The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel (webcast)
The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel was the prequel to The Bells of Saint John, the sixth episode of the seventh series of Doctor Who. It is the last story to feature the Eleventh Doctor wearing his Series 6-onward attire.
Synopsis[[edit] | edit source]
The Doctor takes a break on Earth, despondent that he can't find Clara.
Plot[[edit] | edit source]
A little girl finds the Doctor sitting on a swing in a playground. They discuss that he is sad because he can't find his "friend". They share a friendly exchange before the little girl returns to her mother. The Doctor doesn't realise that the little girl is actually Clara herself, for whom he is looking. Clara's mother appears and scolds her for talking to a stranger.
Cast[[edit] | edit source]
Crew[[edit] | edit source]
- Writer - Steven Moffat
- Director - John Hayes (uncredited)[1]
Worldbuilding[[edit] | edit source]
Notes[[edit] | edit source]
- This is the last appearance of the Eleventh Doctor's Shetland Tweed Jacket from TV: A Christmas Carol.
- Depending on when in the 1990s this minisode takes place, Clara mentioning "mojo" might be a reference to the then-popular Austin Powers movie series, which briefly returned several outdated words to popular use, including "mojo."
- The "English (United Kingdom)"-language subtitles on the official BBC Youtube channel upload of The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel interject "{JACKIE TYLER!?}" over a brief shot where Ellie Oswald is talking with a middle-aged blonde woman.
Continuity[[edit] | edit source]
- The Doctor is looking for a third Clara. (TV: The Snowmen)
- The little girl comments on the Doctor's age. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut, Closing Time)
- The Doctor references having lost "a friend" twice. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks, The Snowmen)
- The little girl is the third Clara the Doctor meets, who later in her life becomes a regular companion of his. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten) However, her older self doesn't appear to recognise the Doctor from this brief encounter when they meet again. (TV: The Bells of Saint John)
- The Doctor meets another companion as a child. He previously met Rose Tyler, Amy Pond, and River Song as children. (TV: Father's Day, The Eleventh Hour, A Good Man Goes to War)
Home video releases[[edit] | edit source]
Series 7, Part 2 DVD cover.
Complete Seventh Series DVD Cover
This prequel was released along with the entire second half of Series 7 (episodes six to thirteen) on DVD and Blu Ray on the May 22, 2013, and as part of The Complete Seventh Series on September 24, 2013. This mini-episode was released as part of The Complete Seventh Series on DVD and Blu Ray on September 24, 2013.
