The Curse of the Black Spot (TV story)

The Curse of the Black Spot (TV story)

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The Curse of the Black Spot
Doctor:	[[doctor::Eleventh Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Amy Pond Rory Williams
Main enemy:	Siren Captain Henry Avery (redeems Himself)
Main setting:	Earth, 1699 Another universe, 1699
Key crew
Writer:	Steve Thompson
Director:	Jeremy Webb
Producer:	Marcus Wilson
Release details
Story number:	215
Release number:	Series 6
Premiere broadcast:	7th May 2011
Format:	1x 45 minute episode

The Curse of the Black Spot was the third episode in the sixth series of Doctor Who.

Synopsis

The TARDIS is marooned onboard a 17th-century pirate ship whose crew is being attacked by a mysterious and beautiful sea creature. Becalmed and beset by cabin fever, the pirates have numerous superstitious explanations for the Siren’s appearance. The Doctor has other ideas but, as his theories are disproved and every plan of escape is thwarted, he must work to win the trust of the implacable Captain Avery and uncover the truth behind the pirates’ supernatural fears – and he must work quickly, for some of his friends have already fallen under the Siren’s spell…

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Matt Smith
• Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
• Rory Williams - Arthur Darvill
• Henry Avery - Hugh Bonneville
• Boatswain - Lee Ross
• Siren - Lily Cole
• Mulligan - Michael Begley
• Eye Patch Lady - Frances Barber
• Toby Avery - Oscar Lloyd
• DeFlorres - Tony Lucken
• Dancer - Chris Jarman
• McGrath - Carl McCrystal

Crew

• Writer - Steve Thompson

References

Cultural references

• The Black Spot is an allusion to the Black Spot in Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
• The title of the story, as well as several mentions of a compass, may be a nod to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

Individuals

• The Doctor again scans Amy using the TARDIS console regarding her pregnancy or non-pregnancy.

Story notes

• This episode was supposed to air in the autumn half of the series, but was swapped 'round, along with The Doctor's Wife being fourth instead of third and Mark Gatiss' episode being ninth instead of fourth. This was because Steven Moffat felt Gatiss' episode was too dark.
• A prequel for this story was released online.
• As with this story, Earth-born diseases were the bane of the aliens in The War of the Worlds.

Ratings

to be added

Myths

• The Eye Patch Lady will reappear. This rumor was proven true.

Filming locations

• Cornwall

Production errors

• Although Boatswain was marked, he is never seen after Mulligan leaves the hold. In fact after Mulligan leaves, he is shown blockading the door again, but is not seen in there when the Doctor and Captain Avery come back.
• Like many television shows and films, this episode shows a very unrealistic depiction of CPR. The process of CPR is not intended to revive a victim. The purpose of CPR is to keep a minimum amount of oxygen flowing to the brain to prevent brain damage until professionals arrive to treat the victim.
  If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.

Continuity

• Amy recalls the Doctor's death. (DW: The Impossible Astronaut)
• The Eye Patch Lady reappears. (DW: Day of the Moon)
• The marking of the hand is akin to the green mark individuals experienced before mutating into a Primord. (DW: Inferno)
• Another Captain Avery is mentioned in DW: The Smugglers.
• The TARDIS again seems confused as to whether Amy Pond is pregnant or not. (DW: Day of the Moon)
• This is the second time the doctor is made to walk the plank, the first was in DW: The Pirate Planet

Home video releases

Part one of the series, containing episodes 1 to 7, will be released in the summer.

External links

to be added