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==Story notes== | ==Story notes== | ||
*The working title for this story was '''Starship Titanic'''. As Davies writes in ''The Writer's Tale'', it was changed when it was pointed out that [[Douglas Adams]] had created a video game and novel | *The working title for this story was '''Starship Titanic'''. As Davies writes in ''The Writer's Tale'', it was changed when it was pointed out that [[Douglas Adams]] had created a video game and novel of that title, with an extremely similar concept, years earlier. | ||
*Also according to ''The Writer's Tale'', American actor [[w:Dennis Hopper|Dennis Hopper]] was approached about playing Mr. Copper and, later, Max Capricorn, but plans fell through. | *Also according to ''The Writer's Tale'', American actor [[w:Dennis Hopper|Dennis Hopper]] was approached about playing Mr. Copper and, later, Max Capricorn, but plans fell through. | ||
*Astrid Peth was originally named simply "Peth." | *Astrid Peth was originally named simply "Peth." | ||
*Composer [[Murray Gold]] and arranger [[Ben Foster]] both cameo as members of the ''Titanic's'' band, along with singer [[Yamit Mamo]] who performs the original song, "[[The Stowaway]]." Mamo also performs "[[Winter Wonderland (song)|Winter Wonderland]]". An instrumental version of "[[Jingle Bells]]" is | *Composer [[Murray Gold]] and arranger [[Ben Foster]] both cameo as members of the ''Titanic's'' band, along with singer [[Yamit Mamo]] who performs the original song, "[[The Stowaway]]." Mamo also performs "[[Winter Wonderland (song)|Winter Wonderland]]". An instrumental version of "[[Jingle Bells]]" is heard when the Doctor first arrives. | ||
*The theme tune was revamped for Voyage Of The Damned and was a few seconds longer than the previous versions. ''"I think I just decided to spruce it up - new drums, new rhythm section, new bass line, new little bit of piano,"'' says Murray Gold. | *The theme tune was revamped for Voyage Of The Damned and was a few seconds longer than the previous versions. ''"I think I just decided to spruce it up - new drums, new rhythm section, new bass line, new little bit of piano,"'' says Murray Gold. | ||
*The episode is dedicated to the late [[Verity Lambert]], the | *The episode is dedicated to the late [[Verity Lambert]], the first producer of Doctor Who and a legend in the TV industry. Verity died on[[ 22 November]] [[2007]], one day before Doctor Who's forty-fourth anniversary, and (per ''The Writer's Tale''), Davies immediately requested a tribute card be inserted into the episode. The TARDIS sound effect is heard softly in the background as the tribute is shown. | ||
*Angels seem to be a recurring theme throughout the new series. The Doctor has been referred to as a Lonely Angel, faced The Weeping Angels and made use of the Master's mesmeric communication network, Archangel. | *Angels seem to be a recurring theme throughout the new series. The Doctor has been referred to as a Lonely Angel, faced The Weeping Angels and made use of the Master's mesmeric communication network, Archangel. | ||
*The Doctor agrees to let Astrid travel with him, but she dies before she gets the chance to. This also happened to [[Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson|Reinette]] in [[The Girl in the Fireplace]] and [[Lynda Moss]] in [[The Parting of the Ways]]. | *The Doctor agrees to let Astrid travel with him, but she dies before she gets the chance to. This also happened to [[Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson|Reinette]] in [[The Girl in the Fireplace]] and [[Lynda Moss]] in [[The Parting of the Ways]]. | ||
*The scene where the Doctor is lifted into the air by Angels was heavily criticized by Catholic audiences. | *The scene where the Doctor is lifted into the air by Angels was heavily criticized by Catholic audiences. | ||
*This was Kylie Minogue's first major acting appearance since her diagnosis and | *This was Kylie Minogue's first major acting appearance since her diagnosis and recovery from breast cancer two years earlier. Minogue was actually a film and TV actor before she became a singer, and had made occasional film appearances since launching her musical career. | ||
*David Tennant's mother died near the start of production of the episode, forcing the crew to shoot around him during his | *David Tennant's mother died near the start of production of the episode, forcing the crew to shoot around him during his consequent absence. | ||
