Thin Ice (TV story): Difference between revisions

From Tardis Wiki, the free Doctor Who reference
m (Cosmetic changes)
Tag: apiedit
No edit summary
Tags: Visual edit apiedit
Line 32: Line 32:
}}{{you may|Thin Ice (audio story)|n1=the audio story}}
}}{{you may|Thin Ice (audio story)|n1=the audio story}}
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the third episode of the [[Series 10 (Doctor Who)|tenth series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' produced by [[BBC Wales]]. The events of this story follow on directly from ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'', with the TARDIS arriving in London just moments after the Doctor and Bill leave the planet [[Gliese 581 D]].
'''''{{StoryTitle}}''''' was the third episode of the [[Series 10 (Doctor Who)|tenth series]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' produced by [[BBC Wales]]. The events of this story follow on directly from ''[[Smile (TV story)|Smile]]'', with the TARDIS arriving in London just moments after the Doctor and Bill leave the planet [[Gliese 581 D]].
Oddly, Bill repeats almost each concern that Martha Jones did back in [[The Shakespeare Code|''The Shakespeare Code'']], such as the fact that she has arrived in a time period when African-Americans were still enslaved and treated poorly. She also initially thinks that time travel worked like the movie ''The Butterfly Effect'', where she could erase herself from existence by the smallest change to history. Also a change from that story is that the companion wears clothing appropriate to the era.
Rather strangely, the Doctor did not run into [[Eleventh Doctor|his previous incarnation]], who [[A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)|had brought their wife River Song to the last Frost Fair to hear Stevie Wonder sing for her birthday]].
It is also the first episode since 2006's ''[[New Earth (TV story)|New Earth]]'' that a character has almost said a strong swear word, only for the scene to change.


== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
Line 37: Line 43:


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
The [[Twelfth Doctor]] and [[Bill Potts|Bill]], having just experienced the events of the previous episode, dress up in period clothing and begin to explore [[Regency era|Regency]] [[London]]. As they leave [[the TARDIS]], they miss an alert message that a large creature is living in the [[River Thames]]. As they walk, a [[Dottie (Thin Ice)|street urchin]] offers them a flyer for the [[Frost Fair]] on the Thames, which they attend.
The Doctor and Bill are shocked to find themselves on the ice of one of the Frost Fairs. Heading back inside, the Doctor moves the TARDIS onto a bridge, just in case it falls into the ice. The Doctor is up to going to the fair, but Bill points out that they're in an era where her race was enslaved. He dismisses her worries, telling her where to find the wardrobe. Bill then laughs that the TARDIS has dresses.
 
Bill steps outside later, dressed in period clothing. The Doctor exits next, wearing a suit and top hat. As they leave [[the TARDIS]], they miss an alert message that a large creature is living in the [[River Thames]].  


Bill notes that Regency London is a lot more racially diverse than she remembers from the movies. The Doctor remarks that "history is a [[whitewashing|whitewash]]". Whilst enjoying the festivities, Bill notices strange green lights under the [[ice]] and follows them; the Doctor reveals he had noticed them too, but let Bill have fun while she could before they get to work.
As they walk, a [[Dottie (Thin Ice)|street urchin]] offers them a flyer for the [[Frost Fair]] on the Thames, which they attend. Bill notes that Regency London is a lot more racially diverse than she remembers from the movies. The Doctor remarks that "history is a [[whitewashing|whitewash]]", even suggesting that Jesus Christ could have another race other than Caucasian. Whilst enjoying the festivities, Bill notices strange green lights under the [[ice]] and follows them; the Doctor reveals he had noticed them too, but let Bill have fun while she could before they get to work.


Elsewhere, a [[drunken man (Thin Ice)|drunken man]] follows the lights across the ice to an area of thin ice before being sucked under leaving only his drink bottle behind.
Elsewhere, a [[drunken man (Thin Ice)|drunken man]] follows the lights across the ice to an area of thin ice before being sucked under leaving only his drink bottle behind.


