The Stolen Earth (TV story)

"The TARDIS is fixed but the Earth is gone!."

- The Doctor

The Stolen Earth is the first part of the finale of the fourth series of Doctor Who.

Synopsis
When the Earth is stolen from its orbit and placed in another galaxy with 26 other stolen planets, the Doctor's secret army of allies comes together to defend the Earth from the New Dalek Empire. With battles raging on the streets and in the sky, the Doctor and Donna confront the Shadow Proclamation to find the truth; however, a fearsome old enemy waits in the shadows.

Plot
Having seen the signs, the Doctor and Donna returned to Earth to find everything in order. Donna pressed the Doctor for an explanation of Rose's unexpected reappearance; the Doctor says that, if Rose can cross from her parallel world to Donna's parallel world, then the walls of reality are breaking down. But, with Earth apparently safe for now, they return to the TARDIS and prepare to stop the walls breaking. The TARDIS rumbles with an apparent earthquake. The Doctor and Donna rush to the doors and fling them open to find that they are hanging in space. The Doctor checks the readings and realizes they have not moved, but the Earth has gone missing. It has been stolen.

At the UNIT New York Base, Dr Martha Jones, regains consciousness after an earthquake to find UNIT in chaos and its personnel panicking. One hysterical colleague screams at Martha to look at at the sky. In Torchwood Three, Captain Jack Harkness blames the Rift for the brief but violent earthquake that has just devastated the Hub. After making sure that the other members of Torchwood Three - Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones - are all right, Jack heads outside to survey the damage. Ianto and Gwen look at the computers and Ianto realizes that, whatever the problem is, "it's a bit bigger than South Wales".

At 13 Bannerman Road, Ealing, London, Sarah Jane Smith and her son Luke comment on the earthquake - and wonder why, if it was only 8 a.m., when the quake struck, it is now dark outside. They approach the nearest window and look outside. In Chiswick, London, Donna's mother Sylvia and grandfather Wilf are not sure what has caused the earthquake. As they step outside their home, Sylvia looks at the sky. On the street in London where the TARDIS was parked, Rose Tyler materializes. She is carrying a large gun. She looks up and, alone of the Doctor's friends, does not seem surprised. She declares that "it's only just beginning..."

The familiar Earth sky is gone. The sun is gone. The constellations have been replaced with strange new ones. And twenty-six new planets have appeared in the sky.

Aboard the TARDIS, Donna demands to know if her family are dead. The Doctor does not know, and decides they have to get help. They set a course for the Shadow Proclamation.

At Sarah Jane's house, alien supercomputer Mr Smith picks up readings of a fleet of 200 spaceships apparently headed towards Earth. At UNIT, American UNIT leader General Sanchez enters tells all soldiers and staff that UNIT commander Geneva has declared a Code Red Emergency. Martha tells him that she has tried to phone the Doctor, but the signal is dead. The number calls anywhere in the Universe, but the signal is being blocked by some unknown force. Sanchez notes that they will likely find out soon because the fleet is coming into orbit.

Martha manages to call Jack, who says that he has not heard anything from the Doctor either. Gwen calls her husband, Rhys, and tells him to stay indoors and call her mother. Meanwhile, Rose is walking along the streets of London. She threatens a pair of looters with her gun and looks at the computer screen in the electronics shop they were robbing. She looks at the readings.

At Torchwood Three, the team see the spaceships. Mr Smith tells Sarah Jane that the ships have a message for the human race. He puts it through. It consists of a single repeated word: EXTERMINATE The message is heard on all frequencies, including UNIT, the speakers at Torchwood Three and at Sarah Jane's attic thanks to Mr. Smith. The enemy are the Daleks. Upon hearing the message, both Jack and Sarah become very emotional, with Jack saying "I'm sorry, We're dead."

Rose hears the message and heads outside to see a massive Dalek spaceship flying over London, destroying everything in its path. Martha looks outside to see Dalek spaceships flying everywhere, destroying New York. Aboard a massive spaceship at the heart of the cluster of planets, the Daleks finalize their plans. The Supreme Dalek, a red Dalek with extra paneling, declares that the Crucible will soon be complete, and that the Daleks are the masters of Earth.

