top of page

212) THE PANDORICA OPENS/THE BIG BANG

19 - 26 June 2010

Viewing Figure: 7.57M/6.7M

Plot

As the pandorica begins to open many of The Doctor's enemies gather to stop him from destroying the Universe

Cast

Matt Smith (The Doctor), Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Alex Kingston (River Song), Arthur Darvill (Rory), Tony Curran (Vincent van Gogh)

Bill Paterson (Bracewell), Ian McNeice (Winstone Churchill), Sophie Okonedo (Liz Ten), Marcus O'Donovan (Claudio)

Clive Wood (Commander), Christopher Ryan (Commander Stark), Ruari Mears (Cyber Leader), Paul Kasey (Judoon)

Howard Lee (Doctor Gachet), Barnaby Edwards (Dalek/Stone Dalek), Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium), Joe Jacobs (Guard)

Chrissie Cotteill (Madame Vernet), David Fynn (Marcellus), Caitlin Blackwood (Amelia), Susan Vidler (Aunt Sharon)

Frances Ashman (Christine), William Pretsell (Dave), Halcro Johnston (Mr Pond), Karen Westwood (Tabetha), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voice)

​

Uncredited Cast

Jason Caplin (White Man), Jason Collins (Red Man), Alan Glet (Insect Creature), Ryan Nicholls (Creature), Kristian Arthur, Levi Crosdale

Ben Ashley Simon Doman, Pete Symonds, Claudio Laurini, Yinka Onitiri, Chester Durrant, George Bennett, Sam Hershall

Alistair Sanderson, Richard Knott, Justin Claridge, Alan Gill, Stewart Harding, Jeremy Harvey, Smithhew Lias, Sion Price

Victor Richards, Marcus Smith, David Stock, Oscar Anderson, Ollie Bryan , Dennis Gregory, Jamie Jones, Christopher Miller

Andy Watts, Dave Bishop, Steve Grant, Chris Lee, Craig Palmer, Colum Sanson Regan (Romans), Tim Baggaley (Headless Cyberman)

Ben Ashley (Supreme Dalek), Jon Davey, Ian Hilditch (Daleks), Kevin Hudson, Adam Sweet (Cybermen), Ryan Nicholls, Allan Glet (Sontarans)

Pete Symonds, Richard Tunesi (Judoon), Chris Barber (BlowFish), Scott Baker, Chester Durrant, David Stock (Roboforms)

Natalie Cuzner, Barbara Fadden, Samantha Bennett (Silurians), Jeremy Harvey, Steve Roberts (Weevils), Levi James (Kudlek)

Andy Jones (Hoix), Oliver Hopkins, Claudio Laurini, Trevor Payne (Sycorax)

Crew

Steven Moffat (Writer), Toby Hayes (Director), Peter Bennett (Producer), Daleks created by Terry Nation

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 (Location Manager), 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 (Assistant Production Accountant), Lindsay Alford (Script Editor)

Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), Rob Arrowsmith (Camera Operator), Steve Rees, Matthew Poynter (Focus Pullers) 

John Robinson (Grip), Tom Hartley, Jon Vidgen (Camera Assistants), Darren Chesney (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 Oakes (Art Dept Co-ordinator)

Adrian Anscombe (Production Buyer), Julian Luxton (Set Decorator), Ciaran Thompson (Supervising Art Director)

Ben Austin (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), Kate Meyrick (Standby Painter), Paul Aitken (Props Master) 

Matt Wild (Props Chargehand), Martin Broadbent, Philip Everett-Lyons (Dressing Props), Tom Belton (Art Department Driver)

Barry Jones (Props Fabrication Manager), Penny Howarth, Nicholas Robatto (Props Makers), Albert James (Practical Electrician)

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

John Pinkerton, John Whalley (Scenic Artists), 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)

Sean Evans, Wayne Humphreys, Darren Crowlegroves (Unit Drivers), Andy Brierley (Casting Associates)

Becky Torman (Assistant Editor), Cat Gregory (VFX Editor), Nerys Davies, Chris Blatchford, Ceres Doyle (Post Production Supervisors)

Marie Brown (Post Prod. Co-ordinator), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Sound Supervisor)

Paul Jefferies (Sound Effects Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist), Mark Bright (On-line Conform), Matt McKinney (Lead 3D Artist)

Neil Roche (Lead Animation), Jeff North, Darren Byford, Wayde Duncan-Smith, Nick Webber, Adrian Bell, David Jones

Ruth Bailey, Serena Cacciato, Andy Guest, Dominic Anderson, Nick Bell, Zahria Al Nabib (3D Artists)

Simon Wicker (Lead Digital Matte Painter), Ron Bowman, Alex Fort, Charlie Bennett (Digital Matte Painter)

Izzy Barber (2D Supervisor), Greg Spencer, James Etherington, Joe Courtis, Arianna Lago, Bryan Bartlett, Sara Bennett, James Moxon

Lyndall Spagonletti, Grainne Freeman, Tim Barter, Rosemary Chester, Frank Hana (Compositors)

Alex Fitzgerald, Lorna Dumba (VFX Co-ordinators), with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales

conducted and orchesterated by Ben Foster, mixed 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), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Producer)

Will Cohen (Executive Visual FX Producer), Jenna Powell (Visual FX Producer), Real SFX (Special Effects)

