Bad Night (home video)

Bad Night
Doctor:	Eleventh Doctor
Companion(s):	Amy, Rory
Main setting:	The Doctor's TARDIS
Key crew
Writer:	Steven Moffat
Director:	Richard Senior
Release details
Release date:	22 November 2011
Format:	1x4 minute, mini episode
Confidential:	Doctor Who Confidential: The Night's Tale
Next →	Good Night

Bad Night was the first of five Night and the Doctor shorts produced exclusively for the Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series DVD and Blu-ray box sets. It was written by showrunner Steven Moffat.

Synopsis

When Amy is woken in the middle of the night by the TARDIS telephone, she learns the Doctor carries on a very active social and adventuring life while his companions sleep. She tries to piece together how the fate of the Commonwealth could possibly be affected by the Doctor, an unseen River Song, an unnamed Prince of Wales and a British Queen who has been turned into a goldfish. To the Doctor's horror, she has killed a Warrior Chief in the form of a fly while he was out. She tries to stop the Doctor to have a serious conversation. However, he calls for Rory as it's "his turn" to handle her emotions. Amy begins to tell Rory off for this, but the Doctor's horrified scream stops her - he's got the wrong goldfish. He's got three hours before the pet shops open now to find the Queen with River.

Cast

• The Doctor - Matt Smith
• Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
• Rory Williams - Arthur Darvill

Crew

• Writer - Steven Moffat
• Director - Richard Senior (uncredited)

Worldbuilding

to be added

Story notes

The Doctor

• The Doctor is bad at lying. (TV: Flesh and Stone, The Vampires of Venice, A Christmas Carol)
• He "takes turns" with Rory when Amy "has an emotion".
• Is on yet another date with River Song, but dodges Amy's questions about the adventures he has with River while Amy and Rory sleep.

Filming locations

• This episode takes place entirely within the TARDIS.

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.

• When the TARDIS phone rings, no one is standing at the TARDIS console. When it cuts to Amy answering the phone, she is standing in a position that was vacant in the previous shot.
• The water level of the goldfish bowl varies from shot to shot. Its lowest level is the close-angle shot of the bowl as the Doctor addresses the goldfish.

Continuity

• The opening shot of the TARDIS interior as the phone rings is similar to the opening shot for the prequel to TV: Let's Kill Hitler.
• Amy wears a nightie and dressing gown ensemble, similar to that seen in The Eleventh Hour and The Beast Below.
• The TARDIS phone was also called by another British historical figure, Winston Churchill. (TV: The Beast Below, TV: Victory of the Daleks)
• The Doctor denies sneaking away at night to be with River Song, which he subsequently contradicts when Amy asks how River's doing. The Doctor spending his nights with River is the theme of four of the five "Night and the Doctor" shorts and is also touched upon towards the end of TV: The Wedding of River Song.

Home video releases

to be added

External links

• Night and the Doctor at Chrissie's Transcripts Site