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201) THE WATERS OF MARS

15 November 2009

Viewing Figure: 10.32M

Plot

On the 21 November 2059 Bowie Base One on Mars is destroyed and The Doctor arrives just  in time to find out why? 

Cast

David Tennant (The Doctor), Lindsay Duncan (Adelaide Brooke), Peter O'Brien (Ed Gold), Aleksandar Mikic (Yuri Kerenski)

Gemma Chan (Mia Bennett), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Maggie Cain), Chook Sibtain (Tarak Ital), Alan Ruscoe (Andy Stone)

Cosima Shaw (Steffi Ehrlich), Michael Goldsmith (Roman Groom), Lily Bevan (Emily), Max Bollinger (Mikhail)

Charlie De'Ath (Adelaide's Father), Rachel Fewell (Young Adelaide), Anouska Strahnz (Ulrika Ehrlich), Zofia Strahnz (Lisette Ehrlich)

Paul Kasey (Ood Sigma)

​

Uncredited Cast

Philip Hurd-Wood (Voice of Gadget), Jenette Clothier (Susie Fontana Brooke)

Crew

Russell T Davies, Phil Ford (Writers), Nikki Wilson (Producer), Graeme Harper (Director), Daleks created by Terry Nation

William Hartley (1st Assistant Director), James DeHaviland (2nd Assistant Director), Sarah Davies (3rd Assistant Director) 

Gareth Skelding (Location Manager), Geraint Williams (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator)

Kevin Myers (Production Secretary), Sian Warrilow (Production Runner), Nicola Brown, Tom Evans, Alison Jones (Floor Runners)

Wayne Humphreys, Malcolm Kearney (Drivers), Carole Wakefield (Asst Production Accountant)

Kath Blackman, Lisa Hayward (Contracts Assistants), Llinos Wyn Jones (Continuity), Gary Russell (Script Editor)

Roger Pearce, Rory Taylor (Camera Operators), Jamie Southcott, Steve Rees (Focus Pullers), John Robinson (Grip)

Jon Vidgenm Tom Hartley (Camera Assistants), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy)

Steve Slocombe, Clive Johnson, Ben Griffiths, Jonathan Cox (Electricians), Jeff Welch, Bryn Thomas (Boom Operator)

Abbi Collins (Stunt Co-ordinator), Gordon Seed (Stunt Performer), Alisa Berk (Choregrapher)

Stephen Nicholas (Supervising Art Director), James North (Associate Designer), Amy Pope (Art Department  Co-ordinator)

Ciaran Thompson (Standby Art Director), Phill Shellard, Jackson Pope (Standby Props), Joelle Rumbelow (Set Decorator)

Richard Shaun Williams (Storyboard and Concept Artist), Al Roberts (Design Assistant), Lee Bryan (Concept Art Trainee)

Christina Tom (Graphic Designer), Ben Morris (Production Buyer), Catherine Samuel (Props Buyer), Paul Aitken (Propetry Master)

Matt Wild (Dressing Chargehand), Stuart Wooddisee, Rhys Jones (Dressing Props), Tom Belton (Props Driver)

Austin Curtis, Ian Davies, Jayne Davies, Matt Watts (Props Dailies), Will Pope (Standby Carpenter),  Keith Freeman (Standby Rigger)

Albert James (Practical Electrician), Penny Howarth (Props Fabrication Manager), Nicholas Robatto, Jon Grundon (Props Makers)  

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), Scott Fisher (Construction Chargehand), Mark Hill (Construction Workshop Manager)

John Pinkerton, John Whalley, Lou Bohling, Steve Fudge, Jamine Little (Scenic Artists), Chris Daniel, Brian Jones, Joe Painter

Mark Painter, Chris Selley, Chris Stephens, Nick Stephenson, Justin Williams (Carpenters), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics)

​Lindsay Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor), Rose Goodhart (Assistant Costume Designer)

Barbara Harrington, Louise Martin (Costume Assistants), Pam Mullins, Steve Smith, Morag Smith (Make-Up Artists

Neill Gorton (Prosthetics Designer), Rob Mayor (Prosthetics Studio Manager), Martina Hawkins (Prosthetics Administration Manager)

Kate Walshe (Prosthetics Studio Co-ordinator), Alex Wathey, Pete Tindall, Karen Spencer, Darren Nevin, Valentina Visintin

Valter Cosotto, Gilles Pallett, Lauren Wellman, Fiona Walsh, Vikki Muse, Sarah Lockwood (Prosthetics Technicians)

