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Time Crash (TV story)

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Time Crash was a special "mini-episode" produced for the 2007 Children in Need appeal. It featured a brief encounter between the Fifth and Tenth Doctors and was written by Steven Moffat. It also served as the explanation of how the Doctor's TARDIS was breached by the Titanic at the end of Last of the Time Lords. As such, it was very much a part of the overall continuity of the BBC Wales series of Doctor Who.

Synopsis

The Tenth Doctor accidentally pilots his TARDIS into the path of the Fifth Doctor's TARDIS which threatens to rip a hole in space and time the size of Belgium!

Plot

The Tenth Doctor has just said goodbye to Martha Jones, and throws a lever on the console. With the sound of a foghorn blaring, the TARDIS console room breifly spins around. The Doctor manages to stabilize it and begins to do a diagnostic to see what's wrong with it.

As he moves leftward along the console, someone else is going in the opposote direction, doing the same thing as him, the Fifth Doctor. They each notice eachother after a brief moment after passing each other. Both of them are confused as to what's happened.

"What?" - 10th Doctor

"What?" -5th Doctor

"WHAT?" - 10th Doctor

The Fifth Doctor wonders who his 5-regenerations-away incarnation is as the 10th Doctor only laughs happily at seeing his past incarnation. The (curent) Doctor is happy, but mentions that the universe goes bang in five minutes. The Fifth introduces himself and ask for the Tenth's idenity. The Tenth repeats who his past self is and muses at his 5th life, causing the Fifth to wonder if he has a mental problem with a frown. The Tenth laughs happily at being able to see one of his past traits, then comments that his Fifth self is older than he's supposed to be by commenting on the winkles and somewhat missing grey hair. The Tenth explains that the two of them shorted out the time diffrentional, making the Fifth as old as he would be if he hadn't regenerated up into the Tenth. The Tenth insults the Fifth's weight gain from the rapid aging, but complements on his hat, coat, the "crickety cricket stuff", the stick of celary on his lapel. The Tenth comments that its a brave choice to wear a decorative vegitable, but is told by Fifth to shut up as there is something very wrong with his (their) TARDIS(s) and yells that he needs to do something quickly but "a skinny idiot is ranting about everything that happens to be in front of him." The Tenth appologizes as the Fifth takes off his hat and looks down at the console, but shout out in glee for getting to see the back of his fifth head, then asks the Fifth to put his hat back on. The Fifth wonders about the interior of the Tenth's TARDIS, thinking that its his (in his present) changed to the "coral" desktop theme, which he comments is worse than the leopard skin. The Fifth takes out his glass and the Tenth shouts it glee about his "brainy specs", saying that he really doesn't need them, but wears them to look cleaver. A level 5 temporal collision alarm blares as the Fifth examines the data on the monitor, whcih tells him two TARDISes have merged, but only the Tenth's is physically there. Two time zones at war in the heart of the TARDIS is a paradox that would rip a hole in the space time continium the exact size of Belgium, which the Fifth finds underdramatic. The Tenth offers his sonic screwdriver to help out, but the Fifth declines as the Tenth remebers going "hands free" in this incarnation. He makes fun of his past self by saying "I'm the Doctor. I can save the universe using a kettle and some string; and look at me, i'm wearing a vegitable. The Fifth wonders about the Tenth's idenity, but comes to the wrong conclusion that he's an obsessive fan of his (which in this incarnation, he is)--possibly affiliated with LINDA . The Fifth continues about being magnifecent in saving worlds and civilizations through his travels, still thinking the Tenth is a LINDA member or similar, the Fifth wonders how he got in as he can't ahve people knowing where he lives. The Tenth tells him he's a future regeneration and that he'll be shaving this face some day. The cloister bell gongs as the Fifth screams that the Belgium black hole is about to open and suck up the universe. The Tenth Doctor explains that he was rebuilding the TARDIS and forgot to put the shields back up and when he toke off, its past version collided with it. "Oops. Butterfingers, end of the universe." The Tenth vents the Thermo Buffer, floors the Relvic Regulator and prepares to fry the Ziton Crystals. The Fifth stops him briefly, telling him that it will kill them, but the Tenth tell him it will worked because he told himself to do so. The supernova the TARDIS creates an explosion while the black hole creates an implosion at the same time.

Stunned by the unexpected solution, the Fifth Doctor realises that the other man is in fact his future self, commenting that he's never met anyone who could fly the TARDIS like he could. The Tenth remarks he still hasn't. They discuss the "Timey-wimey wibboly-wobbly" paradox they've created as the TARDISes begin to separate. The Tenth Doctor asks where his Fifth self is and wonders if he's traveling with Nyssa and Tegan, fought the Cybermen and Mara, and expereinced the time Time Lords wore funny hats and enduring the Master's plots. Remined of his day previously, the Tenth Doctor tells his past self that the Master should up again, same as ever. The Fifth Doctor vanishes after saying good-bye, but the Tenth Doctor realizes he forgot his hat and flips a switch that brings him back for a moment. Handing the Fifth Doctor his hat, the Tenth goes on about his opinion about his past self "You know, I loved being you. Back at the very begining, I was always trying to be old, grumpy and important like you do when your young, and then I was you! I was all dashing about, playing cricket and my voice going squeaky when i shouted. I still do that. The voice thing, I go that from you. Oh, and the trainers. And (puts on his brainy specs) Snap. Cause, you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor."

