Alice Obiefune. (COMIC: The Meeting)