Midnight (TV story)

The Doctor and Donna visit the alien leisure planet, Midnight.

Midnight
Doctor:	[[doctor::Tenth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Donna Noble
Main enemy:	Unknown
Main setting:	Midnight Unknown; sometime in the future
Main setting:	Midnight
Key crew
Writer:	Russell T. Davies
Director:	Alice Troughton
Producer:	Phil Collinson
Release details
Release number:	4.10
Premiere broadcast:	14th June 2008
Production code:	4.10

Synopsis

The Doctor is trapped, alone, powerless and terrified, on the planet Midnight. Soon, the knocking on the wall begins. Only a woman called Sky seems to know the truth – but as paranoia turns into a witch-hunt, Sky turns the Doctor's greatest strengths against him, and a sacrifice must be made...

Cast

• The Doctor - David Tennant
• Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
• Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
• Hostess - Rakie Ayola
• Sky Silvestry - Lesley Sharp
• Val Cane - Lindsey Coulson
• Biff Cane - Daniel Ryan
• Jethro Cane - Colin Morgan
• Professor Hobbes - David Troughton
• Dee Dee Blasco - Ayesha Antoine
• Mechanic Claude - Duane Henry
• Driver Joe - Tony Bluto

Production crew

to be added

References

• During Sky's constant copying of the Doctor, he mentions such things as Rose Tyler, Donna Noble, Martha Jones, TARDIS, Bananas and the Medusa Cascade.
• When Donna impersonates the Doctor's Italian accent at the end, the Doctor goes "Don't do that" in a similar fashion to how he addressed Martha Jones and Rose Tyler's earlier attempts at accents; however on this occasion it is with serious intent.
• A Betty Boop cartoon is briefly shown on a screen during the voyage.

Story notes

• This episode has marked Doctor Who's 200th story.
• Donna was be largely absent as Catherine Tate was filming Turn Left.
• Dee Dee mentions The Lost Moon of Poosh, one of the six planets Russell T Davies said would be mentioned throughout Series 4.
• This episode was the 50th of the 'New Series' to be filmed, not broadcast, which is why the shuttle is called 'Crusader 50'. Confirmed in DWM 396.
• This is the first Television story since Genesis of the Daleks not to feature the TARDIS at all.
• This is the second episode in which the Doctor has not had a companion to assist him. The first episode without a companion was The Deadly Assassin, although the earlier story remains the only one in which no companion appears at all (as opposed to Donna's appearances at the beginning and end of this episode).
• The villian in this episode is actually never revealed.
• David Troughton, who plays the professor, is the son of Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor. Episode director Alice Troughton is not related.
• The singer shown on the screen, in the shuttle, is Rita Pavone.

Filming Locations

To be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

• The hostess twice opens the doors in the shuttle to the outside and lives, despite the Professor saying that the X-Tronic light would vaporise them in a split-second. There is actually 6 seconds before the x-tronic lght becomes harmful. Actually six seconds is how long the shielding lasts. Once it gives out, death is instantaneous.

Continuity

• Rose Tyler is seen again this time in one of the shuttle bus's screens. (This is the same clip that apeared for a seconed in The Poison Sky except this time it was slightly longer, and Rose seemed to mouth "Doctor!" twice rather than the once in The Poison Sky)
• The Doctor states the words "Medusa Cascade" to see if Sky would repeat him. It is said that the Medusa Cascade is an arc word for the series.

DVD and other releases

• It will be released on the Series 4 boxset DVD in November 2008.
• It will be released as Series 4 Volume 3 alongside Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead in August 2008.

External links

to be added