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185) HUMAN NATURE/THE FAMILY OF BLOOD

26 May - 2 June 2007

Viewing Figures: 7.7M/7.2M

Plot

The Doctor becomes a human teacher in 1913 in order to hide from aliens who want to live forever

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor/Mr Smith), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), Jessica Hynes (Joan Redfern), Rebekah Staton (Jenny)

Thomas Sangster (Tim Latimer), Harry Lloyd (Jeremy Baines), Tom Palmer (Hutchinson), Gerard Horan (Clark)

Lauren Wilson (Lucy Cartwright), Pip Torrens (Rocastle), Matthew White (Phillips), Derek Smith (Doorman)

Peter Bourke (Mr Chambers), Sophie Turner (Vicar)

Uncredited Cast

Peter Symonds, Mathew Doman, Ken Hosking, Ruari Mears, Claudio Laurini, Adam Sweet, Sean Saye (Scarecrows), Huw Rees (Old Tim)

Crew

Paul Cornell (Writer), Susie Liggat (Producer), Charles Palmer (Director), Richard Harris (1st Assistant Director)

Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director), Lowri Thomas (Location Managers)

Huw Jones (Unit Manager), Branwen Evans (Location Scout), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator)

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

Wayne Humphreys, Malcolm Kearney (Drivers), Lowri Denman, Heddi Joy Taylor  (Floor Runners)

Kath Blackman, Bethan Britton (Contracts Assistants), Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), SLindsey Alford (Script Editor)

Steven Hall (2nd Camera Operator), Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), Jamie Southcott (2nd Unit Focus Puller)

Tom Hartley (Camera Assistant), John Robinson (Grip), Jeff Welch, Bryn Thomas (Boom Operators), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer)

Steve Slocombe (Best Boy), Clive Johnson, Ben Griffiths (Electricians), Glenn Marks (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Alisa Berk (Choreographer), 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)

David Morison (Set Decorator), Tim Dickel (Standby Art Director) 

Peter McKinstry, Ian Bunting, Al Robert, Rob Dicks (Design Assistants), Christina Tom (Cyfle Trainee)

Shaun Williams (Storyboard Artist), Phil Shellard, Nick Murray (Standby Props), Paul Jones (Standby Carpenter)

Ellen Woods (Standby Painter), Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Paul Aitken (Property Master), Catherine Samuel (Props Buyer)

Barry Jones (Senior Props Maker), Penny Howarth, Mark Cordory, Nick Robatto (Props Makers), Gareth Jeanne (Props Chargehand)

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

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), Allen Jones, Scott Fisher (Construction Chargehands)

BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics), Marnie Orminston  (Assistant Costume Designer), Lindsay Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor)

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

Ben Ashmore (Special FX Co-ordinator), Paul Kelly (Special FX Supervisor), Danny Hargreaves, Henry Brook (Special FX Technicians)

Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Supervisor), Lotta Hogvist (On Set Prosthetics Supervisor)

Lisa Crawley, Anthony Parker (Prosthetics Technicians), Andy Brierley, Kirsty Robertson (Casting Associates), Ceres Doyle (VFX Editor)

Tim Hodges, Matthew Mullins (Assistant Editors), Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors)

Marie Brown (Post Production Co-ordinator), Mick Vincent (Colourist), Mark Bright (Online Editor)

Marianne Paton (VFX Production Assistant), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor)

Doug Sinclair (Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Kelly-Marie Angell (Foley Artist), 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 (Senior Production Accountant), Oliver Ager (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)

Any Effects (Special Effects), Millennium FX (Porspethics), Matthew Tabern (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer)

Rory Taylor (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Production Manager)

Phil Collinson, Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

Uncredited Crew

Gareth Williams (1st Assistant Director), Jennie Fava (2nd Assistant Director), Paul Bennett (3rd Assistant Director)

Antonia Grant (Location Manager), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Graham Huxtable (Production Runner), Steve Williams, Jerry Locket

Wyn Finney, Bob Tamlyn, Philip Thomas, John Steel (Drivers), Ant Hugill (2nd Camera Operator), Rob McGregor (Focus Puller)

Ant Hugill (2nd Unit Focus Puller), Rob Gilmour, Jon Vidgen (Camera Assistants), Ron Nicholls, Dai Hopkins, Ron Mills (Grip)

Adam Margetts (Boom Operator), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Julian Luxton (Set Decorator), Lee Gammon (Standby Art Director)

Zac Henderson (Standby Rigger), Phil Lyons (Property Master), Ben Morris (Props Buyer), Angela Jones, Andi Mears (Costume Assistants)

Ros Wilkins, Linda Carr, Julie Davis (Make-Up Artists), Jo Glover (On Set Prosthetics Supervisor)

Ray Parker, Simon Koelmeyer (Sound Recordists), Patrick Schweitzer (Production Manager)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest

  • Llandaff Cathedral, Llandaff, Cardiff

  • Treberfydd House, Llangasty, Brecon

  • Tredegar House, Newport

  • BBC Broadcasting House, Llandraff

  • Neal Soil, Wentloog Road, Cardiff

  • St Fagans National History Museum, St Fagans, Cardiff

  • Cwm Ifor Farm, Caerphilly

Deaths

  • Jenny [killed by Mother of Mine]

  • Jeremy Baines [killed by Son of Mine]

  • Clark [killed by Father of Mine]

  • Lucy Cartwright [killed by Daughter of Mine]

  • Rocastle [disintegrated by Daughter of Mine]

  • Phillips [disintegrated by Son of Mine]

  • Doorman [disintegrated by Son of Mine]

  • Mr Chambers [disintegrated by Father of Mine]

  • Mr and Mrs Cartwright [disintegrated by Daughter of Mine]

  • Villagers [killed by the Family of Blood with explosives]

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Production Days

  • 28 Days between Monday 27 November 2006 - Friday 23 February 2007

Production Errors

  1. Joan puts her stethoscope in her ears backwards when listening to John Smith's single 

  2. During the shooting scene at the Boy's School, a bus drives by in the distance 

  3. When Phillips is disintegrated, he pauses for a second before he dies fully 

  4. As the scarecrows advance on the school, the scene cuts to a shot of Sister of Mine, looking out of a window with heavy rail fall. When the scene cuts back on the scarecrow, it is a clear night with no rain clouds 

  5. When Sister of Mine comes through the school's gate, her balloon changes position several times 

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

It is not hard to see why Human Nature/The Family of Blood is a fan favourite. Everything about the two-parter is beyond perfect – the aliens, the acting, the music, the costumes, the spaceship sets and Son of Mine’s monologue about the fury of the Time Lord. Freema Agyeman gives her best performance as Martha, she has been brilliant so far but pushes beyond and takes her character to a whole new level. David Tennant gives his finest performance as well as Mr. Smith who slips back into the role of The Doctor with very little ease and composure. The script is also brilliant which creates some compelling images; the soldier boys crying when they think they are about to die at the hands of enemy soldiers, the murderous alien who takes the form of a little girl and the subtle little racist remarks which mirrors the ideologies and views present in early twentieth century Britain. The Scarecrow are beyond original, Cornell takes an ordinary everyday object and turns them into nightmarish creatures. The soulless eyes and expressionless mouths mask the true horror which lie within. The Family of Blood portrayed by Harry Lloyd, Rebekah Stanton, Gerard Horan and Lauren Wilson all excel as the cold-hearted aliens and nothing more could have been asked from them. The amount of time and effort which went into the two-parter is something else and the sits at the heart of any Doctor Who fans' must watch list. *****​

Number of Production Days: 5

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