The End of the World (TV story)

"The End of the World" was the second episode of Season 27. It marked the first appearance of Lady Cassandra O'Brien and of the Doctor's psychic paper. Not counting short hops across London in the previous story, it also marked Rose's first real trip in the TARDIS.

Synopsis
The Doctor decides to show Rose the future of the Earth and takes her all of the way forward to the year 5,000,000,000 to the day on which the Earth is destroyed.

They arrive on Platform One, a space station near the planet which is heavily shielded to allow some of the richest and most powerful people in the galaxy to watch the Earth be consumed by its own star. When the race responsible for the administration of the platform begin dying and the station shows signs of being sabotaged the Doctor with the help of a tree called Jabe races to save the station and the alien delegates before they are all destroyed.

Plot
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Christopher Eccleston
 * Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
 * Steward - Simon Day
 * Jabe - Yasmin Bannerman
 * Moxx of Balhoon - Jimmy Vee
 * Voice of Cassandra O'Brien - Zoe Wanamaker
 * Jackie Tyler - Camile Coduri
 * Raffalo - Beccy Armory
 * Computer Voice - Sara Stewart
 * Alien Voices - Silas Carson

Uncredited


 * Coffa the Forest of Cheem Tree - Paul Kasey
 * Lute the Forest of Cheem Tree - Alan Ruscoe

Crew

 * Executive Producer - Russell T. Davies
 * Executive Producer - Julie Gardner
 * Executive Producer - Mal Young
 * Producer - Phil Collinson
 * Associate Producer - Helen Vallis
 * Script Editor - Elwen Rowlands
 * Casting Director - Andy Pryor CDG
 * Production Manager - Tracie Simpson
 * Production Accountant - Endaf Emyr Williams
 * Sound Recordist - Ian Richardson
 * Costume Designer - Lucinda Wright
 * Make-Up Designer - Davy Jones
 * Music - Murray Gold
 * Visual Effects - The Mill
 * Visual FX Producer - Will Cohen
 * Visual FX Supervisor - Dave Houghton
 * Special Effects - Any Effects
 * Prosthetics - Millennium Effects
 * Production Designer - Edward Thomas
 * Editor John Richards
 * Director of Photography - Ernie Vincze BSC
 * Original Theme Music - Ron Grainer
 * First Assistant Director - Lloyd Elis
 * Second Assistant Director - Steffan Morris
 * Third Assistant Director - Dan Mumford
 * Location Manager - Clive Evans
 * Unit Manager - Emma Reid
 * Production Co-ordinator - Pamela Joyce
 * A/Production Accountant - Debi Griffiths
 * A/Production Accountant - Kath Blackman
 * Continuity - Non Eleri Hughes

Individuals

 * Face of Boe

Geographic Locations

 * Arctic Desert
 * Los Angeles Crevasse

Organizations

 * National Trust

Races and Species

 * human
 * ostrich
 * tree

Technology

 * IPod
 * mobile phone
 * This is the first appearance of the psychic paper, which in this its first appearance the Doctor calls "slightly psychic paper".

Astronomical Objects

 * Sun

Story Notes

 * The story begins with a brief re-cap of the last week's episode similar to many American shows, however unlike most American shows there is no voice over announcing "previously on Doctor Who". The footage from Rose simply begins the episode.


 * A BBC logo is placed on the bottom of the screen when the recap finishes and this episode begins


 * Russell T. Davies, who created Cassandra, has said on multiple occasions that he was inspired to create Cassandra upon viewing skinny Hollywood actresses at the Academy Awards. On 2 April 2006, the Sunday Mirror quoted Davies: "It was horrific seeing those beautiful women reduced to sticks. Nicole Kidman struck me in particular. Nicole is one of the most beautiful women in the world. But she looks horrifying because she's so thin. It's like we're killing these women in public. We watch while you die."


 * Rose - "Wait hold on. They did this once on Newsround Extra" - Newsround is a news program on BBC 1 and the CBBC Channel aimed at providing news for children. Newsround Extra is an extended version of this concept which concentrates on a single issue or subject. A newsround reporter was on set watching as this scene was filmed. You can read his report here on the newsround website

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Cultural References

 * The first thing Rose sees upon leaving the TARDIS for the first time is a ventilation duct. Presumably a reference to the fact that the show has a reputation for relying heavily on ventilation ducts as a plot device.


 * The room with all of the moving blades seems to be inspired by Star Wars, which is famous for its long bridges over really huge chasms and no hand rails or anything to stop people falling to their death.


 * When the Doctor returns Rose to Earth in the 21st Century there is a man selling the Big Issue. This is a magazine sold on the streets in the UK to provide money for homeless people.

Music

 * Tainted Love - Plays after all of the delegates have assembled


 * Toxic by Britney Spears - Plays while the delegates await the destruction of the Earth and the Doctor realises the danger they are all in.

Location Filming
to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * The sun filter descends much slower when Rose is trapped in the office than it did when the Steward was trapped.


 * Some confusion existed as to the exact dating for this story as to whether the story is set in the year 5,000,000,000 or 5000002005, this now appears to have been resolved in New Earth which establishes that these events occurred in the year 5000000000. Then there is the meaning of "billion," which in old UK usage meant "a million million," what in North America is known as a trillion. Today the term usually means the same as it does in North America, what used to be called "a thousand million" in the UK. So, is Rose 5 billion years in her future, according the newer usage, or is she 5 trillion years in her future, according to the old usage?

Continuity

 * Rose is the only companion apart from Sarah Jane who has asked on screen why all of the aliens seem to speak English. (The Masque of Mandragora) Given his reaction she is also the first to question why he didn't ask permission first.
 * The Doctor implies he was on the Titanic, he was in The Left-Handed Hummingbird.
 * The Doctor adapts Rose's mobile phone so she can stay in touch with her Mother in the past.
 * Although it has been commented upon that the Doctor is showing a new darker side by leaving Cassandra to die, the scene was very reminiscent of the scene with Davros in Remembrance of the Daleks even down to the phrase "Have pity" which would seem to be too much of a coincidence not to have been intentional.
 * Cassandra returns in New Earth.
 * The Face of Boe returns in New Earth and Gridlock.
 * The Ark showed the destruction of Earth.

DVD and Other Releases
to be added