The End of the World (TV story)

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"The End of the World" was the second episode of Season 27. It marked the first appearance of Lady Cassandra O'Brien and of the Doctor's psychic paper. Not counting short hops across London in the previous story, it also marked Rose's first real trip in the TARDIS.

Synopsis

The Doctor decides to show Rose the future of the Earth and takes her all of the way forward to the year 5,000,000,000 to the day on which the Earth is destroyed.

They arrive on Platform One, a space station near the planet which is heavily shielded to allow some of the richest and most powerful people in the galaxy to watch the Earth be consumed by its own star. When the race responsible for the administration of the platform begin dying and the station shows signs of being sabotaged the Doctor with the help of a tree called Jabe races to save the station and the alien delegates before they are all destroyed.

Plot

to be added

Cast

Uncredited

Crew

References

  • The Doctor tells Rose that his planet was destroyed before it's time, as the result of a war which they lost.
  • The term Bad Wolf is mentioned for the first time. (the Moxx of Balhoon stating "Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario.".

Individuals

Geographic Locations

Organizations

Races and Species

Technology

  • IPod
  • mobile phone
  • This is the first appearance of the psychic paper, which in this its first appearance the Doctor calls "slightly psychic paper".

Astronomical Objects

Story Notes

  • The story begins with a brief re-cap of the last week's episode similar to many American shows, however unlike most American shows there is no voice over announcing "previously on Doctor Who". The footage from Rose simply begins the episode.
  • A BBC logo is placed on the bottom of the screen when the recap finishes and this episode begins
  • Russell T. Davies, who created Cassandra, has said on multiple occasions that he was inspired to create Cassandra upon viewing skinny Hollywood actresses at the Academy Awards. On 2 April 2006, the Sunday Mirror quoted Davies: "It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman struck me in particular. Nicole is one of the most beautiful women in the world. But she looks horrifying because she's so thin. It's like we're killing these women in public. We watch while you die."

Ratings

to be added

Myths

to be added

Cultural References

  • The first thing Rose sees upon leaving the TARDIS for the first time is a ventilation duct. Presumably a reference to the fact that the show has a reputation for relying heavily on ventilation ducts as a plot device.
  • The room with all of the moving blades seems to be inspired by Star Wars, which is famous for its long bridges over really huge chasms and no hand rails or anything to stop people falling to their death.
  • When the Doctor returns Rose to Earth in the 21st Century there is a man selling the Big Issue. This is a magazine sold on the streets in the UK to provide money for homeless people.

Music

  • Tainted Love - Plays after all of the delegates have assembled

Location Filming

to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

  • The sun filter descends much slower when Rose is trapped in the office than it did when the Steward was trapped.
  • Some confusion existed as to the exact dating for this story as to whether the story is set in the year 5,000,000,000 or 5000002005, this now appears to have been resolved in New Earth which establishes that these events occurred in the year 5000000000. Then there is the meaning of "billion," which in old UK usage meant "a million million," what in North America is known as a trillion. Today the term usually means the same as it does in North America, what used to be called "a thousand million" in the UK. So, is Rose 5 billion years in her future, according the newer usage, or is she 5 trillion years in her future, according to the old usage?

Continuity

DVD and Other Releases

to be added

See Also

External Links


Television

Previous story:
Rose
Next story:
The Unquiet Dead