The Doctor and Bill are approached by [[Kitty (Thin Ice)|a girl]] looking for her dog that has gone missing, the girl wanting their help. However, the Doctor deduces that she is trying to con them, catching a boy's arm as he attempts to [[pickpocket]] his [[sonic screwdriver]] from behind, only for the girl to kick his leg, enabling the pair to flee. The Doctor and Bill give chase across the ice but the boy, [[Spider (Thin Ice)|Spider]], becomes distracted by the green lights and is sucked under leaving only his outstretched arm, with the sonic screwdriver, protruding through the ice.
The Doctor and Bill are approached by [[Kitty (Thin Ice)|a girl]] looking for her dog that has gone missing, the girl wanting their help. However, the Doctor deduces that she is trying to con them (he congratulates her), catching a boy's arm as he attempts to [[pickpocket]] his [[sonic screwdriver]] from behind, only for the girl to kick his leg, enabling the pair to flee. The Doctor and Bill give chase across the ice but the boy, [[Spider (Thin Ice)|Spider]], becomes distracted by the green lights and is sucked under leaving only his outstretched arm, with the sonic screwdriver, protruding through the ice.


Though the Doctor tries, he cannot save him and only manages to retrieve his screw driver. His relief at having done so and his seeming lack of care towards the boy's death causes Bill to run off and then confront him. She demands to know how many people he's seen die- he doesn't know- and how many people he's killed- he doesn't say. The Doctor tells her that he is 2000 years old and doesn't have the time for the luxury of outrage otherwise more people would die.
Though the Doctor tries, he cannot save him and only manages to retrieve his screwdriver. His relief at having done so and his seeming lack of care towards the boy's death causes Bill to run off and then confront him. She demands to know how many people he's seen die- he doesn't know- and how many people he's killed- he doesn't say. The Doctor tells her that he is 2000 years old and doesn't have the time for the luxury of outrage otherwise more people would die.


The girl, [[Kitty (Thin Ice)|Kitty]], takes the Doctor and Bill to meet the rest of the urchin gang- including the girl who handed Bill the flyer. After gaining their trust by giving the children the food the Doctor stole and reading to them, the urchins explain that a man with a tattoo of a ship on his hand pays them to lure people onto the ice by handing out flyers.
The girl, [[Kitty (Thin Ice)|Kitty]], takes the Doctor and Bill to meet the rest of the urchin gang- including the girl who handed Bill the flyer. After gaining their trust by giving the children the food the Doctor stole and reading to them, the urchins explain that a man with a tattoo of a ship on his hand pays them to lure people onto the ice by handing out flyers.


Bill and the Doctor put on dive suits and walk out onto the ice. They cannot hear each other with the helmets on and the lights begin to surround Bill. She throws her lantern at the Doctor to gain his attention before she is sucked under the ice.  The Doctor jumps through before it reseals and underwater discover a giant sea creature chained at the bottom of the river.
Bill and the Doctor put on dive suits and walk out onto the ice. They cannot hear each other with the helmets on and the lights begin to surround Bill. She throws her lantern at the Doctor to gain his attention before she is sucked under the ice.  The Doctor jumps through before it reseals and underwater discover a giant sea creature chained at the bottom of the river. Bill sees the hat belonging to the boy who was sucked under in its mouth before they come back to the surface. The Doctor discovers some of the fish causing the lights and determines that they may be terrestrial. Bill notes that the creature sounded miserable from its imprisonment.
 
Bill sees the hat belonging to the boy who was sucked under in its mouth before they come back to the surface. The Doctor discovers some of the fish causing the lights and determines that they may be terrestrial. Bill notes that the creature sounded miserable from its imprisonment.


