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178) THE RUNAWAY BRIDE

25 December 2006

Viewing Figure: 0.4M

Plot

When a young bride appears in the Tardis, The Doctor discovers the Empress of the Racnoss plans to awaken her children

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), Sarah Parish (Empress), Don Gilet (Lance Bennett), Howard Attfield (Geoff Noble)

Jacqueline King (Sylvia Noble), Trevor George (Vicar), Glen Wilson (Taxi Driver), Krystal Archer (Nerys), Rhodri Milier (Rhodri)

Zafirah Boateng (Little Girl), Paul Kasey (Robot Santa)

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Uncredited Cast

Sandra Scott (Groom's Mum), Ash Croney (Groom's Dad), Daniel Radbourne, Chris Ilston (Lads in Car), Ken Hosking, Adam Sweet

Richard Tunesi, Joe White, Pete Symonds, Mark Llewellyn Thomas (Evil Santas)

Crew

Russell T Davies (Writer), Phil Collinson (Producer), Euros Lyn (Director), Peter Bennett (1st Assistant Director)

Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director)

Patrick Schweitzer, Gareth Skelding (Location Managers), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator)

Kevin Myers (Production Secretary), Debi Griffiths (Production Assistant), Victoria Wheel (Production Runner)

Wayne Humphreys, Malcolm Kearney (Drivers), Barry Phillips (Floor Runner), Bethan Britton (Contracts Assistant)

Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), Simon Winstone (Script Editor), Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), Sian Elin Palfrey (2nd Camera Operator)

John Robinson (Grip), Jon Thomas (Boom Operator), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy)

David Forman (Stunt Co-ordinator), George Cottle, Tina Amskell, Richard Hammett, Gary Hoptrough

Rob Hunt, Nina Armstrong (Stunt Performers), Stephen Nicholas (Chief Supervising Art Director)

Jonathan Marquand Allison (Art Dept Production Manager), Matthew North (Art Dep Co-ordinator)

Adrian Anscombe (Chief Props Master), Arwel Wyn Jones (Supervising Art Director), James North (Associate Designer)

Tristan Peatfield (Set Decorator), Lee Gammon (Standby Art Director), Peter McKinstry, Ben Austin (Design Assistants)

Shaun Williams (Storyboard Artist), Phill Shellard, Clive Clarke (Standby Props), Paul Jones (Standby Carpenter)

Louise Bohling (Standby Painter), Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Paul Aitken (Property Master), Joelle Rumbelow (Props Buyer)

Barry Jones (Props Maker), Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics)

Rose Goodhart (Asst Costume Designer), Lindsay Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor)

Sheenagh O'Marah, Kirsty Wilkinson (Costume Assistants), Pam Mullins Steve Smith, John Munro (Make-Up Artists)

Andy Brierley (Casting Associate), Ceres Doyle (Assistant Editor), Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors)

Marie Brown (Post Production Co-ordinator), Ben Ashmore (Special Effects Co-ordinator), Paul Kelly (Special Effects Supervisor)

Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Supervisor), Matthew Clarke (On Line Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist)

Paul Burton, Nick Webber, Matthew McKinney, Mark Wallman, Andy Guest, Chris Tucker, Nicholas Hernandez

Jean-Claude Deguara (3D Artists), Sara Bennett, Russell Horth, Melissa Butler-Adams, Bryan Bartlett, Astrid Busser-Cassas

Adam Rowland, Simon C Holden, Greg Spencer, Joseph Courtis (2D Artists), Jenna Powell, Rebecca Johnson (VFX Co-ordinators)

Barney Curnow (On Set VFX Supervisor), Lucas FX (Model Unit), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Chris Rogers (Finance Manager), Neil Hannon (Vocals)

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

Julian Scott (Production Executive), Endaf Emyr Williams (Production Accountant), Julian Howarth (Sound Recordist)

Louise Page (Costume Designer), Sheelagh Wells (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), The Mill (Visual Effects)

Will Cohen, Marie Jones (Visual FX Producers), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor), Any Effects (Special Effects)

Millennium FX (Porspethics), John Richards (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Rory Taylor (Director of Photography)

Tracie Simpson (Production Manager), Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

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Uncredited Crew

Susie Liggat, Richard Bird (1st Assistant Director), Anna Evans, Dan Mumford (2nd Assistant Director), Anna Evans, Dan Mumford 

(3rd Assistant Director), Dave Meazey (Driver), Heddi Joy Taylor (Floor Runner), Terry Bartlett, Marc Covington (Focus Puller)

L Steve Murray, Paul Edwards (2nd Camera Operator), Peter Muncie, Ron Nocholls, Steve Pugh (Grip), Julian Luxton (Set Decorator)

Zac Henderson (Stanby Rigger), Angela Jones, Gemma Evans, Faith Thomas, Charlie Mitchell (Costume Assistants), Ros Wilkins

Linda Carl (Make-Up Artists), Ron Bailey (Soudn Recordist)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Thames Barrier, Barrier Approach, Woolwich, London

  • A4/M4 Chiswick Flyover, London

  • IPC Building Helipad, Shoe Lane, London

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 4, Trefforest

  • Atradius Building, Cardiff Bay

  • Waterguard Pub, Cardiff Bay

  • Baverstock Hotel, Merthyr Tydfil

  • St John the Baptist Church, Trinity Street, Cardiff

  • St John Street, Cardiff

  • A423-Ely Link Road, Cardiff

  • West Point Industrial Estate, Grangetown, Cardiff

  • New Country House Hotel, Thornhill, Cardiff

  • Westgate Street, Cardiff

  • Millennium Stadium, Westgate Street, Cardiff

  • Usk Valley Business Park, Pontypool, Tofaen

  • St Mary Street, Cardiff

  • Wharton Street, Cardiff

  • Churchill Way, Cardiff

  • In-pound Station, Newport Docks, Newport

  • Newport Docks, Newport

  • Victoria Park East, Canton, Cardiff

Deaths

  • Empress of Racnoss [dies when her ship is shot down]

  • Lance Bennett [eaten by the Empress' children]

  • Racnoss Children [drowned by the water from the Thames]

  • Pilot Fish [destoryed by sound waves]

  • Pilot Fish [destroyed by water from the Thames]

Production Days

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

  • 26 Days between Tuesday 4 July - Thursday 19 October 2006

Production Errors

  1. When Donna asks a Woman to borrow £10, Donna is clearly wearing sport shoes and not white wedding shoes

  2. Despite the fact that the episode takes place at Christmas, it is clearly the summer. The weather outside is continually sunny, and all of the trees have leaves on them

  3. When the Roboforms surround the hotel, one of them has a tenor horn/euphonium. This changes for a curling budge-like instrument, when The Doctor faces the Roboforms in the ballroom â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹â€‹

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

An unfunny, unwitty story which incredibly contrasts from the previous Christmas Day special only twelve months prior. Many of the jokes full flat on creating anything engaging and the whole things feel like a first draft. The plot which makes some sort of sense never really gets going which is hammered with throw away lines and innuendos. The special is treated to a genuinely good-looking monster with a great actress who literally just stands about, shouts some orders, screams, and moans and never gets directly involved into the story’s proceedings. The visuals are fine – the Racnoss star has a Christmassy aesthetic feel and the Pilot Fish are back in action – sort of – they do not really do anything worthy. Other than that the special is not so much as a hearts warming tale be but rather a cold, lukewarm effort. When the episode resorts to the cutaway gags and references, very confusing moments  which do not make sense, troupes used by animated television shows which have lost their way, then its best to run away from this one as fast as possible. **​

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Number of Production Days: 5

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