Far back across the Universe, on board the TARDIS and unaware of the unfolding destruction on Earth, the Doctor and Donna arrive at the Shadow Proclamation and are greeted at gunpoint by its rhino-headed guards, the Judoon. The Doctor manages to convince them they mean no harm and need help. A female member of the Proclamation tells the Doctor that the situation is worse than he suspects--not one but 24 planets have been stolen. Donna asks about Pyrovillia, but the Judoon captain tells her that Pyrovillia is a cold case, and it disappeared over 2000 years ago. Donna asks about the Adipose Breeding Planet and the Doctor realizes that planets are being snatched out of time as well as space. The Doctor heads over to the computer and shifts the display of the missing planets into 3D. He adds Adipose 3, Pyrovillia, and the Lost Moon of Poosh. The model rearranges itself into a perfect balance. They fit together 'like pieces of an engine'.

Back on Earth, the Daleks attack and bring down the Valiant. Jack, Gwen and Ianto try to find a way to stop them. But their efforts are futile. Daleks land in Japan and Africa as well as other countries across the world. Back in Manhattan, the UNIT Base is attacked by Daleks and Jack tells Martha to get out of there. However, she does not listen and General Sanchez declares that 'Project Indigo' has been activated. He leads Martha and another UNIT Soldier to the vault where Project Indigo is being kept and he orders Martha to wear it (as it is some-kind of suit). As Jack protests for Martha not to use it, stating that it is too dangerous, General Sanchez orders Martha to do it, as he hands her something called - 'The Osterhagen Key'. Martha, obviously understanding what the device is, states that she cannot take it, but General Sanchez urges her to, for the sake of the whole of Humanity. Martha then activates Project Indigo, against Jack's wishes, and disappears as the Daleks break in and exterminate the others.

Inside Torchwood, Jack states to Gwen and Ianto that Project Indigo was a teleport device reverse-engineered from the teleport pod salvaged from the Sontarans - but they have no coordinates or stabilization. Gwen asks where she is, but Jack states that Martha has been "scattered into atoms. Martha is down."

On board the Dalek station, the Supreme Dalek orders the Daleks to prepare landings and bring the humans to the Crucible. Then he receives a call from the control room, asking about news. The Supreme Dalek declares Earth has been subjugated. The speaker is a sinister figure in the control, with the bottom half of a Dalek but his top half hidden in shadow. He is really asking for news of the Doctor, and the Supreme Dalek replies that there are no reports of the Doctor, and that they are beyond his reach. The figure is fascinated by the Dalek's tone of what seems to be triumph, and warns him about his pride. The Supreme Dalek believes the Doctor cannot stop them. The figure replies "And yet, Dalek Caan is uneasy." A light switches on to show a Dalek with its mid-section opened to reveal the creature inside, and its top half destroyed, evidently Caan. The Supreme Dalek protests "The abomination is insane!" The figure demands that the Dalek shows respect, as without Dalek Caan Earth could never be conquered. Also, everything Caan says comes true. Caan says "He is coming. The three-fold man, he dances in the lonely places...oh, creator of us all...THE DOCTOR IS COMING!" Caan then bursts into insane laughter.

Back at the Shadow Proclamation's space station, Donna is sitting on the stairs waiting for the Doctor to work out what has happened. A member of the Shadow Architect's race comes over and gives Donna some water. She knows that there was something on Donna's back, and informs her of a loss still to come. The Doctor asks Donna if anything strange was happening on Earth. Donna reminds him about the bees disappearing. The Doctor realizes that this is a clue. Donna tells him some people thought it was pollution, or global warming. The Doctor tells her that in fact the bees were returning home, to the planet Melissa Majoria: The Tandoka Trail. They realize that if they follow the trail they can find the Earth. The Shadow Architect stops them, however, telling them "The planets were taken with hostile intent. We are declaring war, Doctor, right across the Universe and You will lead us into battle!" she tells the Doctor to "Go get your key." The TARDIS then vanishes, despite the Architect's demand that they stop.