The Doctor gets information from a local fisherman and the pair discover a group of dredgers harvesting the waste from the creature from the Thames. Using the psychic paper under the pretence of conducting an inspection, the Doctor and Bill learn that the waste of the creature is more efficient than coal and can even burn underwater making it a highly valuable resource.
The Doctor gets information from a local fisherman and the pair discover a group of dredgers harvesting the waste from the creature from the Thames. Using the psychic paper under the pretence of conducting an inspection, the Doctor and Bill learn that the waste of the creature is more efficient than coal and can even burn underwater making it a highly valuable resource.
Line 60: Line 66:


Working together, Bill manages to hand the Doctor his sonic screwdriver who uses it to attract the glowing fish to them whilst also cutting through the ropes they're in. Their guard rushes in and the Doctor hands him the sonic causing the fish to become attracted to him and suck him through the ice. The Doctor gives Bill the choice saying he only serves the human race; save the creature but risk it killing the people they'd worked to save or kill it even though it was innocent. Bill, after an emotional consideration, chooses to save it.
Working together, Bill manages to hand the Doctor his sonic screwdriver who uses it to attract the glowing fish to them whilst also cutting through the ropes they're in. Their guard rushes in and the Doctor hands him the sonic causing the fish to become attracted to him and suck him through the ice. The Doctor gives Bill the choice saying he only serves the human race; save the creature but risk it killing the people they'd worked to save or kill it even though it was innocent. Bill, after an emotional consideration, chooses to save it.
 
[[File:Bill and Doctor watch Creature leave (TI).jpeg|thumb|220x220px|Bill watches the creature leave]]
Knowing people will be harmed, the Doctor tells Bill to save the people on the ice which she does with the help of the urchins, managing to convince everyone the ice is melting to get them off the ice causing Sutcliffe to rush his plans and detonate immediately. However, the Doctor had used his dive suit to plant the explosives around the chains of the sea creature instead, using his sonic to reloop the wires, releasing it. The creature begins to swim away, cracking the ice above it and causing Sutcliffe to fall into the water to his death. The Doctor pulls Bill off of the ice before she falls through though they are drenched by the creature as it swims to freedom without harming anyone, pleasing Bill as it is no longer in despair.
Knowing people will be harmed, the Doctor tells Bill to save the people on the ice which she does with the help of the urchins, managing to convince everyone the ice is melting to get them off the ice causing Sutcliffe to rush his plans and detonate immediately. However, the Doctor had used his dive suit to plant the explosives around the chains of the sea creature instead, using his sonic to reloop the wires, releasing it. The creature begins to swim away, cracking the ice above it and causing Sutcliffe to fall into the water to his death. The Doctor pulls Bill off of the ice before she falls through though they are drenched by the creature as it swims to freedom without harming anyone, pleasing Bill as it is no longer in despair.


Line 292: Line 298:
* Sutcliffe has a [[Sutcliffe's servant|manservant]].
* Sutcliffe has a [[Sutcliffe's servant|manservant]].
* Sutcliffe greets the Doctor as "[[Aliases of the Doctor#Twelfth Doctor|Doctor Disco]], from the [[Fairford Club]]".
* Sutcliffe greets the Doctor as "[[Aliases of the Doctor#Twelfth Doctor|Doctor Disco]], from the [[Fairford Club]]".
* The Doctor refer to the sea serpent as "Tiny", "the loch-less monster" and the "not-so-little mermaid".
* The Doctor refer to the sea serpent as "Tiny", "the loch-less monster" and the "naughty little mermaid".


=== Locations ===
=== Locations ===

Revision as of 00:17, 13 July 2017

RealWorld.png

You may be looking for the audio story.

Thin Ice was the third episode of the tenth series of Doctor Who produced by BBC Wales. The events of this story follow on directly from Smile, with the TARDIS arriving in London just moments after the Doctor and Bill leave the planet Gliese 581 D.

Oddly, Bill repeats almost each concern that Martha Jones did back in The Shakespeare Code, such as the fact that she has arrived in a time period when African-Americans were still enslaved and treated poorly. She also initially thinks that time travel worked like the movie The Butterfly Effect, where she could erase herself from existence by the smallest change to history. Also a change from that story is that the companion wears clothing appropriate to the era.

