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181) GRIDLOCK

14 April 2007

Viewing Figure: 8.4M

Plot

In the year 5,000,000,053, The Doctor and Martha discover that the population of New Earth is trapped on a motorway

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), Ardal O'Hanlon (Brannigan), Anna Hope (Novice Hame), Travis Oliver (Milo)

Lenora Crichlow (Cheen), Jennifer Hennessy (Valerie), Bridget Turner (Alice), Georgine Anderson (May), Simon Pearsall (Whitey)

Daisy Lewis (Javit), Nicholas Boulton (Businessman), Erika Macleod (Sally Calypso), Judy Norman (Ma), Graham Padden (Pa)

Lucy Davenport (Pale Woman), Tom Edden (Pharmacist #1), Natasha Williams (Pharmacist #2), Gayle Telfer Stevens (Pharmacist #3)

Struan Rodger (Voice of the Face of Boe)

Uncredited Cast

Naomi Hayama, Kaman Chan (Teenage Cyber Punks), Chris Ilston (Naked Lad), Grainne Jougin (Naked Girl), Andrew Cameron (Red Man)

Holly Dymock, Hayley Jones (Vestal Virgins)

Crew

Russell T Davies (Writer), Phil Collinson (Producer), Richard Clark (Director), Macra created by Ian Stuart Black

Dan Mumford (1st Assistant Director), Jennie Fava (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director)

Lowri Thomas (Location Manager), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator)

Kevin Myers (Production Secretary), Debi Griffiths (Production Assistant), Sian Eve Goldsmith (Production Runner)

Lowri Denman, Heddi Joy Taylor (Floor Runner), Bethan Britton (Contracts Assistant), Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity)

Simon Winstone (Script Editor), Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), John Robinson (Grip), Jon Thomas (Boom Operator)

Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Tom Lucy, Crispin Layfield (Stunt Co-ordinators)

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), Malin Lindholm (Set Decorator), Leonie Rintler (Standby Art Director), 

Ian Bunting, Al Roberts (Design Assistants), Christian Bell (Cyfle Trainee), Shaun Williams (Storyboard Artist)

Phill Shellard, Nick Murray (Standby Props), Paul Jones (Standby Carpenter), Ellen Woods (Standby Painter)

Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Paul Aitken (Props Master), Blaanid Maddrell (Props Buyer), Gareth Jeanne (Props Chargehand)

Martin Griffiths (Props Storeman), Amy Chandler (Forward Dresser), Albert James (Practical Electrician)

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics), Marnie Ormiston (Assistant 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, Tim Hodges (Assistant Editors), Chris Blatchford, Samantha Hall (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)

Matthew McKinney, Neil Roche, Jean-Claude Deguara, Bruce Magroune, Nick Webber, Paul Burton, Jeff North

Serena Cacciato (3D Artists), Sara Bennett, Adam Rowland, Tim Barter (2D Artists), 

Rebecca Johnson, Jenna Powell (Visual Effects Co-ordinators), Simon Wicker (Digital Matte Painter)

Barney Curnow (On Set VFX Supervisor), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor), 

Doug Sinclair (Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Chris Rogers (Finance Manager)

with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of WalesRon 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), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), The Mill (Visual Effects)

Will Cohen, Marie Jones (Visual FX Producers), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor), Millennium FX (Porspethics)

Any Effects (Special Effects), John Richards (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Rory Taylor (Director of Photography)

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

Uncredited Crew

Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Huw Jones (Unit Manager), Graham Luxtable (Production Runner), Ant Hugill, Marc Covington

Mari Yamanura, Duncan Fowlie (Focus Puller), Ron Nicholls (Grip), Kevin Staples (Boom Operator), Steve Slocombe (Gaffer)

Angela Jones, Susie Lewis, Ian Chapman (Costume Assistants), Ros Wilkins (Make-Up Artist), Ray Parker, Richard Dyer (Sound Recordist)

Debbie Slater (Production Manager)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Welsh Centre for International Affairs, Temple of Peace, College Road, Cardiff

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6, Trefforest

  • The Maltings, East Tyndall Street, Cardiff Bay

  • Unit 7, Ely Papermill, Sanatorium Road, Cardiff

  • Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest

Deaths

  • Javit [killed when Macra break into her vehicle]

  • Ma [killed when Macra break into her vehicle]

  • Pa [killed when Macra break into his vehicle]

  • The Face of Boe [sacrifices himself to save the Undercity] 

  • Vestal Virgins [killed when Macra break in their vehicle]

 

Production Days

  • 14 Days between Monday 28 September - Tuesday 6 November 2006 

Production Errors

  1. The drivers' seat in the episode is on the right side of the car. This is despite the fact that the driver seat in New York vehicles are always on the left side of the car 

  2. When The Doctor opens the bottom door of the Businessman's car, the computer voice fails to say 'capsule open' compared to all of the others time when The Doctor open the bottom door 

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

There has never been a Doctor Who serial which crams so much into the story and successfully pull off a perfectly told forty-five-minute tale. The script explores so many themes, faith, drug use, depression, pollution, society, desperation, denial; the list could go on. Beautiful writing is met with some of the most shocking moments – the rundown pharmacy town, the thousands of cars on the motorway all with their polluting fumes and gas, the reveal of the upper city and the true reason why no one is trying to help the trapped souls on the motorway. Gridlock showcases that it is possible to tell a story which is supposed to stir up a whole array of emotions and where not everything will always be fine whilst travelling with The Doctor. Once again the cast is brilliant, easily one of all-time best and that’s saying something since the show has had a series of great ensembles in the past. The Doctor begins to open up to Martha and the final shot of the episode truly captures the beginning of something new and wonderous. An instant classic. *****​

Number of Production Days: 5

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