Back on Earth, the Daleks have enslaved London are ordering that all humans leave their homes. Wilf and Sylvia are watching this happening. When a man and his children defy them and stay at home, the Daleks brutally incinerate the house, leaving no survivors. Wilf and Sylvia run out onto the street and are confronted by a Dalek, Wilf grabs a Paintball gun and shoots the Dalek in the eye but the dalek melts the paint away. The Dalek then prepares to exterminate them, but then, suddenly it explodes. Behind stands Rose, who has shot it with her gun. She asks if they are Donna's family, and when they reply yes, she tells them she needs them. Wilf reveals he has tried calling her, but there is no reply. The last time Donna had phoned was from the planet Midnight, made of diamonds. Sylvia believes this is ridiculous, but Wilf tells her she cannot start denying things now. Rose tells them that they are her last hope of finding the Doctor.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS stops in the Medusa Cascade. The Doctor tells Donna he came here when he was just 90 years old, and that it was the centre of a rift in time and space. Donna asks about the 27 planets, and the Doctor tells her that they are nowhere. Donna asks what they do, but the Doctor does not reply. Despite Donna's pleas, the Doctor is just about ready to give up.

On Earth, Sarah Jane and Captain Jack have given up. At the Nobles' house, the laptop suddenly switches itself on, with a voice coming through. Sarah and Torchwood hear it too. Jack tells Gwen to leave it, but suddenly the woman who is speaking shames him, and demands that he stands to attention. She then identifies herself as Harriet Jones, former prime minister. Rose tries to talk to Harriet, but she can't hear her, due to Wilf and Sylvia not having a webcam. Harriet makes contact with Sarah, and then decides they should be able to talk to each other. There are four contacts: Harriet, Sarah and Torchwood. The fourth contact is having trouble getting in contact. Rose thinks this is her, but is surprised when Martha appears on screen. Martha reveals that Project Indigo brought her home, to her mother. Harriet then introduces Torchwood to Sarah. Jack has been following Sarah's work, and tells her "Nice job with the Slitheen." Sarah has been staying away from Torchwood - "too many guns." Jack tells her "Looking good, ma'am." Harriet tells them that this is the Subwave Network- it contacts anyone and everyone who can contact the Doctor. Harriet wants them to form The Doctor's Secret Army. Sarah reminds Harriet that the Doctor deposed her. Harriet tells her that she has wondered ever since then if she was wrong.

Regardless, she stands by her actions to this day. She always felt that there would be one day when Earth would be threatened, and the Doctor would not appear. She told him so and he did not listen. Now it has happened. Torchwood realize that they can transmit using all the power of the Rift, and Luke and Sarah have Mr Smith: phones, all calling out the same number at the same time. Ianto appears beside Jack and theorizes that if transmitting slows or stops, the Subwave Network will become visible to the Daleks. Harriet understands this, but declares her life does not matter- not if it saves the world. she then tells Jack to tell the Doctor from her "He chose his companions well." Martha sends them all the number. Rose decides to call the Doctor herself. The transmitting starts. Rose, Sylvia and Wilf start to call the Doctor. Mr Smith and the equipment at Torchwood is pushed beyond their limits. Suddenly, transmitting slows, and the Daleks detect the Subwave Network. The Supreme Dalek orders that the culprit be exterminated. The figure in the control room contacts him again, telling him "I warned you, Supreme One. Just as Dalek Caan foretold, the Children of Time are moving against us. But everything is falling into place..." Gwen tells Harriet they have found her, but Harriet keeps working. She sends control to Torchwood, just as the Daleks arrive in her home. The Daleks tell her they know her. Harriet says "Oh, you know nothing of any human. And that will be your downfall." With this, she is exterminated.

On board the TARDIS, the Doctor picks up the signal and locks onto it. Doing so causes the TARDIS to travel through time, overloading in the process. The 27 planets come into view, and the Doctor realizes that they were all 1 second out of sync with the universe. He then picks up the subwave network, and the Doctor's companions appear onscreen. The Doctor introduces Donna to all of them, but is disappointed that Rose is not visible.

On board the Crucible, Caan says "He is here...the Dark Lord is coming..." Then, the figure says "Supreme One, this Subwave Network, I will address it. Give me access."

