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187b) THE SOUND OF DRUMS/THE LAST OF THE TIME LORDS

23 - 30 June 2007

Viewing Figure: 7.5M/8.6M

Plot

The Doctor discovers, has become the Prime Minister of Great Britain who plans to rule the world once more

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), John Simms (The Master)

Adjoa Andoh (Francine Jones), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Tish Jones), Trevor Laird (Clive Jones), Reggie Yates (Leo Jones)

Alexandra Moen (Lucy Saxon), Colin Stinton (President Winters), Nichola McAuliffe (Vivien Rook), Nicholas Gecks (Albert Dumfries)

Sharon Osbourne (Herself), McFly (Themselves), Ann Widdecombe (Herself), Olivia Hill (BBC Newsreader), Lachele Carl (US Newsreader)

Daniel Ming (Chinese Newsreader), Elize du Toit (Sinister Woman), Zoe Thorne, Gerard Logan, Johnnie Lyne-Pirkis (Sphere Voices)

Tom Ellis (Thomas Milligan), Ellie Haddington (Professor Docherty), Tom Golding (Lad), Natasha Alexander (Woman)

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Uncredited Cast

Jamie Bryne (Dreadlock Man), Glenn Row, Nick Barton, John Herbert, Richard Atkin, Sean Saye, Mark Lynch, Matthew Harries

Rakesh Mistry, Peter Small, Alphonso Archer, Durine Howell, Helen Coles, Deborah Beeson, Babette L Hospice

Joanne Lancastle (Ministers), David Cordingley, Bernie Hodges (Henchmen),  Channon Jacobs (Leo's Girfriend [Shonora])

Ryan Probert (Hoodie), Jeff Goodwin, Denzie Phipps, Phil Kirk (Time Lords), William Hughes (Young Master), Emily Moore (Tanya)

Crew

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

Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director), Antonia Grant (Location Manager)

Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator), Kevin Myers (Production Secretary)

Debi Griffiths (Production Assistant), Heddi Joy Taylor, Lowri Denman (Floor Runners), Wayne Humphreys, Malcolm Kearney (Drivers)

Kath Blackman, Bethan Britton (Contracts Assistants), Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), Simon Winstone (Script Editor)

Erik Wilson (2nd Camera Operator), John Robinson (Grip), Jon Thomas, Bryn Thomas (Boom Operators),Mark Hutchings (Gaffer)

Peter Chester (Best Boy), Tom Lucy, Crispin Layfield (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Gordon Seed, Dani Biernat, Curtis Rivers (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), Lisa McDiarmid (Standby Art Director), Peter McKinstry, Ian Bunting, Al Roberts (Design Assistants)

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), Catherine Samuel (Props Buyer)

Gareth Jeanne (Props Chargehand), Albert James (Practical Electrician), Penny Howarth, Nick Robatto (Props Makers)

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

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 Effects Co-ordinator), Danny Hargreaves (Special Effects Supervisor)

Dan Bentley, Richard Magrin (Special Effects Technician), Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Supervisor)

Anthony Parker, Gustav Hoegen (Prosthetics Technicians), Andy Brierley, Kirsty Robertson (Casting Associates)

Ceres Doyle (VFX Editor), Tim Hodges (Assistant Editor), Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors)

Marie Brown (Post Production Co-ordinator), Mark Bright (On Line Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist), Nicholas Hernandez

Jean-Claude Deguara, Neil Roche, Adam Burnett, Jean Yves Audouard, Jeff North, Matthew McKinney, Serena Cacciato, Will Pryor

Nick Webber, Andy Guest, Paul Burton, Bruce Magroune, Mark Wallman (3D Artists), Sara Bennett, Simon C Holden

Melissa Butler-Adams, Russell Horth, Bryan Bartlett, Adam Rowland, Ariana Lago, Joseph Courtis, Tim Barter