*A specific special effects shot is repeated several times in the episode: someone falling while looking up towards the camera. This occurs at least four times in the episode: when the steward is sucked into space (although he's technically not falling), and when Foon and Astrid fall to their deaths; a fourth occasion can | *A specific special effects shot is repeated several times in the episode: someone falling while looking up towards the camera. This occurs at least four times in the episode: when the steward is sucked into space (although he's technically not falling), and when Foon and Astrid fall to their deaths; a fourth occasion can be glimpsed when Morvin falls. | ||
*In his first draft of the episode, Davies had Buckingham Palace destroyed by the ''Titanic'' | *In his first draft of the episode, Davies had Buckingham Palace destroyed by the ''Titanic'': the Doctor stops the ship from crashing but not before it smashes through the palace. In this version, instead of wishing the Doctor a Happy Christmas, the Queen is heard to curse the Doctor. This same early draft also featured a hoped-for cameo by Prince Charles. Davies spared the Palace as he felt it was too negative an ending for a holiday episode. | ||
*It was originally planned for the Judoon to return at the end to arrest the villain. | *It was originally planned for the Judoon to return at the end to arrest the villain. | ||
*At 71 minutes long, ''Voyage of the Damned'' holds the record for the second longest 'single episode' of Doctor Who since the series revival and the fourth longest single episode of all (the third longest episode ever is ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]] Part Two, which was 75 minutes long, the second longest episode ever is the 1996 movie, which was 85 minutes long, and the longest was the special ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', which was 90 minutes long ). '' | *At 71 minutes long, ''Voyage of the Damned'' holds the record for the second longest 'single episode' of Doctor Who since the series revival and the fourth longest single episode of all (the third longest episode ever is ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]] Part Two, which was 75 minutes long, the second longest episode ever is the 1996 movie, which was 85 minutes long, and the longest was the special ''[[The Five Doctors]]'', which was 90 minutes long). '' | ||
*''Voyage of the Damned'' has the distinction of being the only episode of the revived ''Doctor Who'' not to be shown by the series' original Canadian broadcast network, the [[CBC]]. The network skipped the episode when it began showing Series 4 in the fall of 2008. Perhaps coincidentally, beginning with ''Voyage of the Damned'', the CBC no longer received an on-screen credit for its participation in funding the series, although it continued to do so for the remainder of Series 4. Although the CBC retained the rights to air the special until April 2010, it never did so, though a French-language broadcaster in Canada did show it at some point. In April 2010 the series' new home broadcaster, [[Space (TV channel)|Space]], took over the rights to air ''Voyage of the Damned'', and will do so for the first time on 24 July 2010, which is being promoted as the English-language Canadian premiere of the episode.[http://thisweekindoctorwho.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-week-in-doctor-who-june-26-2010.html] The CBC subsidiary network, CBC Bold, which as of mid-2010 continued to air reruns, announced it would host the "CBC premiere" of the special on 28th July, but at the last minute the broadcast was cancelled in favour of highlights from a comedy festival, meaning ''Voyage of the Damned'' continues to be unbroadcast by the CBC close to three years after it aired in the UK.[http://thisweekindoctorwho.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-week-in-doctor-who-july-24-2010.html] | *''Voyage of the Damned'' has the distinction of being the only episode of the revived ''Doctor Who'' not to be shown by the series' original Canadian broadcast network, the [[CBC]]. The network skipped the episode when it began showing Series 4 in the fall of 2008. Perhaps coincidentally, beginning with ''Voyage of the Damned'', the CBC no longer received an on-screen credit for its participation in funding the series, although it continued to do so for the remainder of Series 4. Although the CBC retained the rights to air the special until April 2010, it never did so, though a French-language broadcaster in Canada did show it at some point. In April 2010 the series' new home broadcaster, [[Space (TV channel)|Space]], took over the rights to air ''Voyage of the Damned'', and will do so for the first time on 24 July 2010, which is being promoted as the English-language Canadian premiere of the episode.[http://thisweekindoctorwho.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-week-in-doctor-who-june-26-2010.html] The CBC subsidiary network, CBC Bold, which as of mid-2010 continued to air reruns, announced it would host the "CBC premiere" of the special on 28th July, but at the last minute the broadcast was cancelled in favour of highlights from a comedy festival, meaning ''Voyage of the Damned'' continues to be unbroadcast by the CBC close to three years after it aired in the UK.[http://thisweekindoctorwho.blogspot.com/2010/07/this-week-in-doctor-who-july-24-2010.html] | ||