Suddenly, all the contacts vanish off-screen. Donna thinks they are losing contact, but the Doctor realizes there is another contact coming through. He thinks it is Rose, but it is a different voice, one that he and Sarah Jane recognize: "Your voice is different and yet, its arrogance is unchanged..." Suddenly, the figure glides onto the screen, and is revealed as Davros. He says "Welcome to my new empire, Doctor. It is only fitting that you should witness the resurrection and the triumph of Davros, lord and creator the Dalek race." The Doctor protests that Davros was destroyed in the very fist year of the Time War. His command ship flew into the jaws of the Nightmare Child at the Gates of Elysium. He even attempted to save Davros. Davros says "But it took one stronger than you- Dalek Caan himself." Caan says "I flew into the wild, and the fire. I danced and I died a thousand times." Davros tells the Doctor that his Emergency Temporal Shift from 1930 had taken him back into the Time War itself.

The Doctor protests that the War is time-locked. But Caan had broken down the barriers and rescued Davros, albeit at the cost of his own mind. The Doctor realizes that now Davros has created a new race of Daleks. Davros says "I gave myself to them- quite literally: each one grown from a cell of my own body." He reveals that parts of his torso have been replaced by metal. His hand is also metal, but this is to replace the one blown off on Necros. As Davros says: "New Daleks...TRUE Daleks. I have my children, Doctor. What do you have, now?" Then, the Doctor says one thing: "BYE!" He then cuts transmission with Davros, and sets the TARDIS for Earth. The Supreme Dalek orders that the Daleks locate the TARDIS and find the Doctor. Davros orders the other Daleks to go to the Earth and exterminate or capture the Doctor's companions. Caan says "Death is coming. I can see it! Everlasting death for the most faithful companion..." Suddenly, the Daleks detect that the Subwave Network has been rebooted, and the new location is Torchwood. The Supreme Dalek orders that Torchwood be exterminated.

On Earth, Jack contacts Martha via phone and asks for the digits on the Project Indigo transporter. They are oscillating between a 4 and a 9. These are the two digits Jack needs to reactivate his Vortex Manipulator. He grabs the re-powered defabricator, and tells Gwen and Ianto that he will come back. Then he vanishes. Sarah then heads off to find the Doctor in her car. Mr Smith protects Luke. Rose contacts the parallel Torchwood and asks them to lock her onto the TARDIS, after she sais goodbye to Sylvia and Wilf she teleports away. The TARDIS lands in a street that is deserted and trashed.

The Doctor asks Donna what Rose said in the parallel earth and Donna replies by saying "Why don't you ask her yourself". The Doctor turns around and see's Rose standing down the street then they both run towards each other. As they get closer a stray Dalek appears from behind a van and spots the Doctor. The Doctor sees the Dalek but is too slow and the Dalek shoots the Doctor in the arm, sending him to the ground. However the beam only partially hits The Doctor and doesn't kill him straight away. Captain Jack teleports into the street and shoots the Dalek to bits with his gun. Rose kneels over the Doctor as he lies on the ground dying and Jack and Donna gather around and prepare to move him into the TARDIS.

Back in Torchwood Gwen and Ianto pick up Machine guns and get ready for battle. A Dalek enters Torchwood and Gwen and Ianto open fire. Back in the Tardis The Doctor is in terrible pain. Donna asks if there’s anything they can do to help him but Jack tells them to just stay away. Rose and Jack know what will happen next but Donna is oblivious. The Doctor lifts up his hand and it begins to glow. Sarah Jane is still in her car and is driving down a street until she nearly hits two Daleks that are on the road. The Daleks turn around and Sarah Jane tries to apologize but the Daleks do not accept it and prepare to exterminate her. Back in the TARDIS the Doctor is still in pain and Jack makes the others back away.

Donna asks what’s going on and Rose explains that when the Doctor is dying he can heal himself but he changes in the process. Rose doesn't want the Doctor to change as she has come a long way to find him however the process has already started so he can't stop it.

Meanwhile, in Torchwood three, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones aim their weapons and pull the safety catches, as the dalek says for a third and final time, "EXTERMINATE...

Sarah Jane Smith's car is about to be exterminated by two Daleks who aim their guns...

As the Doctor stumbles to his feet he stands up right and bursts with a huge yellow and white energy. His hands and head explode with energy and starts to regenerate in front of Rose, Jack and Donna. The yellow and orange regeneration energy slowly begins to fade...

