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188) VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED

25 December 2007

Viewing Figure: 13.31M

Plot

The Tardis lands on a luxurious cruise ship called the Titanic and The Doctor discovers a plan that could destroy the entire Earth

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Kylie Minogue (Astrid Peth), Geoffrey Palmer (Captain Hardaker), Russell Tovey (Midshipman Frame)

George Costigan (Max Capricorn), Gray O'Brien (Rickston Slade), Andrew Havill (Chief Steward), Bruce Lawrence (Engineer)

Debbie Chazen (Foon van Hoff), Clive Rowe (Morvin van Hoff), Clive Swift (Mr Cooper), Jimmy Vee (Bannakaffalatta)

Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott), Nicholas Witchell (Himself), Paul Kasey (The Host), Stefan Davis (Kitchen Hand)

Jason Mohammad (Newsreader), Colin McFarlane, Ewan Bailey (Alien Voices), Jessica Martin (Voice of the Queen)

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Uncredited Cast

Darren Clarke, Andy Jones, Lucy Hassan, Sharon Lee (Teleporting Guests), Clare Philips, Sonal Mamta (Receptionists)

Dale Ibbetson, Peter Sheward, Anthony Carpenter, Ashley Roberts, Craig Palmer, Adam Harrington (Stewards)

Ruari Mears, Ken Hosking, Adam Sweet, Karl Greenwood, Jon Davey (Host), Claudio Laurini (Main Steward)

Andy Elvin, Ian Darlington, John Sulivan, Roger Shepherd (Bridge Crew), Chester Durrant (Guest (Handsome Man))

Rachel Anthony (Guest (Posh Woman)), Giles Clayden (Guest (Posh Boyfriend)), Nathan Head (Guest (Glamorous Man))

Daffyd Gough, James Mustoe, Samantha Starr, Simon M Thomas, Jason Yip (Kitchen Staff)

Crew

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

Jennie Fava (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director), Gareth Skelding (Location Managers)

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

Debi Griffiths (Assistant Production Co-ordinator), Nicola Brown (Production Runner), Heddi Joy Taylor (Floor Runner)

Wayne Humphreys, Darren Leen (Drivers), Bethan Britton (Contracts Assistant), Sheila Johnston (Continuity)

Brian Minchin (Script Editor), Julian Barber (Camera Operator), Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), John Robinson (Grip)

Jeff Welch (Boom Operator), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Tom Lucy (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Jason Hunjan, Stephanie Caret, Danielle da Costa (Stunt Performers), Alisa Berk (Choreographer)

Stephen Nicholas (Chief Supervising Art Director), Jonathan Marquand Allison (Art Dept Production Manager)

Arwel Wyn Jones (Supervising Art Director), James North (Associate Designer), Anna Coote (Art Department Co-ordinator)

Tristan Peatfield (Set Decorator), Joelle Rumbelow (Props Buyer), Rebecca Heamy (Standby Art Director)

Peter McKinstry (Design Assistant), Shaun Williams (Storyboard Artist), Phill Shellard, Patrick Deacy (Standby Props)

Will Pope (Standby Carpenter), Ellen Woods (Standby Painter), Keith Freeman (Standby Rigger), Phil Lyons (Property Master)

Barry Jones (Senior Props Maker), Penny Howarth (Props Maker), Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager)

John Whalley, Allen Jones (Scenic Artists), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics), Rose Goodhart (Assistant Costume Designer)

Lindsay Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor), Barbara Harrington, Louise Brown (Costume Assistants)

Pam Mullins, Morag Smith, John Munro (Make-Up Artists), Andy Brierley (Casting Associate), Ceres Doyle (VFX Editor)

Carmen Roberts (Assistant Editor), Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors)

Marie Brown (Post Prod Co-ordinator), Ben Ashmore (SFX Co-ordinator), Danny Hargreaves (SFX Supervisor)

Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Supervisor), Mick Vincent (Colourist)

Jean-Claude Deguara, Nicholas Hernandez, Nick Webber, Neil Roche, Andy Guest, Bruce Magroune, Matt McKinney

Mark Wallman, Jeff North (3D Artists), Sara Bennett, Russell Horth, Bryan Bartlett, Greg Spencer, Arianna Lago

Simon Holden, Isobel Barber (2D Artists), Simon Wicker (Matte Painter), Jenna Powell, Rebecca Johnson (VFX Co-ordinators)

Marianne Paton (VFX Production Assistant), Tim Barter (On Set VFX Supervisor), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Kelly-Marie Angell (Foley 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 Jones (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Ernie Vincze BSC (Director of Photography)

