Rain Gods (home video)

Rain Gods
Adapted from:	Planet of the Rain Gods
Doctor:	Eleventh Doctor
Companion(s):	River
Main enemy:	Rain Gods
Main setting:	"Planet of the Rain Gods"
Key crew
Writer:	Neil Gaiman
Release details
Release date:	24 September 2013
Format:	1x2 minutes, mini-episode
Behind the scenes video
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Rain Gods was a Doctor Who mini-episode made exclusively for the Series 7 DVD and Blu-ray box sets. It was written by Neil Gaiman and featured Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Alex Kingston as River Song.

It was adapted from the unused opening sequence of The Doctor's Wife, which was previously also made into a comic strip for The Brilliant Book 2012. Unlike the comic, the mini-episode does not replace the aired opening of The Doctor's Wife, but is a standalone story. The original story featured Amy Pond and Rory Williams, whereas the new version features River Song, who does not appear in Doctor's Wife. As such, this is the first on-screen story to feature River Song that was not written by Steven Moffat (who is erroneously credited as its writer; the story was actually written by Gaiman).

Plot

The Doctor and River Song find themselves at the mercy of the natives of the planet of the Rain Gods, who mean to sacrifice them to their deities, until the Doctor calls upon the gods themselves to help them out of the fix.

Cast

• The Doctor - Matt Smith
• River Song - Alex Kingston

Continuity

• River wears the grey dress she often wears in Stormcage. (TV: A Good Man Goes to War, Let's Kill Hitler, HOMEVID: First Night)

References

• The Doctor thinks human sacrifice is "good for the crops".

Story notes

• While Steven Moffat is credited as the writer on-screen, the story was actually written by Neil Gaiman. The North American release of the box set in turn erroneously credits Gaiman as the writer of The Name of the Doctor, though only on the box. .
• Including opening credits, the mini-sode's running time is approximately 100 seconds, making it one of the shortest Doctor Who storylines ever.
• This is the first time the Doctor is seen wearing his purple post-Victorian outfit in River's presence prior to her death.

Home video releases

Complete Seventh Series DVD Cover

This mini-episode was released as part of The Complete Seventh Series on DVD and Blu Ray on September 24, 2013.