Cast

 * The Doctor - David Tennant
 * Donna Noble - Catherine Tate
 * Rose Tyler - Billie Piper
 * Martha Jones - Freema Agyeman
 * Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman
 * Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
 * Davros - Julian Bleach
 * Wilfred Mott - Bernard Cribbins
 * Sylvia Noble - Jacqueline King
 * Ianto Jones - Gareth David-Lloyd
 * Gwen Cooper - Eve Myles
 * Luke Smith - Tommy Knight
 * Harriet Jones - Penelope Wilton
 * Francine Jones - Adjoa Andoh
 * Dalek (voice) - Nicholas Briggs
 * Mr. Smith (voice) - Alexander Armstrong
 * General Sanchez - Michael Brandon
 * Judoon Captain- Paul Kasey
 * Shadow Architect - Kelly Hunter
 * Albino Servant - Amy Beth Hayes
 * Suzanne - Andrea Harris
 * Paul O'Grady - Himself
 * Richard Dawkins - Himself
 * Trinity Wells - Lachele Carl
 * Drunk Man - Marcus Cunningham
 * Newsreader - Jason Mohammed
 * Scared Man - Gary Miller
 * Judoon (voice) - Nicholas Briggs (uncredited)
 * Dalek operators - Barney Edwards, Nick Pegg, David Hankinson, Anthony Spargo

Daleks

 * Wilf uses a paintball gun as a weapon against the Daleks by shooting paintballs at their eye stalks, referencing the popular method of incapacitating a Dalek: blinding them. However, it seems that the Daleks have been redesigned with this weakness in mind as the paint simply evaporates from the eye stalk after coming into contact with it (and at the same time replying "My vision is NOT impaired"). Actor Bernard Cribbins last squared off against the Daleks in the film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD.
 * Caan referred the Doctor as "Dark Lord". (The Doctor is probably referred to in this way due to being the cause of death and destruction, from the point of view of the Daleks.) He has also been known by the Daleks as the Ka Faraq Gatri or the 'destroyer of worlds' and also "The Oncoming Storm".
 * The new Daleks are said to be Davros's "children" as they have been grown from his own cells.
 * The Daleks' weaponry has seemingly been updated to include a "maximum extermination" setting, capable of destroying an entire house if three Daleks fire at the same target.
 * The Daleks in this episode don't seem to have any shields. When UNIT soldiers fire upon the Daleks, the bullets clearly make physical contact with their casings- perhaps certain bullets melt on the surface and others dont? However, it should be noted that the Daleks are still impervious to modern earth fire-arms
 * The Doctor makes a reference to the lost moon of Poosh (As mentioned in Midnight)
 * The Daleks have an ambivalent relationship with Davros. Davros tells the Doctor that he and the Supreme Dalek have an 'understanding'. The Doctor says that Davros is the Supreme Dalek's 'pet'.Dalek Caan rescued Davros from the Time war in order that Davros might recreate the Dalek race. Davros also invented the reality bomb. Still, the Daleks do not give him the leadership and regard him with distrust.

The Doctor

 * The Doctor first went to the Medusa Cascade when he was "just a child" at the age of 90.
 * The Doctor says he likes Saturdays, echoing his earlier statement in Silence in the Library about finding Sundays boring.

Last Great Time War

 * Doctor says that Davros died in the very first years of the Time War, when Davros's ship flew into the "jaws of the Nightmare Child", implying that the Time War lasted multiple years. Whether only several years, or centuries, or even millions of years, is unknown (and if the Time War was fought across time, very possibly not even applicable).
 * An ongoing question relating to why the Doctor can't or won't go back to the era of the Time War to make things turn out differently is addressed by the Doctor indicating that the war is time-locked; Dalek Caan, having circumvented this barrier, paid for the experience with his sanity.
 * It's revealed that Davros fought in the Time War, and the Doctor tried to save his life. This means at least two of the Doctor's mortal enemies were involved in the conflict, although the Doctor wasn't aware of The Master's involvement until much later.

Planets

 * Some of the missing planets mentioned are: Callufrax Minor, Woman Wept, Clom, Pyrovillia, Adipose 3, The lost moon of Poosh, Jahoo, Shallacatop, and Earth.
 * The missing planet Callufrax Minor may be a reference to Calufrax, the miniaturized planet and Key to Time segment of The Pirate Planet. Coincidentally, one of the co-stars of that Tom Baker-era serial, Bruce Purchase, died only a few weeks before the episode was broadcast.

