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The Rings of Akhaten (TV story): Difference between revisions
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=== Cultural references from the real world === | === Cultural references from the real world === | ||
* The Doctor references "[[The Walrus and the Carpenter]]". | * The Doctor references "[[The Walrus and the Carpenter]]". | ||
* The Doctor reads ''[[The Beano Summer Special 1981]]'' while observing Clara's parents. Due to popular demand, DC Thompson, the publishers of ''[[The Beano]]'' issued a special reprint shortly after the episode aired. | |||
=== The Doctor === | === The Doctor === | ||
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* The Doctor mentions the [[Last Great Time War|Time War]] during his speech to Ahkaten. | * The Doctor mentions the [[Last Great Time War|Time War]] during his speech to Ahkaten. | ||
=== Influences === | |||
* ''[[Star Wars (franchise)|Star Wars]] -'' Tiaanamaat was based on the Mos Eisley Cantina from ''[[Star Wars (film)|A New Hope]],'' while the space mopeds were inspired by the speeder bikes from ''[[Return of the Jedi]],'' though [[Neil Cross]] felt that they had more in common with ''[[Flash Gordon]].'' | |||
* The lines "I've seen things you wouldn't believe" and "Home again, jiggity-jig" are from ''[[Blade Runner]].'' | |||
* The living planet was an homage to both the unknowable alien gods depicted in the stories of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._P._Lovecraft HP Lovecraft], and the anthropomorphised moon in ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon A Trip to the Moon].'' | |||
== Story notes == | == Story notes == | ||
* Early on, Neil Cross' script (a first draft of which was completed in early October) bore the functional title ''Alien Planet''. This reflected [[Neil Cross]]' process of first conceiving the sentient planet Akhaten with its two concentric ring systems (where the pyramid-like Apex Temple lay in the inner ring, and the market asteroid of Tiaanamaat lay in the outer), and developing its people and their religion, before building the plot around this setting. | |||
* Unlike the previous episodes of Series 7, this episode does not introduce a new variation of the Doctor Who logo. | * Unlike the previous episodes of Series 7, this episode does not introduce a new variation of the Doctor Who logo. | ||
* This is the first regular television story featuring no significant [[Human]] characters or link to [[Earth]] other than the companion(s) since either [[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited (TV story)|The Girl Who Waited]]'' or [[TV]]: ''[[Asylum of the Daleks (TV story)|Asylum of the Daleks]]'', depending on whether converted [[Dalek puppet]]s are considered "human", and the first of such with an actually significantly-sized guest cast since either [[TV]]: ''[[Planet of Fire (TV story)|Planet of Fire]]'' or [[TV]]: ''[[Dragonfire (TV story)|Dragonfire]]'', the latter featuring a supporting cast largely of [[Humanoid]]s of unidentified species. | * This is the first regular television story featuring no significant [[Human]] characters or link to [[Earth]] other than the companion(s) since either [[TV]]: ''[[The Girl Who Waited (TV story)|The Girl Who Waited]]'' or [[TV]]: ''[[Asylum of the Daleks (TV story)|Asylum of the Daleks]]'', depending on whether converted [[Dalek puppet]]s are considered "human", and the first of such with an actually significantly-sized guest cast since either [[TV]]: ''[[Planet of Fire (TV story)|Planet of Fire]]'' or [[TV]]: ''[[Dragonfire (TV story)|Dragonfire]]'', the latter featuring a supporting cast largely of [[Humanoid]]s of unidentified species. | ||
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* The scene where pilgrims join [[Merry Gejelh]] in singing was intended to be similar to the scene from the classic movie ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' where people join in singing of "La Marseillaise" to drown out a [[Nazi]] song.<ref>[[DWMSE 37]]</ref> | * The scene where pilgrims join [[Merry Gejelh]] in singing was intended to be similar to the scene from the classic movie ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' where people join in singing of "La Marseillaise" to drown out a [[Nazi]] song.<ref>[[DWMSE 37]]</ref> | ||
* This episode was ranked as ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' readers' least favourite [[Eleventh Doctor]] story in their 50th anniversary poll of [[2014]]. In [[2023]], it was replaced by ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]''. ([[DWM 593]]) | * This episode was ranked as ''[[Doctor Who Magazine]]'' readers' least favourite [[Eleventh Doctor]] story in their 50th anniversary poll of [[2014]]. In [[2023]], it was replaced by ''[[The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe (TV story)|The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe]]''. ([[DWM 593]]) | ||
