The Giggle (TV story)
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The Giggle was the third and final of the three 2023 specials of Doctor Who, broadcast on 9 December 2023[1] as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations.
It saw the final onscreen adventure of the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble, the return of the Toymaker portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris, and the first televised appearance of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Synopsis
The giggle of a mysterious puppet is driving the human race insane. When the Doctor discovers the return of the terrifying Toymaker, he faces a fight he can never win.[2]
Plot
The Toymaker has returned! He's causing havoc, not just in the United Kingdom, but around the world - people are more easily offended than ever, making everyone fight. The Doctor and Donna find a hidden message concealed in every electronic screen in the world, created in the dawn of television - a giggle. The notes of this giggle correlate to a wavefunction UNIT have interpreted.
The Doctor and Donna return to 1925, when television was invented (or "discovered" as suggested in the first ever episode). There, they find the Toymaker, juggling three balls. He throws balls to the Doctor while recounting a tale about games. Eventually, Donna catches one and the villain retreats. Following him, the two end up in a seemingly-infinite set of corridors. They are split up and each fight a monster - the Doctor acts against a puppet whilst Donna encounters various little dolls in the style of the 1920s (see that script S. Fry never finished).
Finding one another, two chairs are created from nothing (as if by magic), propelling the pair towards a giant colourful stage, where the Toymaker awaits. He tells a tale of the Doctor's lives, how he allowed the companions Amy Pond, Clara Oswald and Bill Potts to be killed. At each death pronouncement, the Doctor defies the notion emotionally. Then the Doctor and the Toymaker play a little game, the winner being the triumphant overall. They decide to split a deck of cards; whomever draws the higher valued card is the winner. The Doctor draws an eight of clubs (I think); the Toymaker reigns supreme with a king. However, just as the Toymaker goes to claim superiority, the Doctor suggests that they are in fact drawing overall, since the First Doctor previously bested the Toymaker (in 1966, link here maybe?). It is decided there is to be a final deciding round - we play the contest again, Time Lord (The Curse of Fenric ref).
Thus, the Toymaker escapes to the year of our lord 2023, with the Doctor and Donna in pursuit. The giant house they were in crumples into a small ornate box with a design reminiscent of a deck of cards.
Back in 2023, the Toymaker invades UNIT's London base, singing a song, dancing around, turning bullets into hearts and being a menace. He takes control of the galvanic beam and shoots the Doctor. Donna and Mel rush to the Doctor's aid, promising something and the Doctor, on the cusp of regeneration, says "Allons-y!". However, he does not regenerate. An odd sensation builds within him, and suddenly he splits in twain. Everyone watches as the Doctor bi-generates into a new incarnation. He is another man, of black hue, to which Donna inquires whether the Doctor comes in multiple colours (something like that).
It is decided, since this is a new incarnation, they may now play the contest properly. The two Doctors together united defeat the evil scourge, the Toymaker, by catching a ball and throwing it to him, who fails to catch it. He is defeated, and the new Doctor whacks a giant wooden mallet into the TARDIS, creating another TARDIS, which Donna thinks rather ridiculous.
Inside the original TARDIS, the 14th Doctor and Donna decide to settle down on Earth for a while, and have some nice lunch outside on a sunny day (unlike Black Orchid). Meanwhile, the 15th Doctor plays some music from a newly-instated jukebox, and takes the TARDIS off, to new adventures, to discover new life and new civilisations, to boldly go where no Doctor has gone before!
Cast
- The Doctor - David Tennant
- Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
- The Toymaker - Neil Patrick Harris
- Kate Lethbridge-Stewart - Jemma Redgrave
- Shirley Bingham - Ruth Madeley
- Melanie Bush - Bonnie Langford
- Rose Noble - Yasmin Finney
- Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King[3]
- Shaun Temple - Karl Collins[3]
- John Logie Baird - John McKay[4]
- Charles Banerjee - Charlie De Melo[4]
- Colonel Ibrahim - Alexander Devrient[3]
- Trinity Wells - Lachele Carl[3]
- Voice of the Vlinx - Nicholas Briggs[3]
- Voice of Stooky Sue - Leigh Lothian[3]
- Voice of Wilf (archive recordings) - Bernard Cribbins
And introducing Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor
Uncredited cast
- First Doctor (archive footage) - William Hartnell
- The Toymaker (archive footage) - Michael Gough
Crew
to be added
Worldbuilding
to be added
Notes
- This story's upcoming debut was mentioned alongside the other 2023 specials in the non-fiction feature Back in Business published in Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 on 7 September 2023.
- Russell T Davies was inspired, when researching John Logie Baird during the production of Nolly, to write an episode around the puppet. He later realized that a two-foot tall puppet wouldn't be the most intimidating foe, so decided to use the Toymaker as the antagonist.[5]
- Bernard Cribbins was originally intended to appear in this episode as Wilfred Mott. However, his health prevented him from doing so, making the previous episode his final acting performance prior to his death. Wilfred still appears briefly in the episode, through use of a stand-in actor and archive audio.
Myths
to be added
Filming locations
- Clare Street, Bristol[6]
- Broad Street, Bristol[6]
Ratings
to be added
Production errors
to be added
Continuity
- Doctor Who The Official Annual 2024 contained several works of fiction which teased some of the characters in The Giggle:
- The short story First Day of the Doctor contained an obscured snippet of a page of the Fifteenth Doctor's diary about his first adventure with a girl called Ruby S.
- The spot-the-difference puzzle Double Danger depicted the Doctor asking an individual for help with the then-unnamed version of the Toymaker portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris.
- Colourised footage from The Celestial Toymaker [+]Loading...["The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)"] is shown when the Doctor identifies the Toymaker.
Home media releases
DVD and Blu-ray releases
This episode, along with The Star Beast [+]Loading...["The Star Beast (TV story)"] and Wild Blue Yonder [+]Loading...["Wild Blue Yonder (TV story)"], was released on Region 2 DVD, and Region B Blu-ray and steelbook on 18 December 2023.[7]
UK 2 DVD cover
UK Blu-ray cover
UK steelbook cover
Gallery
to be added
Footnotes
Notes
Footnotes
- ↑ @bbcdoctorwho on twitter.com
- ↑ The Giggle: BBC Confirms Timeslot and Synopsis for Third Doctor Who Special on tvzoneuk.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 https://cultbox.co.uk/news/headlines/doctor-who-the-giggle-full-cast-list
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 DWM 597 - Gallifrey Guardian, Page 5
- ↑ DWM 598 - Preview of The Giggle, Page 17
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Doctor Who in Bristol on google.com/maps
- ↑ Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials available to pre-order on Steelbook, DVD and Blu-ray on doctorwho.tv
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