Rather strangely, the Doctor did not run into his previous incarnation, who had brought their wife River Song to the last Frost Fair to hear Stevie Wonder sing for her birthday.

It is also the first episode since 2006's New Earth that a character has almost said a strong swear word, only for the scene to change.

Synopsis

The Twelfth Doctor and Bill visit the last great frost fair in 1814, but something sinister is lurking below the frozen Thames.

Plot

The Doctor and Bill are shocked to find themselves on the ice of one of the Frost Fairs. Heading back inside, the Doctor moves the TARDIS onto a bridge, just in case it falls into the ice. The Doctor is up to going to the fair, but Bill points out that they're in an era where her race was enslaved. He dismisses her worries, telling her where to find the wardrobe. Bill then laughs that the TARDIS has dresses.

Bill steps outside later, dressed in period clothing. The Doctor exits next, wearing a suit and top hat. As they leave the TARDIS, they miss an alert message that a large creature is living in the River Thames.

As they walk, a street urchin offers them a flyer for the Frost Fair on the Thames, which they attend. Bill notes that Regency London is a lot more racially diverse than she remembers from the movies. The Doctor remarks that "history is a whitewash", even suggesting that Jesus Christ could have another race other than Caucasian. Whilst enjoying the festivities, Bill notices strange green lights under the ice and follows them; the Doctor reveals he had noticed them too, but let Bill have fun while she could before they get to work.

Elsewhere, a drunken man follows the lights across the ice to an area of thin ice before being sucked under leaving only his drink bottle behind.

The Doctor and Bill are approached by a girl looking for her dog that has gone missing, the girl wanting their help. However, the Doctor deduces that she is trying to con them (he congratulates her), catching a boy's arm as he attempts to pickpocket his sonic screwdriver from behind, only for the girl to kick his leg, enabling the pair to flee. The Doctor and Bill give chase across the ice but the boy, Spider, becomes distracted by the green lights and is sucked under leaving only his outstretched arm, with the sonic screwdriver, protruding through the ice.

Though the Doctor tries, he cannot save him and only manages to retrieve his screwdriver. His relief at having done so and his seeming lack of care towards the boy's death causes Bill to run off and then confront him. She demands to know how many people he's seen die- he doesn't know- and how many people he's killed- he doesn't say. The Doctor tells her that he is 2000 years old and doesn't have the time for the luxury of outrage otherwise more people would die.

The girl, Kitty, takes the Doctor and Bill to meet the rest of the urchin gang- including the girl who handed Bill the flyer. After gaining their trust by giving the children the food the Doctor stole and reading to them, the urchins explain that a man with a tattoo of a ship on his hand pays them to lure people onto the ice by handing out flyers.

Bill and the Doctor put on dive suits and walk out onto the ice. They cannot hear each other with the helmets on and the lights begin to surround Bill. She throws her lantern at the Doctor to gain his attention before she is sucked under the ice. The Doctor jumps through before it reseals and underwater discover a giant sea creature chained at the bottom of the river. Bill sees the hat belonging to the boy who was sucked under in its mouth before they come back to the surface. The Doctor discovers some of the fish causing the lights and determines that they may be terrestrial. Bill notes that the creature sounded miserable from its imprisonment.

The Doctor gets information from a local fisherman and the pair discover a group of dredgers harvesting the waste from the creature from the Thames. Using the psychic paper under the pretence of conducting an inspection, the Doctor and Bill learn that the waste of the creature is more efficient than coal and can even burn underwater making it a highly valuable resource.

They visit the manor home of the employer Lord Sutcliffe to determine whether he is an alien. The Doctor insists he do the talking as they must charm Sutcliffe and Bill is likely to become angered due to the creature eating the children. Under the guise of "Doctor Disco of the Fairbrook Society", the Doctor meets Sutcliffe who instantly makes sexist, classist but mainly racist, remarks towards Bill even calling her a "creature" and demanding she show "respect in the presence of [her] betters". In response, the Doctor punches him in the face, knocking the man down, determining that Sutcliffe is very clearly human.