* [[Neil Cross]] had already written ''[[Hide (TV story)|Hide]]'' and was initially doubtful that he had the time to accommodate write another script, but he was finally won over when he learned of the production team's ambition for the story. As such, his new script would actually air first. | |||
* [[Marcus Wilson]] suggested the space mopeds. | |||
* The concept behind having the episode based around an alien planet occurred to [[Steven Moffat]], [[Caroline Skinner]], and [[Marcus Wilson]] when realising they had done big location pieces in the first half of the season with [[A Town Called Mercy|''A Town Called Mercy'']] and [[The Angels Take Manhattan|''The Angels Take Manhattan'']], but had none for the second half. They decided to do a story set in "a world created in our studios to make you really feel you're out there", rather than having the Doctor "promise unearthly wonders to his companions, and then get them trapped in an underground tunnel". As such, the episode was designed to allow the Doctor to actually show his new companion the wonders he had promised. | |||
* The episode replaced a slot that was going to be a script by [[Chris Chibnall]], but he was unable to write it due to his commitment to ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadchurch Broadchurch].'' | |||
* [[Jenna-Louise Coleman]] named this one of her favourites episodes of the second half of the seventh series, as it was the first adventure for Clara which allowed the audience to watch the story "[begin] again". | |||
* The episode originally had a different pre-credits sequence, which consisted of a long scene in the kitchen of the Maitland house in which Clara informs the Doctor she cannot come and travel with the Doctor because she has responsibilities to her job, and [[Artie Maitland]] asks if the Doctor is her boyfriend. [[Neil Cross]]' intent was to juxtapose this "mundane" scene with the vast scale of the planet. However, [[Steven Moffat]] thought that at the time in the series the Doctor should be investigating Clara through her parents and Cross revised to include the leaf, an idea Moffat approved of. | |||
* The living planet was originally referred to as Akhet, a name which survived in references to the Sun Singers of Akhet. | |||
* The episode comprised Block Nine of season seven. | |||
* This was the second of four episodes produced by [[Denise Paul]], while [[Marcus Wilson]] turned his attention to ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]''; he would instead be credited as series producer. | |||
* The production team aimed to show "the best alien planet" in the show. | |||
* The flashbacks were the first material to be filmed. | |||
* The shot of the TARDIS materialising at the Maitland residence was filmed on Beatty Avenue in Cardiff during the making of ''[[The Name of the Doctor (TV story)|The Name of the Doctor]].'' | |||
* Originally the resolution was to be the Doctor defeating the planet with his speech, which [[Neil Cross]] likened to "facing down one of [[H. P. Lovecraft|Lovecraft]]'s Old Gods: an alien so alien that it's practically a supernatural being." [[Steven Moffat]] pointed out that the Doctor had given similar speeches before and was more interested in Clara saving the day. After thinking about it for a while, Cross realised he could incorporate the leaf into the solution. | |||
* According to [[Matt Smith]], there were "between 50 and 60 prosthetic aliens" in a scene set in an alien market. | |||
* The Doctor features minimally in the first act because [[Matt Smith]] was busy filming pick-ups or reshoots for [[Nightmare in Silver|''Nightmare in Silver'']]. | |||
* [[Millennium FX]]'s [[Neill Gorton]] remarked that he had "always wanted to do a scene like the ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' cantina" and had worked on different moulds in his spare time in case they could be used in the future, as making thirty different aliens at one time would be out of the budget. | |||
* Most of the aliens in the bazaar are made of bits of props left over from previous aliens or ones from other BBC shows. | |||
=== Rumours === | === Rumours === | ||
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=== Ratings === | === Ratings === | ||
The episode was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on [[BBC One]] on 6 April 2013. Overnight ratings showed that it was watched by 5.5 million viewers live, a 28.8% audience share. When time-shifted viewers were factored in, the final rating rose to 7.45 million, making it the sixth most-watched programme of the week on BBC One.<ref>[http://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&type=date Doctor Who Ratings - UK final]</ref> In addition, ''The Rings of Akhaten'' received over two million requests on the online [[BBC iPlayer]] in April, coming in first for the month on the service. The episode also received an [[Appreciation Index]] of 84. | |||
=== Filming locations === | === Filming locations === | ||
