The Giggle (Unleashed episode)

	BBC Three
	The Giggle
	9 December 2023
	30 minutes
	Steffan Powell
	David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Ncuti Gatwa, Russell T Davies
	Jonathon Aiken
	Jo Pearce
Doctor Who: Unleashed
← Previous	Wild Blue Yonder
Next →	The Church on Ruby Road

The Giggle was a documentary that covered the production of 2023's third 60th Anniversary special, The Giggle ^[+]Loading...["The Giggle (TV story)"].

It was the third full-length episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed to be broadcast on BBC Three.

Main subject

The production of The Giggle.

Topics covered

• The filming of the bi-generation scene in a closed-off set outside Wolf Studios.
  • The introduction of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.
  • The history of the concept of regeneration and Russell T Davies's conception of the bi-generation.
• The return of the Toymaker after his first appearance in classic serial The Celestial Toymaker in 1966.
  • Davies's usage of Stooky Bill and John Logie Baird's invention of television in the storyline after finding about Stooky Bill through research for his previous drama Nolly, which the actor of Baird has previously appeared in as the same role.
  • The Toymaker's racist characterisations (continually changing his accents and his early scene of casual racism towards Charles Banerjee) in his 2023 incarnation, reflecting the character's history as an racist stereotype in 1966.
  • Neil Patrick Harris's performance as the Toymaker.
• The usage of puppetry for the performances of Stooky Sue and her Stooky Babbies.
  • The filming of Donna Noble's battle with the Stooky Babbies.
• The role of Brian Fisher as a puppeteer with one of the puppet babies and the marionette puppet of Amy Pond used in the Toymaker's puppet show.
• The filming of The Toymaker's dance sequence to Spice Up Your Life in the UNIT set, and Bonnie Langford and Jemma Redgrave's experiences dancing with Neil Patrick Harris.
• Davies's summarisation of the Fourteenth Doctor's happy ending with the Noble family.
• A preview of the Christmas special: The Church on Ruby Road

People interviewed

• Angharad Evans - 2nd Assistant Sound
• Kudzai Dzokamushure - Camera Trainee
• Saad Mohamed - Runner
• David Tennant - The Fourteenth Doctor
• Ncuti Gatwa - The Fifteenth Doctor
• Russell T. Davies - Writer & Executive Producer
• Phil Collinson - Executive Producer
• Neil Patrick Harris - The Toymaker
• Brian Fisher - Puppeteer
• Catherine Tate - Donna Noble
• Bonnie Langford - Mel Bush
• Jemma Redgrave - Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
• Ruth Madeley - Shirley Bingham

Crew

Executive Producer   Jo Pearce

Executive Producer Doctor Who   Russell T Davies

Series Producer & Editor   Ian Durham

Presented by   Steffan Powell

General production staff Archive - Panini Comics, Doctor Who Magazine, BBC Studios Assistant Producer - Alexandra Francis Head Of Production - Lucy Wo Production Accountant - Hannah Wells Production Assistant - Eleri Seaward, Alice Lewis, Sam Cook Production Manager - Derwena Burt	Camera and lighting department Additional Camera - Sam Birch Special and visual effects Graphics - BBC Cymru Wales	General post-production staff Assistant Editor - Owain Carbis Comissioning Editor - Rachel Ashdown, Pinki Chambers Online Editor - Dan Broughton Sound Dubbing - Tom Logan

With special thanks to Doctor Who Cast and Crew and Bad Wolf LTD.
Not every person who worked on this episode was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.
Produced by Bright Branch with BBC Studios Productions

Releases

to be added

Notes

• When released on home media, a preview clip for The Church on Ruby Road ^[+]Loading...["The Church on Ruby Road (TV story)"] was shown, which included a short conversation between the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday at the night club. However, when originally broadcast on BBC Three, the clip shown was a short teaser featuring The Goblin Song.