The Giggle (TV story)

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Revision as of 19:55, 9 December 2023 by Wozza123 (talk | contribs) (a rough idea missing a lot)
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The Giggle will be the third and final of the three 2023 specials of Doctor Who, broadcast on 9 December 2023[1] as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations.

It will see the final onscreen adventure of the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble, the return of the Toymaker portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, and the first televised appearance of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.

Synopsis

The giggle of a mysterious puppet is driving the human race insane. When the Doctor discovers the return of the terrifying Toymaker, he faces a fight he can never win.[2]

Plot

The Toymaker has returned! He's causing havoc, not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world - people are more easily offended than ever, making everyone fight. The Doctor and Donna find a hidden message concealed in every electronic screen in the world, created in the dawn of television - a giggle. The notes of this giggle correlate to a wavefunction UNIT have interpreted.

The Doctor and Donna return to 1925, when television was invented (or "discovered" as suggested in the first ever episode). There, they find the Toymaker, juggling three balls. He throws balls to the Doctor while recounting a tale about games. Eventually, Donna catches one and the villain retreats. Following him, the two end up in a seemingly-infinite set of corridors. They are split up and each fight a monster - the Doctor acts against a puppet whilst Donna encounters various little dolls in the style of the 1920s (see that script S. Fry never finished).

Finding one another, two chairs are created from nothing (as if by magic), propelling the pair towards a giant colourful stage, where the Toymaker awaits. He tells a tale of the Doctor's lives, how he allowed the companions Amy Pond, Clara Oswald and Bill Potts to be killed. At each death pronouncement, the Doctor defies the notion emotionally. Then the Doctor and the Toymaker play a little game, the winner being the triumphant overall. They decide to split a deck of cards; whomever draws the higher valued card is the winner. The Doctor draws an eight of clubs (I think); the Toymaker reigns supreme with a king. However, just as the Toymaker goes to claim superiority, the Doctor suggests that they are in fact drawing overall, since the First Doctor previously bested the Toymaker (in 1966, link here maybe?). It is decided there is to be a final deciding round - we play the contest again, Time Lord (The Curse of Fenric ref).

Thus, the Toymaker escapes to the year of our lord 2023, with the Doctor and Donna in pursuit. The giant house they were in crumples into a small ornate box with a design reminiscent of a deck of cards.

Back in 2023, the Toymaker invades UNIT's London base, singing a song, dancing around, turning bullets into hearts and being a menace. He takes control of the galvanic beam and shoots the Doctor. Donna and Mel rush to the Doctor's aid, promising something and the Doctor, on the cusp of regeneration, says "Allons-y!". However, he does not regenerate. An odd sensation builds within him, and suddenly he splits in twain. Everyone watches as the Doctor bi-generates into a new incarnation. He is another man, of black hue, to which Donna inquires whether the Doctor comes in multiple colours (something like that).

It is decided, since this is a new incarnation, they may now play the contest properly. The two Doctors together united defeat the evil scourge, the Toymaker, by catching a ball and throwing it to him, who fails to catch it. He is defeated, and the new Doctor whacks a giant wooden mallet into the TARDIS, creating another TARDIS, which Donna thinks rather ridiculous.

Inside the original TARDIS, the 14th Doctor and Donna decide to settle down on Earth for a while, and have some nice lunch outside on a sunny day (unlike Black Orchid). Meanwhile, the 15th Doctor plays some music from a newly-instated jukebox, and takes the TARDIS off, to new adventures, to discover new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no Doctor has gone before!

Cast

And introducing Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor

Uncredited cast

Crew

to be added

Worldbuilding

to be added

Notes

  • This story's upcoming debut was mentioned alongside the other 2023 specials in the non-fiction feature Back in Business published in Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 on 7 September 2023.
  • Russell T Davies was inspired, when researching John Logie Baird during the production of Nolly, to write an episode around the puppet. He later realized that a two-foot tall puppet wouldn't be the most intimidating foe, so decided to use the Toymaker as the antagonist.[5]
  • Bernard Cribbins was originally intended to appear in this episode as Wilfred Mott. However, his health prevented him from doing so, making the previous episode his final acting performance prior to his death. Wilfred still appears briefly in the episode, through use of a stand-in actor and archive audio.

Myths

to be added

Filming locations

Ratings

to be added

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 media releases

DVD and Blu-ray releases

This episode, along with The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"] and Wild Blue Yonder [+]Loading...["Wild Blue Yonder (TV story)"], was released on Region 2 DVD, and Region B Blu-ray and steelbook on 18 December 2023.[7]

Gallery

to be added

Footnotes

Notes

Footnotes