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167) THE CHRISTMAS INVASION

25 December 2005

Viewing Figure: 9.8M

Plot

The regenerated Doctor lands in London on Christmas Eve as Robot Santas attack the streets and a spaceship approaches Earth

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), Camille Coduri (Jackie Tyler), Noel Clarke (Mickey Smith), Penelope Wilton (Harriet Jones)

Daniel Evans (Danny Llewellyn)Adam Garcia (Alex), Sean Gilder (Sycorax Leader), Chu Omambala (Blake), Anita Briem (Sally)

Sian McDowall (Sandra), Paul Anderson (Jason), Cathy Murphy (Mum), Sean Carlsen (Policeman), Jason Mohammed (Newsreader 1)

Sagar Arya (Newsreader 2), Lachele Carl (Newsreader 3)

Uncredited Cast

Tony Gallagher, Richard Pullen, Andrew Mitchel, Alex Bennett, Alex Donald, Simon Lee, (Evil Santas), Lee Griffiths, Lloyd Everitt

Jamie Jones, Alun Cowles, Mike Freeman, Martin Throne, Jonathan Thomas, Richard Harris, Greg Bennett, Geraint Jones

Paul Blackwell, Nick Gwyn Evans, Phil Kirk, Ian Richardson, Mark Griffiths, Andrew Mitchel, Paul Zeph Gould (Sycorax)

Johnnie Cross (Technician Luke Parsons), Ian Hilditch (Geoffrey Baxter)

Crew

Russell T Davies (Writer), Phil Collinson (Producer), James Hawes (Director), Jon Older (1st Assistant Director)

Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Lynsey Muir (3rd Assistant Director), Lowri Thomas, Gareth Skelding (Location Managers)

Justin Gyphion (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator), Claire Roberts (Production/Script Secretary)

Debbie Meldrum, Tim Hodges, Sarah Davies (Production Runners), Debi Griffiths, Kath Blackman, Bonnie Clissold (A/Production Accountants)

Llinos Wyn Jones (Continuity), Helen Raynor (Script Editor), Julian Barber (Camera Operator), Mark Issac, Terry Bartlett (Focus Pullers)

John Robinson (Grip), Jeff Welch (Boom Operator), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Peter Brayham (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Dean Foster, Kim McGarrity, Dani Biernat, Maurice Lee (Stunt Performers), Stephen Nicholas (Supervising Art Director)

Jonathan Marquand Allison (Art Dept Production Manager), Arwel Wyn Jones (Standby Art Director), James North (Asst Supervising Art Director)

Ben Austin, Matthew Savage (Design Assistant), Phill Shellard, Trystan Howell (Standby Props), Silas Williams (Standby Carpenter)

Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Julian Luxton (Set Decorator), Adrian Anscombe (Property Master), Catherine Samuel (Production Buyer)

Stuart Woddisse (Props Storeman), Mark Cordory (Specialist Prop Maker), Penny Howarth (Prop Maker)

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics), Anna Lau (Costume Supervisor)

Lindsay Bonaccorsi, Barbara Harrington (Costume Assistants), Anwen Davies, Steve Smith, Moria Thompson (Make-Up Artists)

Andy Brierley (Casting Associate), Ceres Doyles (Assistant Editor), Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisor)

Marie Brown (Post Production Co-ordinator), Matthew Clarke (On Line Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist), Chris Petts, Paul Burton

Jean-Claude Deguara, Nicholas Hernandez, Andy Howell, Matthew McKinney, Neil Roche, Chris Tucker, Mark Wallman

Nick Webber (3D Artists), Sara Bennett, David Bowman, Melissa Butler-Adams, Joseph Courtis, Bronwyn Edwards, Simon C Holden

Russell North, Kim Phelan (2D Artists), Alex Fort (Digital Matte Painter), Mike Tucker (Model Unit Supervisor), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Paul McFadden, Doug Sinclair (Sound Editors), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Richard Pugsley (Finance Manager)

with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of WalesRon Grainer (Original Theme Music), Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director)

Endaf Emyr Williams (Production Accountant), Simon Fraser (Sound Recordist), Louise Page (Costume Designer)

Sheelagh Wells (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), The Mill (Visual Effects), Will Cohen (Visual FX Producer)

Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor), Any Effects (Special Effects), Neill Gorton and Millennium FX (Porspethics), Liana Del Giudice (Editor)

Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Ernie Vincze BSC (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Production Manager)

Helen Vallis (Associate Producer), Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

Uncredited Crew

Lynsey Muir (2nd Assistant Director), Adam Hill, Will Cummins, Rhys Davies, Anna Evans (3rd Assistant Director), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager)

Joss Lowe, Paul Lang, Terry Bartlett, Kevin Rudge (Camera Operator), Donald Ng, Dean Thompson, Anna James

Elly Harrowes (Focus Pullers), Steve Jones, Peter Muncey, Craig Copple (Grip), Rhydian Yeoman, Adam Margetts, Mark Walters

Glen Jenkins (Boom Operator), Kevin McCurdy (Stunt Co-ordinator), Rupert Steggle, Angela Jones, John Laurie, Gemma Jones

Chrisie Atkinson, Sheenagh O'Maragh (Costume Assistants), Laura Shalker, Sara Griffiths, Anwen Williams, Marie Doris (Make-Up Artists)

Graham Ross, Mark Walters (Sound Recordist), Peter Tyler (Director of Photography), Marcus Prince (Production Manager) 

Broadcast

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Filming Locations

  • Tredegar House & Park, Newport

  • UNIT Q2, Imperial Way, Newport

  • Wallis House, Great West Road, Brentford

  • Brandon Estate, Kennington, London

  • Tower of London, London

  • Loudoun Estate, Gabalfa, Cardiff

  • HTV Studios: Studio 1, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff

  • Baltic House, James Street, Cardiff Bay

  • British Gas Building, Churchill Way, Cardiff

  • The Hayes, Cardiff

  • Broadstairs Road, Leckwith

  • Clearwell Caves, nr Coleford, Gloucestershire

  • Brian Cox Motor Engineering, Bromley Road, Elwood

  • Barry Rocks, Atlantic Way, Barry

  • Millennium Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff

  • BBC Model Unit, Kendal Avenue, London

  • BBC Broadcasting House, Llandaff, Cardiff

Deaths

  • Pilot Fish [one is destroyed by a falling Christmas tree]

  • Danny Llewellyn [reduced to bones by the Sycorax Leader's energy whip]

  • Major Blake [reduced to bones by the Sycorax Leader's energy whip]

  • Sycorax Leader [falls thousands of feet from the Sycorax ship]

  • Sycorax [all are killed when their ship is blown up]

Number of Production Days: 5

Production Days

  • 30 Days between Friday 22 July - Thursday 10 November 2005

Production Errors

  1. Rose's hair style is notably different from the regeneration scene from The Parting of the Ways. Rose's hair is much longer than what it was in the previous episode ​​​

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

A beautifully crafted story which utilises the mistakes made from the previous season – there was not many, to produce a fantastically written and directed epic tale. An intelligent script is meet with a whole sleuth of memorable moments – the Pilot Fish, the reveal of the Sycorax, the Sycorax language, the Sycorax ship and its subsequent destruction. The plot is one of the most tightly written - energetic, emotional, fun, gigantic and paced to perfection. The new Doctor and his personality is one of the best – a little bit goofy at times but full of poise and stamina and a dark side which can be matched to that of Sylvester McCoy’s incarnation. His line ‘no second changes. I’m that sort of a man’ highlights his low tolerance for those who trend on the dark side. More fantastic location work, great backing vocals and visuals all add up to set the David Tennant era in good light. *****​

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