The Fifth vanishes, hoping for the days to come as the Tenth wishes love to long ago in hsi life; the Tenth take soff his glasses and presses some switches on the console. "Oh, Doctor! Remember to put your shields up!" the Fifth Doctor yells to his future self, but too late. Suddenly, the front of a ship crahses through the side of the TARDIS with a foghog blaring. "What? What!?" Asks the Doctor, tossing life presevers aside that fell inside, the Doctor reads one (Titanic is written on it) "WHAT!?"

Cast

Crew

On initial broadcast, the only member of crew credited was writer Steven Moffat.

Uncredited crew

Though the following people were possibly credited in subsequent releases, they were not credited on initial transmission during the Children in Need telecast. The source of this list is likely the Internet Movie Database. Nevertheless, outside the top-line creatives — most of whom are confirmable through Doctor Who Confidential — this list has not been independently verified as of 16th May 2010.

References

  • The Tenth Doctor mentions running into the Master recently. The Fifth Doctor asks if he still has his "Rubbish beard", a reference to the fact that, discounting the decayed version of the Master encountered in The Deadly Assassin and The Keeper of Traken, the Master was bearded. (The Fifth Doctor cannot be taking into account the beardless incarnation of the Master later encountered by the Eighth Doctor.)
  • The Tenth Doctor's reference to Lucy Saxon following a question from the Fifth as to whether the Master still has "that rubbish beard?" is a reference to a term used in gay culture. A "beard" is the wife of a man who has not outed himself but wishes to keep up the appearence of a happilly married heterosexual man. The Master used Lucy Saxon to more plausibly maintain his fictitious identity.
  • The Tenth Doctor asks the Fifth Doctor about Nyssa, Tegan, the Mara, Cybermen and Time Lords in funny hats.
  • The Tenth Doctor mentions the (Fifth) Doctor's celery.
  • The Titanic crashes into the TARDIS at the end of the scene. The Fifth Doctor warns the Tenth to put the shields up. Not doing so resulted in the Titanic crashing into the TARDIS.
  • LINDA are mentioned, indicating that the Fifth Doctor is aware of the group.
  • The Tenth Doctor makes mention of the TARDIS's Helmic regulator, Zeiton crystals and venting the Thermo-buffer.
  • The Doctors have a slightly testy relationship: the Tenth Doctor criticises his predecessor's decision to go "hands free" without a sonic screwdriver and his decision to wear a stalk of celery in his lapel, while the Fifth Doctor calls his successor a skinny idiot and critiques his tendency to comment on "every little thing" he sees. This is consistent with previous televised multi-Doctor adventures that have had the various parties getting on each other's nerves. In keeping with the previous stories, however, differences are set aside for the greater good and the different incarnations part on friendly terms.

Story notes

  • This is the third filmed contribution by the new series production team to Children in Need. In 2005, they had offered the Children in Need Special (aka 'Pudsey Cutaway'). In 2006 they provided a live concert of music during the traditional Children in Need charity time period, and subsequently offered it to home viewers prior to the original broadcast of The Runaway Bride.
  • After it was cancelled, the original series was briefly revived in 1993 for the Children in Need special Dimensions in Time, starring a broad selection of the original cast (many playing their characters for the first and last time since their televised adventures). In 1983, The Five Doctors was also broadcast as a part of the Children in Need charity drive, although it had been produced for the show's 20th anniversary.
  • This story marks the first appearance of a Doctor from the original series in the new series, although recognisable drawings of original series Doctors were previously seen in Human Nature. Archive footage of the previous Doctors would later be used in The Next Doctor and The Eleventh Hour, among other stories.
  • This story is directed by Graeme Harper who also directed Peter Davison's last story (DW: The Caves of Androzani).
  • Steven Moffat (writer) also wrote the Comic Relief story, The Curse of Fatal Death.
  • The special was introduced by Terry Wogan and John Barrowman.
  • Peter Davison's name appears in the credits, the first time (other than the 1996 TV movie) that an original series Doctor has had his name at the start of an episode.
  • The Fifth Doctor remembers how to save the TARDIS when he is the Tenth Doctor because, as the Fifth, he saw what the Tenth did.
  • This is the first official episode of Doctor Who written by Steven Moffat that doesn't use his theme of highlighting childhood fears.
  • This episode marked the final use of the 2005 arrangement of the "Doctor Who theme" by Murray Gold; a new arrangement by Gold would be introduced in the next episode, DW: Voyage of the Damned.
  • According to writer (later executive producer) Steven Moffat, in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine #389, the events of Time Crash are considered canonical.
  • This is the first televised "multi-Doctor" story in the history of the show that did not include Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor, who had appeared in DW: The Three Doctors, DW: The Five Doctors and DW: The Two Doctors
  • Incidental music from the Fifth Doctor era is used as part of the background music.
  • According to Doctor Who Confidential, the Fifth Doctor's costume consisted of an original series coat, shirt, trousers and hat band borrowed from an exhibit, and a new hat and hand-knitted jumper. The trousers had extra fabric sewn into the bottom, which identified them as the pair worn by Colin Baker in his first scenes as the Sixth Doctor. Peter Davison also remarked that a real stick of celery was included in the ensemble, rather than the fake piece used during most of his tenure.

