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Series 6 (Doctor Who 2005)

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Revision as of 23:38, 17 May 2016 by Amorkuz (talk | contribs) (DVD and blue-ray releases are merchandising, novels and audiobooks are original stories)
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Series 6 of Doctor Who, occasionally known as season 32 to avoid confusion with season 6, was aired in 2011. DWM 419 confirmed that it had been commissioned by the BBC, and producer Piers Wenger also announced the same at the BBC Press Launch for series 5 in March 2010.

Filming began in July 2010. This series was preceded by a 2010 Christmas special written by Steven Moffat, A Christmas Carol. The series was split into two sections, with the first episode, The Impossible Astronaut, airing on 23 April 2011. It paused after the seventh episode, A Good Man Goes to War, was aired on 4 June 2011. The series picked up with the eighth episode, Let's Kill Hitler, on 27 August 2011 and ran through to the final, thirteenth episode, The Wedding of River Song on 1 October 2011. Short prequels were released on the official site to publicise the series, the first time such brief productions had been made since the Tardisodes of series 2.

Series 6 was the first since season 26 to not introduce any new lead cast members, with both the Doctor and his companions returning from the previous series.

For the first time since the 1970s, the version of the series syndicated outside the UK contained a major difference: the opening credits of most episodes of Series 6 broadcast in Canada, US, Australia and Israel were preceded by a special introductory narration by Karen Gillan (as Amy Pond) explaining the concept of the series, with footage taken from Series 5 episodes.

Overview

The story arc of this series involves River Song's true identity, revelations of the mysterious Silence referenced in series 5 and apparent death of the Eleventh Doctor.

Series 6 began with the Eleventh Doctor inviting Amy Pond, Rory Williams and River Song to a picnic in Utah using blue envelopes, where a figure clad in an Apollo spacesuit shoots the Doctor and kills him before he can regenerate. After burning the Doctor's body, the companions find the Doctor alive and well in a café; the Doctor that was shot and killed was a future version, and he apparently invited his companions and past self to instigate a plan in 1969 America. The rest of the series makes references to the future Doctor's plan and his apparently final death.

The Silence was also revealed in this series; they are a religious order dedicated to eliminating the Doctor before he can answer "the Question".

Finally, River Song's true identity was revealed, a mystery that has been present ever since her introduction in Silence in the Library in 2008. Whilst there have subtle clues and plot points concerning a mysterious little girl, Amy's seemingly failed pregnancy and a lady with an eye patch throughout the first half of the series, the mystery was finally revealed in A Good Man Goes to War; River Song is Amy and Rory's daughter, raised and indoctrinated by the Silence for the sole purpose of assassinating the Doctor. Because she was conceived within the TARDIS during flight she absorbed the energy of the Time Vortex, making her human, but with a Time Lord's capability of regenerating. Her Time Lord-like physiology and abilities also made her the perfect assassin for the Doctor.

The series concluded with the final outcome of the Doctor's plan throughout the series; the spacesuit-clad figure who killed the Doctor was River Song, with the Silence-modified spacesuit forcing her to commit the deed. However, the Doctor had faked his own death and made it a fixed point in time in order to trick the Silence, getting them off his back at least for a while. Whilst most of the universe is convinced that the Doctor is dead once and for all, a handful of individuals including his companions know otherwise.

However, there were still unresolved matters following the conclusion of the series; the Silence, whilst their numbers have fallen, are still present and they may still learn later that the Doctor was not killed. This series has also addressed a mystery that has been part of Doctor Who since its creation and one that head writer Steven Moffat has mentioned in at least two episodes (The Girl in the Fireplace and Forest of the Dead). The oldest question in the Universe is revealed to be "Doctor who?"

Cast

Recurring

Guest

Television stories

Christmas special

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Notes
N/A A Christmas Carol Steven Moffat Toby Haynes First Christmas special for the Eleventh Doctor; special guest star appearance by Michael Gambon. Debut of the Eleventh Doctor's Shetland tweed ensemble.

Spring half

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Prequel Notes
1 & 2 The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon Steven Moffat Toby Haynes Prequel First appearance of the Silence and Madame Kovarian. Return of River Song. Dedicated to Elisabeth Sladen. A future version of the Doctor appears to be killed. First appearance of Melody Pond, who later regenerates for the first time.
3 The Curse of the Black Spot Steve Thompson Jeremy Webb Prequel Debut of Henry Avery and Toby Avery. Reappearance of Kovarian.
4 The Doctor's Wife Neil Gaiman Richard Clark Reappearance of the Ood.
5 & 6 The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People Matthew Graham Julian Simpson Reappearance of Kovarian and introduction of the Flesh concept. Amy is revealed as a Ganger, which the Doctor destroys, while the real Amy has been abducted and is about to give birth. The Doctor learns of his impending demise.
7 Pt. 1: A Good Man Goes to War Steven Moffat Peter Hoar Prequel Return of River Song, along with the Cybermen, Judoon, Silurians, Henry Avery and Toby Avery, Danny Boy, Kovarian, The Church, the Headless monks and Dorium. First appearance of Vastra, Jenny and Strax. Birth of Melody Pond. Beheading of Dorium. River reveals her identity as Amy and Rory's daughter.

