The Trip of a Lifetime (TV story)
The Trip of a Lifetime was a pair of two promotional videos advertising the first series of revived Doctor Who. The first focused on Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. The second focused on Billie Piper as Rose Tyler.
In the video, the Doctor is depicted as running from a great explosion, implicitly the one that blew up Henrik's during TV: Rose, the first episode of the series. The Doctor's escape from Henrik's was never depicted in the episode, thus the video explains how he did it.
Synopsis
to be added
Plot
The Trip of a Lifetime
The Doctor asks you if you want to come with him in the TARDIS, warning you that it won't be safe, or easy, or restful — but stressing that if there's one thing that it will be, it is "the trip of a lifetime".
Rose's Choice
to be added
Cast
Crew
- Writer - Ben Friend, Anton Ezer[1]
- Director - Sarah O'Gorman[1]
- Producer— Mark Collins, BBC Broadcast[1]
Worldbuilding
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Notes
- There were two versions of the video, a 50-second full length one and a 30-second "cut-down" one.
- Prior to the video's release, three 10-second teasers, each focusing on a different character, began airing from 8 March 2005. The characters featured were the Doctor, Rose and the TARDIS. Also on 15 March 2005, a second 25-second video featuring Rose began airing on CBBC.
- This trailer featured material of Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper in character; including the Doctor offering the viewer to become a companion (an act equated with watching Series 1 itself, due to the story's nature as an advertisement). Hence, it broke the fourth wall.
- The music used in the main trailer was a trial arrangement of the "Doctor Who theme" by Murray Gold.
- Elements from these trailers were used for the normal BBC One episode trailers throughout Series 1.
- The promotional videos were shot on 35mm film.[1]
- These videos were recorded between Saturday 26 February-Sunday 27 February 2005 on the TARDIS standing set at Unit Q2, Newport and the Mill Street-Queensway underpass beneath Newport railway station.[1]
- This trailer also featured clips from Rose, The Unquiet Dead, Aliens of London, World War Three, and Dalek to illustrate the Doctor's warnings about what a companion of his might encounter on their travels.
- The Dalek Handbook used the image of the Ninth Doctor running from the explosion to depict him escaping the Fall of Gallifrey.
- This video was later referenced in 2017 in AUDIO: The Other Side, in which the Ninth Doctor tells Adam Mitchell their trip into the future will be a "trip of a lifetime".
Gallery
The Trip of a Lifetime
Rose’s Choice
Doctor teaser
Rose teaser
TARDIS teaser
Other promotional videos
There were also other non-narrative clip based trailers advertising the first series.
A 30-second teaser from BBC One's winter highlights presentation was released online on the Doctor Who website on 2 December 2004,[2] before airing on BBC One from 1 January 2005. It featured clips from Rose with the tagline It's almost time... ...but not yet.
Five 10-second teasers were released, one per day, between Monday 13 June-Friday 17 June 2005, followed by a 35-second one on Saturday 18 June, counting down to the broadcast of The Parting of the Ways. The first trailer featured the tagline Time is up in 5 days..., the second 4 days... etc., and the last Time is up...
Immediately after the series finale, a 50-second "best bits" trailer aired celebrating the first series, finishing with the tagline “Countdown to The Christmas Invasion starts now...”
It's almost time...
...but not yet.
Time is up in 5 days...
Time is up in 4 days...
Time is up in 3 days...
Time is up in 2 days...
Time is up in 1 day...
Time is up...
Countdown to The Christmas Invasion starts now...
Continuity
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Home video releases
- A partial set of the promotional videos were included on the Doctor Who: The Complete First Series DVD box set released on 21 November 2005.
Also included were:
- A 47 second documentary, Storyboard of Opening Trailer, featuring storyboard artist Jonathan Maris' storyboards of the trailer.
- Easter egg: a 53 second alternate edit of the trailer.
