top of page

218) A GOOD MAN GOES TO WAR

4 June 2011

Viewing Figure: 7.57M

Plot

The Doctor assembles an army to save Amy from Demons Runs but when The Doctor believes he has won a deadly trap unfolds

Cast

Matt Smith (The Doctor) Karen Gillan (Amy Pond), Arthur Darvill (Rory), Alex Kingston (River Song)

Frances Barber (Madame Kovarian), Charlie Baker (Fat One), Dan Johnston (Thin One), Christina Chong (Lorna Bucket)

Joshua Hayes (Lucas), Damian Kell (Dominicus), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra), Catrin Stewart (Jenny)

Richard Trinder (Captain Harcourt), Annabel Cleare (Eleanor), Henry Wood (Arthur), Dan Starkey (Commander Strax)

Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar), Danny Sapani (Colonel Manton), Hugh Bonneville (Henry Avery), Oscar Lloyd (Toby Avery)

Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Cybermen)

​

Uncredited Cast

Marcus Elliott, Sion Price (Kovarian's Guards), Andrea Griffiths, Marie Honeker, Kate Powell, Danielle Sanders, Lisa Jones

Tracy Scott (Female Clerics), Alistair Sanderson, Peter Symonds, Isetyn Jones, Garry Lloyd George, Ikay Agu, Chester Durrant

Dickon Justice, Joe Malik, Kevin Read, Gwion Ap Rhisiart, David Ulett, Jake Cullen, Jamie Harris, Stephen Coggins, Dennis Gregory

Jon Davey, Richard Knott, David Lamb, Craig Malpass, David Stephens, Jonathan Thomas, Mike Wendell (Male Clerics)

Ian Burden, Jamie Morrison (Clerics), Matthew Doman, Allan Gill Ian Hilditch, Andy Jones, Dominic Kynaston, Claudio Laurini (Monks)

JJ Angel, Jon Davey, Matthew Doman, Oliver Hopkins, Kevin Hudson, Adam Sweet, Richard Tunesi (Cybermen)

Emma Feeney (Voice [Papal Mainframe]), Simon Ashley, Ryan Nicholls (Shorter Monks), Naomi Berner, Louise Bowen, Jessica Davis

Barbara Fadden, Kimberley Senior, Victoria Thomas, Rhiannon Ward (Silurians), Richard Tunesi, Jon Davey (Judoon)

Crew

Steven Moffat (Writer), Marcus Wilson (Producer), Peter Hoar (Director), Crispin Layfield (Stunt Coordinator)

Gordon Seed, Will Willoughby, Dean Forster (Stunt Performers), Toby Ford (1st Assistant Director)

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

Janine H Jones, Michael Curtis (Assistant Directors), Iwan Roberts (Location Manager), Rhys Griffiths (Unit Manager)

Geriant Williams (Location Assistant), Steffan Morris (Production Manager), Claire Hildred (Production Coordinator)

Helen Blyth (Asst Production Coordinator), Scott Handock (Production Secretary), Charlie Coombes (Production Assistant)

Rhys Evans (Asst Production Accountant), Lindsay Alford (Script Executive), Lindsay Grant (Script Supervisor) 

Joe Russell (Camea Operator), Steve Rees, Jonathan Vidgen (Focus Pullers), Gary Newman (Grip)

Simon Ridge, Svetlana Miko, Matthew Lepper (Camera Assistants), Owen Charnley (Assistant Grip) 

Jeff Welch, Dafydd Parry (Sound Maintenance Engineers), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Pete Chester (Best Boy)

Ben Griffiths, Bob Milton, Stephen Slocombe, Alan Tippets (Electricians), Stephen Nicholas (Supervising Art Director)

Julian Luxton (Set Decorator), Ben Morris (Production Buyer), Amy Pickwoad (Standby Art Director)

Jackson Pope (Assistant Art Director), Richard Shaun Williams (Concept Artist), Paul Aitken (Props Master)

Adrian Anscombe (Props Buyer), Rhys Jones (Props Chargehand), Phill Shellard, Katherine Archer (Standby Props)

Tom Belton, Kristin Wilsher (Dressing Props), Christina Tom (Graphic Artist), Julia Jones (Draughtsman), Dan Martin (Design Assistant)

Kate Wilson (Petty Cash Buyer), Will Pope (Standby Carpenter), Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Jayne Davies (Store Person)

Penny Howarth, Nicholas Robatto, Alan Hardy (Props Makers), Medard Mankos (Props Driver), Albert James (Practical Electrician)

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

Samanatha Keeble (Assistant Costume Designer), Heather Leat (Costume Supervisor) 

