The Idiot's Lantern (TV story)
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Are we sitting comfortably? Good then will we begin
Synopsis
London, 1953: on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, Mr. Magpie is selling televisions from his little shop at an amazingly low price. It must be an alien plot ...
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - David Tennant
- Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
- The Wire - Maureen Lipman
- Mr Magpie - Ron Cook
- Eddie Connolly - Jamie Foreman
- Rita Connolly - Debra Gillett
- Tommy Connolly - Rory Jennings
- Grandma - Margaret John
- Mrs Gallagher - Marie Lewis
- Detective Inspector Bishop - Sam Cox
- Crabtree - Ieuan Rhys
- Aunt Betty - Jean Challis
- Security Guard - Christopher Driscoll
Crew
to be added
References
- The Doctor quotes Kylie Minogue's song "Never Too Late." Minogue would later appear as a guest star in the episode Voyage of the Damned, playing Astrid Peth.
- The Doctor and Rose try to arrive in 1956 to see Elvis Presley's performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City, but arrive mistakenly in London, three years earlier.
- Torchwood is mentioned by the police officer (though the mention doesn't appear to be noticed by the Doctor).
- The Doctor drives a motorcycle out of the TARDIS. This is the first time a vehicle has been shown leaving (yet alone kept inside) the TARDIS.
Story Notes
- This story had working titles of: Mr Sandman, Sonic Doom, The One-Eyed Monster.
- The Idiot's Lantern was originally to have been the ninth episode of the Series 2.
- Originally, The Doctor was supposed to have a line about having trouble with radio transmitters, which was supposed to be a reference to Logopolis, where the Fourth Doctor fell from the Pharos Project transmitter.
Ratings
to be added
Myths
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Location Filming
- Alexandra Palace, Wood Green, London
- Florentia Street in Cathays, Cardiff
- Blenheim Road in Pen-y-lan, Cardiff
- Cardiff Royal Infirmary
- Veritair Limited tarmac at the Cardiff Heliport on Cardiff Bay
Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
- How do the people survive without mouths/noses for air? The Doctor says they are in "complete neural shut down" and just "ticking over" implying that they needn't breathe.
- Though it's clearly stated in the episode that the grandmother is Rita Connolly's mother, she is credited as Grandma Connolly. Grandma Connolly is Tom Connolly's grandmother.
- The Doctor and Conolly have their faces sucked into the TV along with the inspector when they search the TV store. Apparently, since the Doctor and Conolly have been around the same time as the Inspector, how come the Doctor and Conolly survive and the Inspector's face is gone? (Perhaps it can only focus on one person at a time and was just holding the others in place.) Then why on Earth didn't she get the Doctor first as he posed the largest threat?
Continuity
- The portable TV turns up in an episode of Torchwood.
- Magpie Electricals apparently continues to exist. Martha Jones had a Magpie brand television in The Sound of Drums, and a Magpie brand microphone can be seen in Voyage of the Damned
DVD Releases
- This was released on a vanilla DVD along side Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel.
- It was also released as part of the Series 2 box set.
See also
to be added
External Links
- Official BBC Website - Episode Guide for The Idiot's Lantern
- The Doctor Who Reference Guide detailed synopsis of The Idiot's Lantern
- The Whoniverse Discontinuity Guide to The Idiot's Lantern
- Outpost Gallifrey Episode Guide: The Idiot's Lantern
- A Brief History of Time (Travel): The Idiot's Lantern
