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209) THE HUNGRY EARTH/COLD BLOOD

22 - 29 May 2010

Viewing Figure: 6.49m/7.49m

Plot

In a Welsh Village an ambitious drilling project has awoken the Silurians and now they are fighting back

Cast

Matt Smith (The Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Arthur Darvill (Rory), Neve McIntosh (Alaya/Restac), Meera Syal (Nasreen Chaudhry)

Robert Pugh (Tony Mack), Nia Roberts (Ambrose), Alun Raglan (Mo), Samuel Davies (Elliot), Richard Hope (Malohkeh), Stephen Moore (Eldane)

Uncredited Cast

Samantha Bennett, Natalie Cuzner, Barbara Fadden, Alexandra Winton (Silurians)

Crew

Chris Chibnall (Writer), Peter Bennett (Producer), Ashley Way (Director), Marcus Catlin (1st Assistant Director)

James DeHaviland (2nd Assistant Director), Heddi -Joy Taylor-Welch (3rd Assistant Director)

Nicola Eynon Price, Laura Jenkins (Runners), Gareth Skelding, Christian Reynish (Location Managers), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager)

Steffan Morris (Production Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator), Claire Thomas (Production Management Asst)

Sian Warrilow (Production Runner), Carole Wakefield (Asst Production Accountant), Lindsay Alford (Script Editor)

Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), Ian Adrian (Camera Operator), Steve Rees, Matthew Poynter (Focus Pullers), John Robinson (Grip)

Tom Hartley, Jon Vidgen (Camera Assistants), Darren Cheney (Camera Trainee), Dafydd Parry (Boom Operator)

Jeff Welch (Sound Maintenance Engineer), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Pete Chester (Best Boy)

Ben Griffiths, Steve Slocombe, Bob Milton, Alan Tippets (Electricians), Crispin Layfield (Stunt Co-ordinator)

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

Ben Morris (Production Buyer), Julian Luxton (Set Decorator), Adrian Anscombe (Props Buyer), Arwel Wyn Jones (Standby Art Director)

Rhys Jarman (Set Designer), James Iles (Storyboard Artist), Richard Shaun Williams, Peter McKinstry (Concept Artists) 

Jackson Pope (Graphic Artist), Phill Shellard, Tom Evans (Standby Props), Will Pope (Standby Carpenter)

Keith Freeman (Standby Rigger), Ellen Woods (Standby Painter), Paul Aitken (Props Master), Matt Wild (Props Chargehand) 

Martin Broadbent, Rhys Jones (Dressing Props), Penny Howarth, Nicholas Robatto (Props Makers), Albert James (Practical Electrician) 

Matthew Hywel-Davies (Construction Manager), Scott Fisher (Construction Chargehand), BBC Wales Graphics (Graphics)

Framestore (Title Sequence), Linda Bonaccorsi (Costume Supervisor), Sara Morgan, Maria Franchi (Costume Assistants)

Nikki Lightfoot (Costume Trainee), Pam Mullins (Make-Up Supervisor), Abi Brotherton, Morag Smith (Make-Up Artists)

Andy Brierley, Alice Purser (Casting Associates), Becky Trotman (Assistant Editor), Cat Gregory (VFX Editor)

Chris Blatchford, Ceres Doyle (Post Prod. Supervisors), Marie Brown (Post Prod. Co-ordinator), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer) 

Paul McFadden (Sound Supervisor), Darren Clement (Dialogue Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound Effects Editor)

Helen Dickson (Foley Artist),  Mick Vincent (Colourist), Matthew Clarke, Mark Bright (On-line Conform) 

with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, conducted and orchestrated by Ben Fostermixed by Jake Jackson

recorded by Gerry O Riordan, Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music), Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director)

Julie Scott (Production Executive), Ceri Tothill (Production Accountant), Bryn Thomas (Sound Recordist)

Ray Holman (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music)

The Mill (Visual Effects), Real SFX (Special Effects), Millennium FX (Prosthetics), David Barrett (Editor)

Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Mark Waters (Director of Photography), Patrick Schweitzer (Line Producer)

Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger, Beth Willis (Executive Producers)  

Uncredited Crew

Heddi-Joy Taylor-Welch (2nd Assistant Director), David Chastrey (3rd Assistant Director), Jenny Morgan (Runner)

Kevin Rudge (Camera Operator), Anna James (Focus Puller), Ron Fleet (Grip), Jamie Phillips, Leanne Rene (Camera Assistants)

Dean Forster, Nrinder Dhudwar (Stunt Co-ordinators), Dave Mountstevens (Standby Rigger), Amy Clarke (Costume Assistant)

Jeff Matthews (Sound Recordist)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • St Gwynno Church, Llanwonno, nr Ynysybwl/Pontypridd, mid Glamorgan

  • Bedwellty Pitts, Tredegar

  • Tower Colliery, Hirwaun, Glamorgan

  • Mir Steel, Corporation Road, Newport

  • Hensol Castle, Hensol, Vale of Glamorgan

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1, Trefforest

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2, Trefforest

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6, Trefforest

  • Temple of Peace, College Road, Cardiff

  • Plantasia, Parc Tawe, Swansea

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 3, Trefforest

  • The Vicarage, Lawn Terrance, Rhymney

Deaths

  • Alaya [killed by Ambrose]

  • Restac [killed by a deadly gas]

  • Malohkeh [killed by Restac]

Production Days

  • 26 Days between Tuesday 20 October 2009 - Friday 29 January 2010

Production Errors

  1. Amy's earrings disappear and reappear throughout the episode 

  2. When running away from the Silurians, The Doctor can be seen holding his sonic screwdriver. During the shots of the Doctor, the screwdriver is vertical, but during the shots of the Silurians, the screwdriver is more horizontal 

  3. When Amy attempts to not to forget Rory, the memory of him being shot does not show the laser hitting him 

Working Titles

  • The Ground Beneath Their Feet

Verdict

Chris Chibnall’s second story sees a classic monster race resurrected and revigorated for the new series. Once again the story sees The Doctor trying to create a truce between the Silurians and Humans only to have a totally pathetic character ruin everything. The new Silurians are stylish but darker in tone and direction providing a whole new look for the characters. In many ways the episode is similar or almost identical to Doctor Who and the Silurians where a drilling project awakens the dormant creatures who swear revenge. Chibnall’ script has a lot of effort and pace to it, but it feels rather rushed in places. The script is full of magically moments, the peace talk and Elliott taking in the Silurian way of life and culture and the ending which once again denies the world an unseen possible future. If there is one thing the plot got wrong is the character Ambrose, the plot must teach children that you must take account for your actions which Ambrose does not. She is pathetic and its all her fault that a peace treaty is not  possible. An overall great two-parter from the once okay Chibnall. ****​

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Number of Production Days: 5

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