Turn Left (TV story)

Its coming Donna, its coming from across the stars and nothing can stop it...Rose Tyler

	[[doctor::Tenth Doctor]]
	Donna Noble Rose Tyler
	Shan Shen, London, 2009
	Russell T. Davies
	Graeme Harper
	Susie Liggat
	11
	4
	21st June 2008

Synopsis

Donna’s entire world collapses, then The Doctor dies. Instead, she finds help from a mysterious blond woman – a traveller from a parallel universe. But, as Donna and Rose Tyler combine forces, are they too late to save the whole of creation from the approaching darkness? And what is on Donna's back?

Plot

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Cast

• The Doctor - David Tennant
• Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
• Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
• Jackie Tyler - Camille Coduri
• Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King
• Wilfred Mott - Bernard Cribbins
• Mr Colastanto - Joseph Long
• TBA - Chipo Chung
• Spanish Maid - Loraine Velez
• Unknown - Noma Dumzwemi
• Unknown - Suzann McLean
• Unknown - Marcia Lecky
• Unknown - Natalie Walter
• Unknown - Bhasker Patel
• Unknown - Sanchia McCormack
• Unknown - Terri-Ann Burmby
• Unknown - Paul Richard Biggin
• Unknown - Neil Clench
• Unknown - Lawrence Stevenson
• Unknown - Catherine York

Production crew

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References

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Story notes

• In the Next Time Trailer shown at the end of Midnight (TV story), The Doctor is dead, as a U.N.I.T. soldier says "Found a body Sir. The Doctor is dead." He is talking into his walkie-talkie, then The Doctor's hand is shown over a stretcher, and he drops his Sonic screwdriver.
• This is the first story to feature Rose in the capacity of the Doctor's companion since Doomsday.
• Lucius Petrus Dextrus from The Fires of Pompeii says that "she is returning" when seeing the future. This is most likely a reference to Rose's return in this episode.
• Billie Piper was seen at the end of Partners in Crime, as well as a short cameo in The Poison Sky and another in Midnight.
• Chipo Chung was last seen in the episode Utopia as the Malmooth, Chantho. She plays a human character in this story.
• This is the 'Doctor-lite' episode of the series, similar to Love and Monsters and Blink, albeit with a much darker storyline.
• A reference to something on Donna's back was last heard in The Fires of Pompeii when Lucius Petrus Dextrus saw into the future 'something on your back' is a back story arc as it has never been mentioned up to this episode.
• In DWM it is said that Donna will receive a free tarot card reading and find out something bad is going to happen. When she is receiving it there will also be something behind her lurking in the curtains. The Tarot person will also look for a specific event in Donna's past.
• Part of this episode is filmed in China Town, though not the one in London, but recreated in Cardiff. Chinese people living in South Wales were invited to be background extras via Facebook at the end of 2007. They had to reply to the Doctor Who casting crew with their name and sizes for costumes to be made for them and they were paid approx £70 for the day. David Tennant was seen in 'China Town' when he took time out of filming though staying on location to appear on Blue Peter to appeal to viewers to donate shoes to their Shoebiz appeal.

Ratings

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Rumours

• Enemies likely to be in this episode include Davros and Dalek Caan.
• Rose is able to cross worlds because of tech developed by torchwood and UNIT.- The lights seen in the episode trailer could be the technology used.
• In the previous episode descriptions it claimed Rose's world is 'splintering'. This could be Davros and/or the Daleks forcing their way through the breach.
• Harriet Jones will appear in either this episode or the next, with her uneasy alliance with The Doctor after The Christmas Invasion, she may be working or influenced by the Daleks, alternatively it may be the Harriet Jones from the parallel world.
• An epidemic of Eight legs, the soldier had knowledge of them (he said "show me your back.")
• It comments in DWM that Rose might not be on the same side as Donna. she may have her new worlds best interests at heart.
• We see flashbacks of Donna before the events of The Runaway Bride.
• The Thing on Donna's back is called a Time beetle.
• This episode may tie in with Episode 12, like Utopia did with The Sound Of Drums. Possible, as in pictures in Doctor Who Magazine 396, it was confirmed that part of Turn Left would take place on Earth.
• Maybe, Rose appears to Donna in a dream and guides her, as the Doctor did in Doomsday to her world (Possibly through Bad Wolf Bay, as photos on youtube show Rose on the beach.).
• The true mastermind of the ill fate that happens to Donna in this episode will be familiar to fans of one of the Doctor Who spinoff shows.

Filming Locations

"China Town" Recreated in Cardiff

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

to be added

Continuity

• In The Sontaran Strategem the Sat Nav kept saying Turn Left. The Doctor is also heard saying Turn Right not Left. This could have something to do with this episode.
• Rose says in the mid series trailer that the darkness is coming, the Toclafane say "Its coming ... the never ending darkness". (DW: The Sound of Drums) This was most likely a reference to heat-death of the universe, a main topic of Utopia (TV story). Gwyneth also mentions "the darkness" in her Rift-induced prophecy (DW: The Unquiet Dead). also, it is often mentioned in torchwood, after being brought back from the dead by the risen mitten "theres something out there, in the darkness, waiting". The Vashta Nerada also inhabited shadows and darkness.Also in Midnight Sky says 'hes been waiting in the darkness so long'.
• Throughout the revived series, turning left seems to lead to disaster, while turning right is a good way to go.

DVD and Other releases

• This is due to be released in the Series 4 boxset in November 2008 along with the rest of the Series.
• It will be released as Series 4 Volume 4 alongside The Stolen Earth and Journey's End in September 2008.

See also

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External links

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