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

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Uncredited Crew

James Blackwell, Dan Mumford (1st Assistant Director), Guy de Glanville (2nd Assistant Director), Frazer Fennell Ball, Dan Mumford 

(3rd Assistant Director), Hannah Sanders (Production Runner), Andy Newbery (Floor Runner), Kevin Kearns (Driver)

Kath Blackman (Contracts Assistant), Duncan Fowlie, Mark Isaac, Mark Covington (Focus Pullers), Dave Holliday, Steve Ellingworth

Dai Hopkins (Grip), Mark Walters (Boom Operator), Crispin Layfield (Stunt Co-ordinator), Gordon Seed, Dean Forster, Mark Archer

(Stunt Performers), Ciaran Thompson (Standby Art Director), Al Roberts, Sarah Payne (Design Assistants), Nick Murray

Dewi Thomas (Standby Props), Alan Dix (Standby Carpenter), Louise Bohling (Standby Painter), Patrick Haggarty, Neal Ruck

Des Ward (Standby Rigger), Paul Aitken (Property Master), Nick Robatto, Jon Grundon (Props Makers), John Pinkerton (Scenic Artist)

Caroline Thorpe, Jo Conte, Paula Townsend, Clare Howie, Sheenagh O'Maragh, Rosie Flood, Andi Mears

Gemma Evans (Costume Assistants), Steve Smith, Julie Davis, Alison Webb, Cathy Davies, Steve Williams, Sara Agharad

Louise Fisher, Gary (Make-Up Artists), Paul Kelly (SFX Supervisor), Mark Bright (Online Editor), Ruth Bailey, Will Pryor

Jean-Yves Audouard (3D Arists), Tim Barter, James Moxon, Loraine Cooper (2D Artists), Alex Fort, Charlie Bennett (Matte Painter)

Ray Parker, Simon Koelmeyer (Sound Recordists), Rory Taylor (Director of Photography)

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Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studios 6, Trefforest

  • Exchange Building, Adelaide Street, Swansea

  • The Coal Exchange, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff Bay

  • Johnsey Estates, Mamhilad Park Ind Estate South, Pontypool

  • BBC Broadcasting House, Llandaff

  • City Hall, Cardiff

Deaths

  • Captain Hardaker [killed when asteroids hit the Titanic]

  • Max Capricorn [pushed into storm drives by Astrid Peth]

  • Chief Steward [sucked into space after asteroid collision]

  • Engineer [killed by a Heavenly Host halo]

  • Foon Von Hoof [jumps into Titanic storm drives]

  • Morvin Von Hoof [falls into Titanic storm drives]

  • Bannakaffalatta [used up his EMP power to defeat Heavenly Host]

  • Kitchen Hand [killed by a Heavenly Host halo]

  • Kitchen Staff [killed by Heavenly Host halos]

  • Titanic Passengers and Crew [killed during asteroid collision and with Heavenly Host halos]

Production Days

  • 27 Days between Monday 8 July - Satuday 20 October 2007

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Production Errors

  1. When the Red 67 group go down to Earth, it is clearly night time in London. Later on, when the Tardis is locking onto the Earth, the United Kingdom is in daylight heading into night time

  2. When The Doctor runs along the narrow metal bridge, Bannakaffalatta body is nowhere to be seen

  3. When The Doctor is struck by one of the Host haloes, David Tennant slightly misses his cue to react

Working Titles

  • Starship Titanic

Verdict

The first truly felt Christmas special thus far but can be a muddled tale from time to time. The big blockbuster production values create a brighter synthetic feel that the show will continue to display throughout the next couple of years. The plot is a twisted tale of greed, corruption and of course money. The cast of characters are very likable par the arrogant Rickston Slade how all provide their own skills to aid their survival, just about. Yeah like most episodes we need a few good deaths and Voyage of the Damned does not disappoint. The Heavenly Host, another robot adversary for Christmas are wonderful in design but become nothing more than puppets used by a higher power, sound familiar doesn’t it. The script is your basic survival of the survivors’ story who must battle the odds along the way but has moments of heart and intelligence to keep the pace going. The villain is a little comical, a head in a box but has so much power in his hands or rather box  but still an admirable adversary. The episode has plenty of jokes in all forms to keep smiles around. What could more British than dragging the Queen into the plot, how wonderful right? Wrong, the whole running out of the palace in PJ and slippers with her dogs and butlers is just ridiculous that it would make one laugh, not for the good reasons. The special is very nice looking with special effects hidden around every corner which all play to the story’s strengths. Whilst not a polished piece of work the episode still remains as a true Christmas treat. ***​

Number of Production Days: 5

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