Nemesis (CON episode)

Nemesis
Broadcast on:	BBC Three
Broadcast with:	The Unicorn and the Wasp
Series number:	4
Broadcast date:	17 May 2008
Runtime:	45 minutes
Key crew
Narrator:	Anthony Head
Doctor Who Confidential
← Previous	Sins of the Fathers
Next →	Shadow Play

Nemesis was the episode of Doctor Who Confidential broadcast in conjunction with The Unicorn and the Wasp. It was titled after the Agatha Christie novel of the same name.

The thrust of the episode was to explain how Unicorn was, in production terms, very much like a traditional hour of mystery television. The story required, because of the storytelling conventions it tried to honour, a large cast — all of whom had to be equally filmed so the director's shot choices didn't give away the murderer. This meant, as several participants explained, many more takes of the same scene than usual for Doctor Who. The impact of having to setup multiple times for the same scene to cover different actors was explained several times throughout the episode.

Aspects of production covered

• The visual effects setup of the final scene with the Vespiform at the lake.
• The filming of the scene in which the Doctor rids his system of cyanide.
• How cinematographer, director, gaffer and actors came together to film the narratively complex dinner scene against the backdrop of a thunderstorm.
• The problems of filming a car chase with two vintage cars that couldn't actually travel more than about twenty miles an hour and how a low loader came in handy.

Additional topics covered

• The casting of Fenella Woolgar.
• The use of David Tennant's father as a background extra.
• A montage of the use of Agatha Christie book titles in the script.
• A look back at moments when other Doctors met "celebrity" historical figures, featuring the first, fourth, sixth, seventh, ninth and younger Tenth Doctors.

People interviewed

• Graeme Harper
• Gareth Roberts
• David Tennant
• Russell T Davies
• Sandy McDonald
• Andy Pryor
• Fenella Woolgar
• Matthew Prichard
• Tom Goodman-Hill
• Tim Barter
• Susie Liggat
• Charlotte Eaton
• Rory Taylor
• Mark Hutchings
• Adam Rayner
• Malcom McKay

Music list

• "Shut Up And Drive" by Rhianna, Album: Shut up and Drive
• "Step Back In Time" by Kylie Minogue, Album: Kylie: Greatest Hits
• "The Bee Song" by Athur Askey, Album: Young At Heart - Children's Favourites
• "Take Me To The River" by Talking Heads, Album: More Songs About Buildings And Food
• "Ready To Go" by Republica, Album: The Best Girl Power Album - Ever!
• "Armchair Detective" by Reverend and the Makers, Album: The State of Things
• "Over And Over" by Hot Chip, Album: The Warning
• "She Moves She" by Fourtet, Album: Rounds
• "I Got Stung" by Elvis Presley, Album: Elvis The Collection Volume 2
• "Grieving For You" by Jack Hylton's Rhythmagicians, Album: Jazz in Britain
• "Arkansas" by Fred Elizade And His 'Hot' Music, Album: Jazz in Britain
• "After You've Gone" by Billy Cotton and his Cotton Pickers, Album: Jazz in Britain
• "Woe Is Me" by Billy Cotton and his Cotton Pickers, Album: Jazz in Britain
• "Insomnia" by Faithless, Album: Reverence

Crew

to be added

Elements retained in Cut Down

to be added

Home video releases

The "Cut Down" version of the episode is available on the Complete Fourth Series DVD box set.