The Beast Below (TV story)

The man above might say hello, expect no love from the Beast Below!Poetry Girl

	[[doctor::Eleventh Doctor]]
	Amy Pond
	The Smilers Hawthorne
	Starship UK, 29th century
	Steven Moffat
	Andrew Gunn
	Peter Bennett
	204
	Series 5
	10th April 2010
	1 x 45 minute episode

The Beast Below is the second episode of Matt Smith's first series.

Synopsis

The Doctor takes Amy to the distant future, where she finds Britain in space. Starship UK houses the future of the British people, as they search the stars for a new home. But as Amy explores, she encounters the terrifying Smilers and learns a deadly truth inside the Voting Booth.

Plot

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Cast

• The Doctor - Matt Smith
• Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
• Liz 10 - Sophie Okonedo [3]
• Hawthorne - Terrence Hardiman [4]
• Morgan - Christopher Good[5]
• Timmy - Alfie Field [6]
• Peter - David Ajala [7]
• Mandy - Hannah Sharp
• Poem Girl - Catrin Richards
• Winder - Jonathan Battersby [8]
• Voice of Smilers \ Winder - Chris Porter [9]
• Winston Churchill - Ian McNeice

Crew

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References

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Story Notes

• The sinister 'Smilers' appeared in this episode, as confirmed in DWM Issue 419.
• The Story was set in the UK in the far future, floating in space.
• Like DW: The End of the World , this episode featured the Doctor taking a new companion into the distant future for her first trip in the TARDIS.
• In a short clip on the BBC's Doctor Who website, the Doctor says that in the 29th century the Earth was roasted with solar flares and that the human race had to migrate out into the stars.
• In the latest UK trailer, a shot of "Starship UK" was seen, showing what appeared to be skyscrapers with names of various counties of Britain on them. [10]
• This story leads directly into the next.
• Another crack could be seen at the very end of the story, continuing the new theme of cracks appearing throguhout the universe.
• As usual for Moffat-penned stories, nobody dies on screen.
• Counting his flashback appearance in the previous story, this is the first episode to not show David Tennant since series 1's The Parting of the Ways.

Ratings

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Filming Locations

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Rumours

• It was originally rumoured that Sophie Okonedo was to play the character called "Liz Ten" which then was rumoured to be "Queen Elizabeth X". Sophie Okonedo was confirmed to play The Masked Woman. In dialogue, it was confirmed that her character was indeed "Elizabeth X". In the credits, she was listed as "Liz 10".
• Lady GaGa was rumoured to be mentioned in this Episode. Since broadcast, it was proved that this is not the case.
• It was rumoured that The Doctor and Amy will be swallowed by a creature 'The Beast' and have to make the 'Beast' regurgitate then to escape. This is proven more likely with them both being drenched (having wet clothes) in the trailer[11]. This was indeed the case, and the Doctor and Amy were swallowed. [12].

Production errors

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Continuity

• A sign with Magpie Electricals can be seen, the brand was first created by Mr Magpie in DW: The Idiot's Lantern and has continued to appear in many stories set years later.
• The advent of the Earth being rendered uninhabitable by solar flares not long before the 30th century is a plot point previously featured in DW: The Ark in Space/The Sontaran Experiment.
• Winston Churchill calls the Doctor at the end of the episode, and the shadow of a Dalek is seen.
• Liz Ten is the queen of Starship UK. She mentions the Doctor being knighted and exiled by Queen Victoria (DW: Tooth and Claw) and his relationship with the "Virgin Queen" (DW: The End of Time), as well as Henry XVII and Liz 2.
• The Doctor tells Amy that there are no other Time Lords.
• The crack, previously seen on Amy's wall and the TARDIS' monitor, is seen on the side of Starship UK.
• The Doctor's "You look human/You look Time Lord" exchange with Amy mirrors a similar conversation between his previous incarnation and Lady Christina de Souza. (DW: Planet of the Dead)

DVD/Blu-Ray release

• BBC Video - Doctor Who Series Five - Volume One is scheduled for release on DVD and Blu-Ray on 7th June 2010 (UK only), featuring The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below, Victory of the Daleks, and the featurette The Monster Diaries.

External Links

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