Technology

 * There is reference to an object called an "Osterhagen key", but no explanation is given as to its function, origin or purpose. Significantly, while Harriet Jones is aware of its function and forbids its use, and Martha is also aware of what it can do, Jack Harkness and Torchwood have no idea what it is, even though they know about the other top-secret Indigo project, though Jack does mention this was because he 'met a soldier in a bar'. He is also from the future and seems to know the project is not fully operational, though Martha survives.
 * Harriet Jones uses the subwave network to put the Doctor's 'secret army' in contact with each other, it utilises Sub-wave communication developed by the Mr Copper Foundation. Donna compares it to Facebook.
 * The sentence You will obey your Dalek masters is cut off towards the end, and you can hear the Master's beat replace the masters the Daleks were to finish - just before the subwave network opened.

Story notes

 * This episode was the last of Series 4 to have its title revealed.
 * This is the fourth time that the Daleks have returned with a leader in a finale. In DW: The Evil of the Daleks they returned led by their emperor; in the 2005 finale, The Parting of the Ways, the Daleks were led by the Dalek Emperor; and in 2006 finale, Doomsday, Dalek Sec led the Cult of Skaro. The Other Dalek two-parter in 2007 Series was shown as the 4th & 5th Episodes of the Series (Daleks in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks).
 * There was originally a scene where a Dalek Saucer landed at Westminister and one of the Daleks exterminated the Prime Minister Aubrey Fairchild before the Dalek invasion force emerged from the saucer. An unseen character in The Next Doctor was named Aubrey Fairchild.
 * The "To Be Continued" before the end credits is different from the others previously used. There is also no sneak peek of the next episode.
 * When Harriet Jones contacts Captain Jack, Martha Jones and Sarah Jane Smith, the contact tone is the same tone used by The Master to control the populace under the Archangel network.
 * For the first time, the opening credits incorporate not two or three names, but six, adding Freema Agyeman, John Barrowman and Elisabeth Sladen to the Tennant, Tate and Piper credits of the previous week. The typeface used for these credits is slightly different than that usually used. In addition, several "overflow" cast credits are featured over the first scene after the opening sequence, a first for the series (Penelope Wilton, Adjoa Andoh, Eve Myles and Gareth David-Lloyd).
 * Scientist and author Richard Dawkins has a cameo as himself. Dawkins is married to Lalla Ward, the actress who portrayed Romana II. The two were introduced by Douglas Adams, who met Ward in his capacity as the show's script editor.
 * The claws of the Daleks in Crucible is very similar to ones in Dr. Who and the Daleks movie, but with eight fingers instead of two.
 * The clicking sound when the Time Beetle from Turn Left was mentioned occurred when Donna was offered water at the Shadow Proclamation, accompanied by the same words used when the Time Beetle was "seen" by somebody else, "There's something on your back!"
 * The differences between the child-friendly Sarah Jane Adventures and the very adult-oriented Torchwood are reflected in the onscreen conference. Sarah Jane mentions that she tries to steer away from Torchwood because they have "too many guns", nodding to Luke as she does so. Despite this, Jack cannot resist flirting with her, and she seems to appreciate his compliment.
 * In the Scene with the Shadow proclamation. it was originally planned to show many more aliens old and new including.
 * Raxacoricofallapatorians with a child. This child was originally conceived as Margaret following her regression to an egg (DW: Boom Town)'
 * Baby Adipose and very big adult one (imagined by Russell T. Davies as being about 15ft tall).
 * Member of one of the species that appeared in The End of the World
 * Krillitane
 * Hath
 * Gelth like species
 * Cybermen Classic Series
 * Sycorax
 * Alonzo Frame working for the Shadow Proclamation as a Shadow Soldier.
 * Isolus
 * Graske

Ratings
To be added

Myths and rumours

 * The presence of Davros in this episode had been rumoured for a long time before broadcast. An associated rumour suggested that the episode would reveal that Donna was actually Davros in disguise or Caan mutating himself into Davros. See this section in Journey's End for additional rumors related to Donna.
 * It was also rumoured on the fan boards that Patrick Stewart or Ben Kingsley might have been cast as Davros, given media reports of his interest in appearing in Doctor Who after it was announced that he and Tennant would perform a season of Shakespeare together in 2008. Ultimately, Julian Bleach was revealed to be playing the character.
 * The cliffhanger regeneration ending sparked a week's worth of widespread speculation as to whether David Tennant was in fact about to hand the role over to another actor, despite reports that he was to at least appear in the upcoming Christmas special. The rumors, of course, were put to bed upon the cliffhanger's resolution.