*Mr. Copper implies that he wants to travel with the Doctor, but the Doctor declines, stating he travels alone. This is the same rationale given when he refuses [[Christina de Souza]]'s request to join him in ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]''. | *Mr. Copper implies that he wants to travel with the Doctor, but the Doctor declines, stating he travels alone. This is the same rationale given when he refuses [[Christina de Souza]]'s request to join him in ''[[Planet of the Dead (TV story)|Planet of the Dead]]''. | ||
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*The British tabloid press published reports that Minogue's character was going to be a [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cyberwoman]]; this was disproven once publicity photos of her in Astrid's serving girl outfit were released. (According to ''[[The Writer's Tale]]'', the tabloid reports of Kylie-as-Cybermen not only went out before she'd actually been cast in the special, but Davies hadn't even completed writing it yet. | *The British tabloid press published reports that Minogue's character was going to be a [[Cyberman (Pete's World)|Cyberwoman]]; this was disproven once publicity photos of her in Astrid's serving girl outfit were released. (According to ''[[The Writer's Tale]]'', the tabloid reports of Kylie-as-Cybermen not only went out before she'd actually been cast in the special, but Davies hadn't even completed writing it yet. | ||
*The meaning of the lyrics in the original song "The Stowaway" (heard only briefly on screen, but released in full on the Series 3 soundtrack album prior to broadcast) have given rise to some speculation. The general consensus is that they are from Astrid's point of view (reflecting in part their first meeting where the Doctor identifies himself to her as a stowaway, supported by the fact they're sung in a female voice), but comments by production team have been interpreted to suggest they might be from the captain's point of view (implying a same-sex interest, but not coinciding with anything that occurs in the episode - the Doctor and the captain never even meet each other). In either case, it was widely speculated that [[Rose Tyler]] is the lost love referenced in the lyrics, with the line "lying with his love that's where he'll be" in particular foreshadowing her later return in Series 4, and the events at the conclusion of [[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]''. | *The meaning of the lyrics in the original song "The Stowaway" (heard only briefly on screen, but released in full on the Series 3 soundtrack album prior to broadcast) have given rise to some speculation. The general consensus is that they are from Astrid's point of view (reflecting in part their first meeting where the Doctor identifies himself to her as a stowaway, supported by the fact they're sung in a female voice), but comments by production team have been interpreted to suggest they might be from the captain's point of view (implying a same-sex interest, but not coinciding with anything that occurs in the episode - the Doctor and the captain never even meet each other). In either case, it was widely speculated that [[Rose Tyler]] is the lost love referenced in the lyrics, with the line "lying with his love that's where he'll be" in particular foreshadowing her later return in Series 4, and the events at the conclusion of [[DW]]: ''[[The Stolen Earth]]''. | ||
* | * [[The Sun]] newspaper released a report claiming [[Albert Einstein]] would be in this episode, played by Woody Allen. | ||
*Minogue was reportedly mistaken for a waitress outside a hotel due to her costume. | *Minogue was reportedly mistaken for a waitress outside a hotel due to her costume. | ||
*The nature of Astrid's fate led to rumors that she might reappear in Series 4, particularly in the finale. This did not happen other than a brief flashback appearance in ''[[Journey's End]]''. It was rumoured that she might have appeared in one of the 2009 specials, but this did not occur. | *The nature of Astrid's fate led to rumors that she might reappear in Series 4, particularly in the finale. This did not happen other than a brief flashback appearance in ''[[Journey's End]]''. It was rumoured that she might have appeared in one of the 2009 specials, but this did not occur. | ||