The Saxon Mystery (CON episode)

The Saxon Mystery was the episode of Doctor Who Confidential broadcast in conjunction with The Sound of Drums.

	BBC Three
	The Sound of Drums
	23 June 2007 (Full length), 29 June 2007 (Cut Down)
	42'02" (Full length), 12'27" (Cut Down), 4'32" (Vodcast)
	Anthony Head
Doctor Who Confidential
← Previous	'Ello, 'Ello, 'Ello
Next →	The Valiant Quest

A condensed 5 minute version of this episode was made available to download in .mp4 format for seven days after broadcast, as part of a BBC trial of video podcasts or "vodcasts". It was later uploaded to the BBC's YouTube channel. Both of these were cropped into 4:3 aspect ratio.

Aspects of production covered

• The necessity to bring the Master back, and how he stands as an equal to the Doctor.
• The casting of John Simm as the Master.
• Filming for the scene in which the Master kills the Cabinet Ministers.
• The SFX work for exploding Martha's flat.

Additional topics covered

• The previous incarnations of the Master within the classic series and the TV movie.

People interviewed

• Russell T Davies, Head Writer, Doctor Who
• David Tennant, The Doctor
• Colin Teague, Director, Episode 12
• John Simm, The Master
• Phil Collinson, Series Producer, Doctor Who
• Freema Agyeman, Martha Jones
• Danny Hargreaves, Special Effects Supervisor
• Nicholas Gecks, Albert Dumfries
• Eric Roberts, The Master
• Paul Kelly, Special Effects Supervisor
• Tom Lucy, Stunt Co-ordinator
• Ken Garside, Armourer
• Trevor Laird & Adjoa Andoh, Clive & Francine Jones

Music list

• "Mad World" by Michael Andrews & Gary Jules, Album: Mad World (Single)
• "Johnny Appleseed" by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Album: Global a Go-Go
• "Always/Never" by Manic Street Preachers, Album: Lifeblood
• "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads, Album: Stop Making Sense
• "The Chain (from 'BBC Formula One')" by Fleetwood Mac, Album: Rumours
• "Things Can Only Get Better" by D:Ream, Album: D:Ream On Volume 1
• "Voodoo Child" by Rogue Traders, Album: Here Comes The Drums (also used in TV: The Sound of Drums and CON: Stage Fright)

No licensed music was used for the "vodcast" version, instead it used the following pieces of stock music:

• "Phretburn Phrenzy" by Freddie Funk, Jasper Dagger & Badger Flap, Album: Cyberfunk X-SERIES XCD043
• "Schizoid Noize" by Lo-Fi, Album: Indie Rock 2 X-SERIES XCD051
• "Mirrorball" by Phillmore Oakes, Album: Disco X-SERIES XCD017
• "Morning After" by Phillmore Oakes, Album: Indie Rock X-SERIES XCD014

Crew

Executive Producer   Mark Cossey

Executive Producers for Dr Who   Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner

Series Producer   Gillane Seaborne

Producer Zoë Rushton

General production staff Assistant Producer - Geoff Evans, Hannah Williams Production Accountant - Elaine Stephenson Production Co-Ordinator - Tors Grantham Production Executive - Paul Williams Production Manager - Kirsty Reid, Natalie Street Production Team Assistant - Amanda Buckley Researcher - Nathan Landeg, Jamie Lynch	Camera and lighting department Camera - James Daniels, Alastair Evans, Nick Jardine, Aled Jenkins Runner - Scott Handcock Special and visual effects Colourist - Jon Everett	General post-production staff Edit Assistant - Sam Jones, Christopher Moore Edit Producer - Mark Procter Editor - James Brailsford, Sven Brooks, Marius Grose, Fiona Pandelus Post Production Co-ordinator - Vickie Mansell Sound Dubbing - Mark Ferda Sound - Paul Baker, Kevin Meredith, Sean Miller, Will Planitzer, Andrew Yarme

BBC Wales
© BBC MMVII
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.

Elements retained in Cut Down

to be added

Home video releases

Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series DVD cover.

The "Cut Down" version of this episode was included on the Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series DVD box set released on 5 November 2007.