Filming Locations

 * Cardiff
 * Pontypridd

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * It is not explained how the Daleks know of Harriet Jones. The Daleks might have researched major Earth history, particularly other alien invasions, so they might know that she had ordered the Sycorax ship to be shot down. The Cult of Skaro absorbed knowledge of Earth from a Torchwood staff member in Doomsday - this could easily have included knowledge of Harriet Jones. The infomation could have then been transferred from Caan's memory banks. It is also possible the Daleks statement was just included for comedic purposes, as everyone who Harriet Jones introduces herself to tells her that they know who she is.
 * At the end of Turn Left Bad Wolf was on the TARDIS. It's not there now at the beginning of this episode. They've travelled to Earth, just like Rose needed, so there is no need for the message to be there anymore. Presumably it was caused by the Chameleon Circuit since Rose had been directly linked with the TARDIS in The Parting of the Ways.


 * When Harriet Jones transfers control of the sub-wave network to Torchwood, the map circles an area in Swansea, not Cardiff.


 * When Jones' sub-wave system seeks out those who have worked with the Doctor, only the companions of the Tenth Doctor are singled out, not other past companions and/or acquaintances who might have worked with previous incarnations. The subwave network only seeks out those that have the capacity to contact the Doctor; perhaps other companions such as Tegan Jovanka or Ian Chesterton do not have this ability or the possession of a superphone for example, or recent contact with the current incarnation.


 * Donna indicates she has no idea what regeneration is, even though she was present when Martha referenced it in The Doctor's Daughter. She might not have understood what it meant at the time.


 * Why did Harriet's computer screen turn off just because she died? The subwave network is sentient so it must connect with the person on the other end. If they die, the network cuts off at their end. Or the sub wave network was seen as suck a threat that the attack squad of Daleks were using explosive weapons (like the daleks that Wilf watched earlier) and destroyed the computer as well.


 * If Rose asked her "Control" to lock on to the TARDIS and transport, why did she end up at the other end of the street? Control is probably in Pete's World, so it did quite well to get her into the same street as the TARDIS.


 * The death of Harriet Jones puts paid to the Ninth Doctor stating that she was destined to serve three terms as PM and lead Britain into a new golden age (DW: World War Three). According to the Doctor, some events are fixed and others are in flux. Presumably, Jones' three terms are in flux. And neither the Doctor's companions nor the television audience see her death. Perhaps her death is deliberately ambiguous to allow for a future story involving Harriet Jones.


 * Television, cellphone and satellite communications continue to work, even though by rights when the planet moved anything in orbit should have been lost. When the Daleks moved the planet, satellites were moved as well.


 * This episode is set in 2009, with hundreds of Daleks invading Earth. Not to mention the previous encounter in Doomsday, how does Henry van Statten not know of the Daleks in the 2005 episode Dalek, set in 2012? The Dalek and Cyberman invasion was put down to terrorists drugging the water supply with psychotropic drugs. This isn't consistant with the amount of deaths, and also doesn't explain the ignorance of the events of The Stolen Earth/Journey's End. History can change, so the version seen in "Dalek" may have been rewritten.


 * If the Earth has changed co-ordinates how is Rose able to find it? Presumably, there is a connection between the two Earths, regardless of their spatial co-ordinates. It's also possible Pete's World had been moved in the alternate universe.


 * Why did the rift move with the Earth? Shouldn't it have stayed behind the way the TARDIS did? If the Cardiff Rift was fixed to its spatio-temporal co-ordinates all of the time, it would be on Cardiff only once a year due to the rotation and revolution of the Earth, so its safe to assume that the rift is locked onto the land of Cardiff somehow.


 * The TARDIS stayed in place even when the Earth moved. But in The Impossible Planet the TARDIS fell down after the floor was removed. The TARDIS was fixed in time and space. Also - there's no gravity in space.


 * Mr Smith was supposed to make every phone call the Doctor. However, the screen only shows a map of Britain. Maybe that's the part he wanted to show. Or maybe, it showed Britain's main telephone towers. All phones sending the number to the nearest one then transmitting.