Prosthetics (Millennium FX), Mat Newman (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Stephen Pehrsson (Director of Photography)

Patrick Schweitzer (Line Producer), Piers Wenger, Beth Willis, Steven Moffat (Executive Producers)  

​

Uncredited Crew

John Bennett, Kiaran Murray-Smith (1st Assistant Director), Daniel Krizanovic (2nd Assistant Director), Arwel Wyn Evans

Alison Jones (3rd Assistant Director), Maroje Zanetic, Smiljan Tojl, Pero Koja (Location Managers), Bobby Williams (Unit Manager)

Holly Pullinger, Natasa Petrovic (Production Managers), Maja Miljkovic (Production Co-ordinator), Denise Uljevic (Production Runner)

Nicki Coles, Eleri Wyn Jones (Continuity), JC, Richard Stoddard (Camera Operators), James Scott (Focus Puller), Bobby Williams

Allan Hughes, Clive Baldwin (Grip), Kyle Brown, Jamie Phillips, John Davies (Camera Assistants), Rocky Taylor (Stunt Co-ordinator)

Tristan Peatfield, Ivo Husnjak (Supervising Art Director), Zvonko Vrbanac, Ratko Bilus (Standby Carpenters), Nenad Drljaca

Danijel Markus, Vid Simunjak (Prop Masters), Sasa Spoljaric (Construction Manager), Bobby Peach (Costume Supervisor)

Vicky Selway, Louise Martin, Maxine Brown, Amy Clarke, Andie Mear (Costume Assistants), Ros Wilkins, Cathy Davies, Julie Davies

Alison Singh (Make-Up Artists), Jeff Matthews (Sound Recordist), Tristan Peatfield (Production Manager), Graham Frake, Tony Slater Ling

Simon Archer, Sarah Bartles-Smith (Director of Photography)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • The Bunker, Joint Resilience Unit, Lilliput Lane, West Cross, Swansea

  • Brackla Bunkers, Brackla, Bridgend

  • The Orangery, Margam Country Park, Port Talbot

  • Vrsine, Croatia

  • Sutton Farm, Sutton Road, Llandow

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2

  • Brangwyn Hall, The Guildhall, Guildhall Road, Swansea

  • National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff

  • Millennium Stadium Underground Car Park, Westgate Street, Cardiff

  • Crystal, 40-41 St Mary Street, Cardiff

  • Miskin Manor, Pendoylan Road, Pontyclun

  • The Vicarage, Lawn Terrace, Rhymney

  • Margam Country Park, Margam, Port Talbot

  • Stonehenge, nr Salisbury, Wiltshire

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6

  • Upper Boat Studios

  • Westville Road, Penylan, Cardiff

  • Taff Terrace, Radyr

Deaths

  • [all deaths that occur are later reversed]

Production Days

  • 35 Days between Wednesday 26 August 2009 - Thursday 18 March 2010

Production Errors

  1. The opening scene which involves Van Gogh is set in 1890. Van Gogh famously cut his left ear in 1888 but Van Gogh still has his left ear 

  2. When entering Stonehenge, The Doctor's fringe is to the right of his face, but during close-up shots, his fringe has moved to the left of his face 

  3. After The Doctor is sealed in the Pandorica, a light from the inside can be seen through a crack between the two moving walls 

  4. The number of alien apart from the Pandorica Alliance changes between shots. The Auton Romans aren't present during some moments, and the Sycorax disappears between shots 

  5. Commander Stark's head is not fitted properly 

  6. River Song's hair style changes continually throughout the The Pandorica Opens 

  7. The Roman's costumes vary between scenes set at the Roman, Stonehenge, and the Cavern

  8. A crew member is reflected in Amy's eyes whilst she examines the engagement ring 

  9. Whilst Commander Stark speaks to The Doctor, the Supreme Dalek positioned behind him, changes positions and distance from the Sontarans multiple times 

  10. When The Doctor, Amy, and Rory see the 'future' Doctor die, Amy runs up the stairs twice in the same scene 

  11. The museum scenes are set in 1996, but during the rooftop scene, the Gherkin can be seen in skyline, which was built and completed in the 21st century 

  12. When Rory opens the Pandorica with The Doctor's sonic screwdriver, you can see that he stop using at one point, but in the next shot, he is still using it

  13. Amy's wedding dress is not the same one that was seen in The Eleventh Hour 

  14. Amy's bedroom is also very different from the one seen in The Eleventh Hour and Flesh and Stone 

  15. The Dalek in the museum slides sideways when it comes to a halt

  16. A crew member can be seen during the dance scene amongst the wedding guest

​​

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

An expensive looking two-parter which fall sours in The Big Bang and misses out on its full potential. The Pandorica Opens is a treat for any Doctor Who fan were aliens past and new but mostly new unite to defeat The Doctor. Whilst the Pandorica Alliance is a real delight nothing beyond that matches up to the brief five-minute scene. The crack in space arc is finished up nicely and uses some scientific integrity and leave the next series open to many possibilities although sometimes they are not for the best. Some forced plot points are downright awful, and Rory’s return is less to be desired, the character does not much improve in the future. Great production values and an overall entertaining story makes for a decent ending to series five. ***​

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Number of Production Days: 5

bottom of page