Bill and the Doctor are quickly captured by Sutcliffe's co-conspirators with a bruised Sutcliffe revealing the creature has been a family secret for years. He attracts people onto the ice by helping to fund the Frost Fair to be sucked under and provide fuel. He plans to blow up the ice to cause widespread panic and deaths before the ice thaws and keep the creature a secret. Leaving Bill and the Doctor tied up with the explosives, Sutcliffe prepares to blow up the ice.

Working together, Bill manages to hand the Doctor his sonic screwdriver who uses it to attract the glowing fish to them whilst also cutting through the ropes they're in. Their guard rushes in and the Doctor hands him the sonic causing the fish to become attracted to him and suck him through the ice. The Doctor gives Bill the choice saying he only serves the human race; save the creature but risk it killing the people they'd worked to save or kill it even though it was innocent. Bill, after an emotional consideration, chooses to save it.

Bill watches the creature leave

Knowing people will be harmed, the Doctor tells Bill to save the people on the ice which she does with the help of the urchins, managing to convince everyone the ice is melting to get them off the ice causing Sutcliffe to rush his plans and detonate immediately. However, the Doctor had used his dive suit to plant the explosives around the chains of the sea creature instead, using his sonic to reloop the wires, releasing it. The creature begins to swim away, cracking the ice above it and causing Sutcliffe to fall into the water to his death. The Doctor pulls Bill off of the ice before she falls through though they are drenched by the creature as it swims to freedom without harming anyone, pleasing Bill as it is no longer in despair.

Later, Bill and the Doctor invite the urchins to Sutcliffe's home to be fed and cared for with the Doctor ammending Sutcliffe's Last Will and Testament so that everything passes to Perry, one of the urchins.

They soon depart back to St Luke's University, where Nardole, who had just finished making tea, walks into the Doctor's office and is shocked when he notices their period clothing, giving away that they had been time travelling. He reminds the Doctor of his vow whilst Bill is surprised that googling the sea creature from 1814 turned up no results. The Doctor explains that humans tend to overlook the inexplicable and that the Frost Fair involved a lot of day drinking. He shows her the headlines which detail Lord Sutcliffe's death and, despite the contestion of inheritance, Perry was eventually deemed the legitimate heir.

The Doctor and Nardole soon toss a coin to decide whether the Doctor keeps his vow and remains on Earth, or Nardole leaves him alone. Using a trick he learned from the con artist, the Doctor wins and presumably goes off in the TARDIS with Bill whilst Nardole checks the vault. As he goes to leave, knocking comes from inside, Nardole refuses to let the entity inside out before hurrying away looking very worried.

Cast

Crew

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.


References

Culture

Biology

Technology

Science

Currency

  • The frost fair costs only six pence to take part.

Food and beverages

Species

  • A giant sea serpent is held chained beneath the Thames. After it broke free, the icy River cracked and ended the frost fair tradition.
  • Lure fish were swimming in the River Thames, luring people out on the thin areas of the ice with their green light bulbs and trap them underneath for the serpent to feed on.
  • The Doctor mentions fireflies and glow worms.
  • The excrement from the sea serpent is used as fuel by Sutcliffe's people.

People

  • The Doctor jokes with Bill about an imaginary person called "Pete" who stepped on a butterfly and got erased from history.
  • Watermen are in charge of keeping order at the frost fair.
  • Bill says she was a skittles champion two years in a row.
  • Sutcliffe is racist and sexist.
  • Sutcliffe has hired dredgers.
  • The workplace has a dredger-in-chief overlooking the work.
  • Sutcliffe has a manservant.
  • Sutcliffe greets the Doctor as "Doctor Disco, from the Fairford Club".
  • The Doctor refer to the sea serpent as "Tiny", "the loch-less monster" and the "naughty little mermaid".