Ratings

to be added

Filming locations

Myths and rumours

  • When the Fifth Doctor asks if the Master "still has that rubbish beard," the Tenth replies, "No ... well, a wife." This was interpreted by some fans as being a gay culture reference; a "beard" is a slang term for a member of the opposite sex who joins a homosexual individual in a marriage or other relationship in order to mask the fact that one or both partners is gay. Moffat confirmed it as a gay joke in Death Ray Magazine in 2008, when he proudly claimed "I've got the record for gay jokes. I've got the gayest joke of all time in Doctor Who - I've got the "beard" joke about the Master". However, the presence of the joke does not necessarily indicate that the Master, himself, was gay.
  • If what the Tenth Doctor says is correct when describing The Fifth's placement, this story must take place sometime after DW: Arc of Infinity and before DW: Mawdryn Undead for the Fifth Doctor. The Tenth Doctor makes the only references to imagery from the Fifth Doctor era: Nyssa and Tegan (who were with the Fifth Doctor from his first moments) and "Time Lords in funny hats" (presumably recognisable to any incarnation of the Doctor), giving no clear indication from when in his time stream the Fifth Doctor had been.

Production errors

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

Continuity

  • This is the first on screen TV appearance of the Fifth Doctor since DW: Dimensions in Time (and the first 'official' on screen appearance since DW: The Caves of Androzani).
  • This story takes place immediately after Martha leaves the TARDIS in DW: Last of the Time Lords. A cutaway during her farewell in the original episode allows for this episode to occur between that episode and DW: Voyage of the Damned.
  • The Fifth Doctor previously met the First, Second and Third Doctors in DW: The Five Doctors, as well as meeting the Sixth and Seventh Doctors in BFA: The Sirens of Time, the Seventh Doctor again in MA: Cold Fusion and the Eighth Doctor in EDA: The Eight Doctors. He also briefly spoke to the Eighth Doctor over an intercom in BFA: The Four Doctors but was unaware of his identity.
  • LINDA is mentioned, they last appeared in DW: Love & Monsters.
  • The Fifth Doctor encountered "Time Lords in funny hats" in DW: Arc of Infinity and DW: The Five Doctors.
  • The placement of this story for the Fifth Doctor is unclear. The Tenth Doctor makes references to the era (most of which the Fifth Doctor would recognise right from the beginning of his incarnation, however gives no mention of Adric, for obvious reasons), but the Fifth Doctor gives no indication as to which part of his era he might be from.
  • Fifth Doctor identified new series' TARDIS console room's as a desktop theme named "Coral". Also says it to be worse than "leopard skin". His criticism of the TARDIS' redecoration is similar to that made by the Second Doctor to the Third Doctor in DW: The Three Doctors. The revelation that the TARDIS console room design can be changed like a computer desktop clarifies the differing look of the TARDIS interior in DW: Doctor Who, and minor changes seen over the years during the classic series. (The different appearance of the console room during the mid-Tom Baker era (DW: The Hand of Fear, et al) is explained on-screen as being a secondary control room.)
  • This is the first televised multi-Doctor story to account for the aging of the actor returning to play a previous Doctor, by explaining it as a byproduct of being taken out of his timeline.
  • The cloister bell was previously heard in DW: The Sound of Drums.
  • The Tenth Doctor exclaims "Snap!" when displaying his glasses to his younger self. While this is a common expression, it is interesting to note that it is the same word that the Sixth and Second Doctors used to greet each other when they met in DW: The Two Doctors.
  • When the Tenth Doctor tells the Fifth how he loved being him. He told him how before he was him when he first started he "was always trying to be old and grumpy and important like you do when you're young", describing the First Doctor.

Timeline

For the Fifth Doctor:

For the Tenth Doctor:

Home video releases

 
Voyage of the Damned DVD Cover
  • Released in the Series 4 DVD boxset in November 2008 along with the rest of the Series.
  • Released in a vanilla edition alongside Voyage of the Damned on 10th March 2008. Extras include the Children in Need Special: Time Crash and Confidential Cutdown

See also

Multi-Doctor stories

External links

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