Paul Kelly (SFX Co-ordinator), Danny Hargreaves (SFX Supervisor), Henry Brook, Dan Bentley, Gareth Jolly (SFX Technicians) 

Felix Rowberry (SFX Trainee), Andy Brierley (Casting Associate), Alice Purser (Casting Assistant), Ceres Doyle (VFX Editor)

Carmen Roberts, Lee Bhogul (Assistant Editors), Samantha Hall, Chris Blatchford (Post Production Supervisors)

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

Jean Claude-Deguara, Nicolas Hernandez (3D Supervisors), Edmund Kolloen, Nick Webber, Andy Guest, Bruce Magroune

Will Pryor, David Jones, Grant Bonser (3D Artists), Sara Bennett (2D Supervisor), Tim Barter, Murray Barber, Greg Spencer

Russell Horth, Adriano Cirulli, Arianna Lago, Joseph Courtis, James Moxon, Lyndall Spagnoletti, Juie Nixon (2D Artists)

Kamila Ostra, Marianne Paton (VFX Co-ordinators), Alex Fitzgerald (VFX Assistant), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Paul McFadden (Supervising Sound Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound FX Editor), Douglas Sinclair (Dialogue Editor)

Will Everett (Foley Editor), with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music)

Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Julie Scott (Production Executive), Dyfed Thomas (Production Accountant)

Julian Howarth (Sound Recordist), Louise Page (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music)

Any Effects (Special Effects), Millennium FX (Porspethics), The Mill (Visual Effects)

Will Cohen (Executive Visual FX Producers), Marie Jones (Visual FX Producer), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor)

Will Oswald (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Ernie Vincze BSC (Director of Photography), 

Debbi Slater (Associate Producer), Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner (Executive Producers)  

​

Uncredited Crew

Sarah Davies (1st Assistant Director), Heddi Joy Taylor (3rd Assistant Director), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager), Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity)

Joe Russell (Camera Operator), Chris Reynolds, Matt Poynter (Focus Pullers), Clive Baldwin, Tom Maslen (Grip), Alia Bianci

Keith Bainton (Camera Assistants)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Cemex, Taffs Well Quarry, Ty Nant Road, Taffs Well

  • The National Botanical Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire

  • Victoria Place, Newport, Gwent

  • Unisem Europe Car Park, Park Way, Pen Y Fan Industrial Estate, Croespenmaen, nr Newbridge

  • Next Generation Data Car Park, Celtic Way, Newport

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1, Trefforest

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2, Trefforest

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 3, Trefforest

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5, Trefforest

  • Brandon Estate, Kennington, London

Deaths

  • Adelaide Brooke [commits suicide after declaring The Doctor shouldn't have saved her]

  • Ed Gold [blows up Bowie Base One rocket after being covered in The Flood]

  • Maggie Chan [possessed by The Flood]

  • Tarak Ital [possessed by The Flood]

  • Andy Stone [possessed by The Flood]

  • Steffi Ehrlich [possessed by The Flood]

  • Roman Groom [possessed by The Flood]

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Production Days

  • 25 Days between Monday 23 February - Friday 15 May 2009

Production Errors

  1. The first web page seen in the episode, has incorrect information in it. The page states that Adelaide has a seven-strong crew, when in fact there are nine people on the base, not including The Doctor 

  2. Mia Bennett's biography has incorrect information included in it. Her obituary states she was born in America, however Gemma Chan portrays Mia with an English accent 

  3. One of the web pages states that the Dalek invasion in The Stolen Earth/Journey's End happened in 2008, but it actually happened in 2009. 

  4. The landscapes which the Tardis lands on at the beginning of the episode looks nothing like the CGI landscapes that Gadget cross near the end of the episode â€‹â€‹

Working Titles

  • Christmas on Mars

  • Red Christmas

Verdict

After a couple of disappointing special The Waters of Mars is true special which would have been a fitting end to the Tenth Doctor’s tenure. Fast-paced, energetic, and full of non-stop action results in one of the most accomplished looking episodes of the revived series. Another base under seize where an alien lives in the most unlikely of sources and where a simple mistake results in destruction and danger. A strong cast of space workers, all with their original background stories, although you do have to pause the episode to read them. The Doctor is at his most desperate where an impending regeneration and dangers all around him pushes him to his limits to save the day which has some of the most shocking and plot twisting consequences. A wide range of different sets of the Mars Base gives a gigantic aesthetic feel to the episode instead of recycled sets being used over and over again. The plot spends no time in getting the monsters into the plot which are on par which even the scariest. An over the top resolution and a great ending make this a rare treat. ****​

Number of Production Days: 5

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