Locations

Story notes

File:Sarah Dollard and Hayley Nebauer - The Aftershow - Doctor Who The Fan Show

Ratings

  • 3.76m (UK overnight figures)
  • 5.61m (UK final)

File:Pearl's Guide To The Frost Fair - Doctor Who Series 10

Filming locations

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.

to be added

Continuity

Home video releases

DVD releases

to be added

Blu-ray releases

to be added

Digital releases

to be added

External links

to be added

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Technically, this episode premiered on at least the North American version of iTunes. For around four hours in the late morning/early afternoon of the 29th April, British time, it temporarily replaced Smile on all devices with the ability to access iTunes. AppleTV menus, in fact, briefly showed The Return of Doctor Mysterio as episode 1 of the tenth series and The Pilot as episode 2. Though Smile was listed as the third episode, Apple customers were greeted by Thin Ice when they tried to play Smile. Thus it was possible to see this episode in its entirety in the United States and Canada before the BBC One premiere. Apple restored Smile at about 1205 Eastern, and cut off viewers' access to Thin Ice, even if they were then currently watching it. For more information click here.
  2. ↑ https://www.google.dk/amp/www.radiotimes.com/amp/news/2017-04-15/steven-moffat-introduces-the-biggest-monsters-of-doctor-who-series-10
v • e
Doctor Who television stories
 
Seasons 1-4: William Hartnell
Season 1: 1963-1964
Season 2: 1964-1965
Season 3: 1965-1966
Season 4: 1966
 
Seasons 4-6: Patrick Troughton
Season 4: 1966-1967
Season 5: 1967-1968
Season 6: 1968-1969
 
Seasons 7-11: Jon Pertwee
Season 7: 1970
Season 8: 1971
Season 9: 1972
Season 10: 1972-1973
Season 11: 1973-1974
 
Seasons 12-18: Tom Baker
Season 12: 1974-1975
Season 13: 1975-1976
Season 14: 1976-1977
Season 15: 1977-1978
Season 16: 1978-1979
Season 17: 1979-1980
Season 18: 1980-1981
 
Seasons 19-21: Peter Davison
Season 19: 1982
Season 20: 1983
Children in Need 1983
Season 21: 1984
 
Seasons 21-23: Colin Baker
Season 21: 1984
Season 22: 1985
Season 23: 1986
 
Seasons 24-26: Sylvester McCoy
Season 24: 1987
Season 25: 1988-1989
Season 26: 1989
 
TV Movie & 2013 specials: Paul McGann
TV Movie: 1996
Specials: 2013
Minisodes
 
Series 1: Christopher Eccleston
Series 1: 2005
Regular episodes
 
Series 2-4: David Tennant
Series 2: 2005-2006
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Series 3: 2006-2007
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Animated special
Series 4: 2007-2010
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Minisodes
Animated special
Seasonal specials
 
Series 5-2013 specials: Matt Smith
Series 5: 2010
Regular episodes
Series 6: 2010-2011
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: Apr 2011)
Regular episodes
(Part 2: Aug 2011)
Minisode
Series 7: 2011-2013
Christmas Special
Minisodes
Regular episodes
(Part 1: 2012)
Minisode
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
(Part 2: 2013)
Specials: 2013
 
Series 8-10: Peter Capaldi
Series 8: 2014
Regular episodes
Series 9: 2014-2015
Christmas Special
Minisode
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
Series 10: 2016-2017
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Christmas Special
 
Series 11-13: Jodie Whittaker
Series 11: 2018-2019
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 12: 2020-2021
Regular episodes
New Year Special
Series 13: 2021
Minisodes
Regular episodes
Seasonal specials
 
60th Anniversary Specials: David Tennant
Specials: 2023
Minisodes
60th Anniversary Specials
 
Season 1 (2023)-present: Ncuti Gatwa
Season 1: 2023-2024
Christmas Special
Regular episodes
Retrieved from "https://tardis.wiki/w/index.php?title=Thin_Ice_(TV_story)&oldid=2392559"