Greg Spencer (2D Artists), Jenna Powell, Rebecca Johnson (Visual Effects Co-ordinators), Marianne Paton (VFX Production Assistant)

Simon Wicker, Charlie Bennett (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 Wales, Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music)

Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Julian Scott (Production Executive), 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), Mike Hopkins (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer)

Rory Taylor (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Production Manager), Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

​

Uncredited Crew

Graeme Harper (Director), Susie Liggat (1st Assistant Director), Paul Bennett, Vicky Wheel (3rd Assistant Director)

Rory Taylor (2nd Camera Operator), Ant Hugill, James Leith (2nd Focus Puller), Clive Baldwin, Steve Pugh, Allan Hughes (Grip)

Adam Margetts (Boom Operator), Lee Gammon (Standby Art Director), Andi Mears (Costume Assistant), Ros Wilkins (Make-Up Artist)

Simon Koelmeyer, Tim Haigh (Sound Recordist)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Upper Boat Studios, Trefforest

  • BBC Wales Newsroom, BBC Wales, Cardiff

  • Hensol Castle, Hensol

  • Cwrt-y-Vil Road, Penarth

  • Esplanade, Penarth

  • Buckinghamshire

  • Augusta Road, Penarth

  • Queen's Road, Penarth

  • Harbour View Road, Penarth

  • Greyfriars Place/The Friary, Cardiff

  • Millennium Square, Bute Place, Cardiff Bay

  • Roundwood, Llanedeyrn, Cardiff

  • Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London

  • Universal Music, Kensington High Street, London

  • Wenallt Road, Caerphilly Mountain, nr Caerphilly

  • University Place, Splott, Cardiff

  • Old NEG Glass Site, Trident Park, Glass Avenue, Cardiff Bay

  • Vaynor Quarry, Trefechan, nr Merthyr Tydfil

  • DARA RAF St Athan, Barry

  • Old British Rail Red Brick Warehouse, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff

  • Barry Island Beach, Whitmore Bay, Barry Island

  • South Luton Place, Adamsdown, Cardiff

  • Fotre's Café, Barry Island

Deaths

  • The Master [shot by Lucy Saxon and refuses to regenerate]

  • President Winters [disintegrated by a Toclafane]

  • Vivien Rook [sliced and diced by Toclafane]

  • Albert Dumfries [gaed to death by The Master]

  • Ministers [gased by The Master]

Production Days

  • 28 Days between Wednesday 7 February - Monday 19 March 2007

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Production Errors

  1. When The Master puts on his gas mask, it is correct way up. When the camera cuts to a different shot, the mask is upside down. The mask return to the correct way when the camera return to the first shot 

  2. When The Master announces his presence on the Valiant, President Winters is visible in the background, but the Toclafane have vanished. They return in the next shot hovering above the President's head

  3. What possible explanation could The Master have which would explain the sudden deaths of the entire Cabinet? 

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

Everything is either too goofy to be taken serious or too rushed to be intelligent writing. The Master continues his silly antics – gassing he cabinet, watching the Teletubbies, acting like a child, eating jelly babies, dancing, and singing, please stop. While Simm is clearly enjoying himself, everything that made The Master so special is sadly absent in this particular incarnation. The Master finally achieves his goal of world domination through hypnotism – a call back to Roger Delgado’s incarnation. The plot is too dependent on flashbacks in Last of the Time Lords which gets old as soon as the first one appears. While a lot of money was clearly spent on the finale nothing looks very polished off unlike other episodes in the season; the appearance of UNIT, the American President and the World chanting The Doctor’s name are but just a few examples of this. Gallifrey finally gets to make an appearance and although very different from the classic series the artwork and colours used are truly memorable. The other design work is on the verge of being uninspired not something you would want from a series finale. Freema Agyeman gives her all for her final regular appearance and her departure feel to be the most natural. While the script is not bad or terrible it’s just shame that we have to wait a little longer for a truly spectacular series finale. ***​

Number of Production Days: 5

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