Jason Gill, Yasemin Kascioglu, Emma Jone (Costume Assistants), Pam Mullins (Make-Up Supervisor)

Vivienne Simpson, Allison Sing (Make-Up Artists), Beewan Athwal (VFX Producer), Alice Purser (Casting Associate)

Becky Torman (Assistant Editor), Cat Gregory (VFX Editor), Nerys Davies (Post Production Supervisor) 

Marie Brown (Post Production Co-ordinator), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Dialogue Editor),

Paul Jefferies (Sound Effects Editor), Jamie Talbutt (Foley Editor), Jeremy Lott (Online Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist)

Mark Bright (On-line Conform), Cybermen created by Kit Pedler & Gerry Davies, Silurians created by Malcolm Hulke

Sontarans created by Robert Holmes, Ood and Judoon created by Russell T Davies

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), Dyfed Thomas (Production Accountant), Bryn Thomas (Sound Recordist)

Barbara Kidd (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), The Mill (Visual Effects)

Real SFX (Special Effects), Prosthetics (Millennium FX), Una Ni Dhonghaile (Editor), Michael Pickwoad (Production Designer)

Stephan Pehrsson (Director of Photography), Denise Paul (Associate Producer), Diana Barton (Line Producer)

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

​

Uncredited Crew

Marcus Wilson, Toby Haynes (Director), Sarah Davies (1st Assistant Director), Michael Curtis (3rd Assistant Director), Jenny Morgan

Alex Williams, Harry Bunch, Ross Southard (Assistant Directors), Nicky James (Location Manager), Phillipa Cole (Production Manager)

Caroline Holder (Script Supervisor), Balazs Bloygo, Mark Waters (Camera Operators), Mai Paliwala Blaxter, Julius Ogden (Focus Pullers)

Dai Hopkins, Cameron Lovegrove (Grip), Becky Pesco (Camera Assistant), Dave Mount Stephens (Standby Rigger)

Vicky Selway (Costume Supervisor), Emma Bevan, Nikki Lightfoot, Caroline Thorpe, Nicola Rodd, Amy Clarke, Sara Morgan

Andi Mear, Sally Mason, Louise Martin (Costume Assistants), Cathy Davies, Ros Wilkis, Julie Fox (Make-Up Artists)

Balazs Bolygo, Tim Palmer, Mark Waters (Director of Photography)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Lafarge Cement UK, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

  • Penllyn Castle, Penllyn, Cowbridge

  • Uskmouth Power Station, West Nash Road, Newport

  • Super Hangar, MOD St Athan, St Athan, Barry

  • Park Plaza Hotel, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff

  • Millennium Stadium Underground Car Park, Westgate Street, Cardiff

  • The Matlings, East Tyndall Street, Cardiff Bay

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6

  • Fillcare, Lanelay Road, Pontyclun Llantrisant

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 2

  • Upper Boat Studios

Deaths

  • Fat One [possibly killed by the Headless Monks but unconfirmed]

  • Lorna Bucket [shot by a headless Monk]

  • Cybermen [destroyed in explosions caused by The Doctor]

  • Silurians [killed by Headless Monks]

  • Headless Monks [killed by Clerics and The Doctor's allies]

  • Clerics [killed by Headless Monks] 

Production Days

  • 19 Days between Tuesday 11 January - Wednesday 6 April 2011

Production Errors

  1. The Cyber Leader's mouth glows blue when it isn't speaking

  2. Madam Kovarian's personal guards aim their guns twice at The Doctor in the same scene 

  3. Rory places the tip of his sword against Madame Kovarian's shoulder, but in the next shot, Rory's sword is no where near Kovarian's shoulder

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

Finally we get to see who River Song is and it sucks. Really sucks. The Doctor bands together a set of great but horribly underused characters who we have never seen before to take over a place called Demons Run. It could have been fun to see a heist episode, we will in a future season, but what we get is a rushed effort with horrible acting, timing and pacing and one of the worst resolutions ever. How great would it have been to see characters from the past few years band together and fight their way to the top. The show has used other characters who have appeared previous, the Judoon and Silurians, so why not more? The plot is essentially non-existent and the threat and danger the characters faced are pushed into the background with cutaway scenes of Headless Monks being shot down in an easy manner. Demons Run is a mixed bag with futuristic design to primitive resources. Amy is again unbearably bad, crying and screaming on moment and then calm the next. There something called plot progression and character development which the episode seems to ignore. The ending is terrible. We wait three years to hear River Song is Amy and Rory’s daughter, seriously! Shocking effort. *​

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Number of Production Days: 5

bottom of page