Autumn half

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Prequel Notes
8 Pt. 2: Let's Kill Hitler Steven Moffat Richard Senior Prequel Conclusion to A Good Man Goes to War. Return of River Song, initially in the form of Mels, still going by the name of Melody Pond. Mels regenerates for the second time into the appearance of River Song and then gives up her regenerations to resuscitate the Doctor, adopting her new identity as River. First appearance of the Teselecta. BBC America's premiere broadcast of the episode included an extra scene which aired during a commercial break, presented in animation/motion comic format.
9 Night Terrors Mark Gatiss Richard Clark Amy is turned into a living doll. First appearance of the 'Tick Tock' rhyme.
10 The Girl Who Waited Tom MacRae Nick Hurran Features two versions of Amy Pond- present and future. The older Amy later perishes. The Doctor is confined to the TARDIS for most of the episode, arguably making the serial Doctor-lite.
11 The God Complex Toby Whithouse Nick Hurran Amy and Rory leave the Doctor. Cameo appearance of the Weeping Angels. The Doctor's greatest fear is explored but left unrevealed.
12 Closing Time Gareth Roberts Steve Hughes Reintroduction of the Cybermats and return of Craig Owens, Sophie, the Cybermen, River Song, Madame Kovarian and the Silence. Amy and Rory appear in a cameo. At least 200 years have passed for the Doctor between this serial and the previous one.
13 The Wedding of River Song Steven Moffat Jeremy Webb Prequel Reappearance of Amy, Rory, River Song, Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens, Dorium (as a head), the Silence and Kovarian. Possible death of Kovarian. In-episode dialogue confirms Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart has passed away. Marriage of the Doctor to River. The Doctor survives the attempt on his life using the Teselecta. The River fresh from the events of the Byzantium crash appears and reveals she knew this. Introduction of the "Fall of the Eleventh" prophecy and last use of the 'Tick Tock' rhyme.

Mini-episodes

Doctor Who Confidential mini-episode

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Notes
N/A Death Is the Only Answer Pupils from Oakley CE Junior School Jeremy Webb Appearance of an Ood

Comic Relief mini-episode

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Notes
N/A Space / Time Steven Moffat Richard Senior First multi-part made-for-charity story of the BBC Wales series.

DVD Box Set Mini-episodes

These five mini-episodes were released on the series 6 DVD boxset. They were all given an umbrella title of Night and the Doctor.

Episode
Number		 Title Writer Director Notes
1 Bad Night Steven Moffat Richard Senior While Amy and Rory sleep, the Doctor and River have adventures.
2 Good Night Steven Moffat Richard Senior The Doctor and Amy talk, and the effects of the crack in time and Big Bang II on Amy's memories are explained.
3 & 4 First Night / Last Night Steven Moffat Richard Senior Multiple Rivers and multiple Doctors intersect on the nights of their first and last dates. Set in between [The Angels Take Manhattan and The Husbands of River Song from one of the River's perspective.
5 Up All Night Tom MacRae Unknown Prequel to Closing Time. Reappearance of Craig Owens, Sophie, and Alfie Owens. The Doctor does not appear.

Episode notes

Adaptations and merchandising

Home media

DVD

All episodes of series 6 were released in 2011.

Title Number and duration
of episodes 		R2 release date R4 release date R1 release date
Doctor Who: A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol		 1 × 60 min. 24 January 2011 3 March 2011 15 February 2011
Doctor Who: Series 6, Part 1
The Impossible Astronaut /
Day of the Moon
The Curse of the Black Spot
The Doctor's Wife
The Rebel Flesh /
The Almost People
A Good Man Goes to War		 6 x 45 min.
1 × 50 min.		 11 July 2011 4 August 2011 19 July 2011
Doctor Who: Series 6, Part 2
Let's Kill Hitler
Night Terrors
The Girl Who Waited
The God Complex
Closing Time
The Wedding of River Song		 4 x 45 min.
2 × 50 min.		 10 October 2011 3 November 2011 8 November 2011
Doctor Who: The Complete Sixth Series
includes A Christmas Carol		 1 x 60 min.
3 x 50 min.
10 x 45 min.		 21 November 2011 1 December 2011 22 November 2011

DVD and Blu-ray release

The DVD release of series 6 was issued in two parts, unlike the preceding series, which was released in four or five parts over the duration of the series. Part One, which contains episodes one to seven, was released on 11th July 2011, shortly after the airing of episode seven. Part Two was released in the autumn, shortly after episode thirteen was aired.[1] Both parts were released as a box set on November 22 with the Night and the Doctor minisodes and the Doctor Who Confidential cutdowns.[2] Omitted from the set, however, was the international version of the opening credits with the Amy Pond narration.

Stories set during this season

Novels

Audiobooks

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/series-6-dvd-releases-15635.htm
  2. ↑ http://doctorwhotv.co.uk/the-complete-sixth-series-details-25721.htm
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