 * Rose and Donna's family are seen to have to phone him themselves, without Mr Smith helping them. Mr Smith was only using telephone landline exchanges rather than mobile phones as well.


 * Rose can see the Dalek space-ships in a TV showroom - despite it being impossible to see secret UNIT surveillance unless at UNIT. A newsreader states that the Pentagon released a report about the incoming fleet, they probabaly released the pictures too.


 * How did the Valiant move with the Earth? The Valiant is an aircraft carrier, not a spaceship, so it was within the atmosphere at the time of transportation and was moved with it.


 * Why do the Daleks not attack any of the other planets they stole, and if some are populated with alien life, why do none of them take any action? Presumably, the attacks did happen, but "off-camera". They were probably searching for the children of time, who were all on earth, and Humans cannot fight back, while other planets probably could. Jahoo isnt populated, Adipose 3 is a nursing planet with little benifit of decimating, Rock monsters presumably wouldnt die from a ruby ray blast, Moons are rarely populated etc.


 * If Dalek Caan changed history by saving Davros, wouldn't the Reapers come out? No, because the time lock would have prevented it but Dalek Caan suffered the price for changing established history anyway. And the presence of two identical sets of time travellers, without Time Lords keeping their eyes on things, made the Pete Tyler event a vulnerable point in history. The Reapers don't come out for just any change.


 * In The Sound of Drums, it was shown that travelling via Jack's Vortex Manipulator caused considerable discomfort to the user. Despite this when Jack teleports to find the Doctor, he shows no discomfort upon arrival. Perhaps that was fixed when Jack put in the new Base Code. Plus Jack did not travel through the vortex, only used it to teleport to another location in the same point of time. 


 * In the scene where the Doctor is explaining the Tandoka Scale, the TARDIS can be seen behind them, yet when the Doctor and Donna run off to the TARDIS they are running away from it.


 * Technically, when Mr Smith is making every phone on Earth ring to the TARDIS, the signals is travelling with the speed of light. It would have taken several years for the signal to reach the TARDIS. The TARDIS is in the Medusa Cascade, and is right next to where the Earth would be. However...


 * If the Earth is out of synchronisation with the rest of the universe, then how can the phone signal get to the TARDIS? The how of the phone call, which involves the Cardiff rift, is very vague. We don't know exactly how it worked, and perhaps it was able to break through.


 * Martha is talking to Jack using an earpiece, but before she says "Bye Jack" she suddenly isn't wearing it then in the next scene she's wearing it again just before transporting.


 * When Torchwood send the signal to find the Doctor, the point of origin isn't coming from Cardiff. It's coming from the centre of Europe.


 * In Utopia, the TARDIS jumps to the end of the univeres when Jack jumps on the Tardis, because, as Jack said, it was 'Prejudiced' against him. How come the Tardis does not jump to the end of the universe when Jack enters the Tardis in this episode? That may be because this time he was inside the TARDIS, whereas in Utopia he was hanging on to the outside, which no normal person should be able to survive. The TARDIS might have also lost it's prejudice since Utopia especially since he saved it in Last of the Time Lords.


 * The Doctor says that the entire Medusa Cascade has been taken a second out of synchronisation with the rest of the universe, rendering the planets inaccessible. However, the nebula clouds can be seen before and after the TARDIS breaks into the Cascade. Perhaps the clouds are not considered part of the Cascade.


 * In The Juggernauts, Davros' life support machine explodes and presumably leaves him as nothing but a head, as seen in Remembrance of the Daleks in which he is wired into an Emperor Dalek casing. However, in The Stolen Earth his body is how it was in Revelation of the Daleks, and his torso is clearly seen. His body can be seen below the cables in Remembrance, so it is possible that more than just his head survived The Juggernauts.


 * In Terror Firma, the "Emperor" personality in Davros becomes dominant and he becomes, mentally, an Emperor Dalek. Here, he is clearly Davros again. It can only be assumed that his Davros personality was restored between Terror Firma and The Stolen Earth.


 * The Doctor states that Davros died in the first year of the Time War. However, the Doctor Who Annual 2006 established the War to have started in Genesis of the Daleks, and a period of at least 90 years passed between Genesis of the Daleks and Resurrection of the Daleks (the gap between the Genesis and Destiny of the Daleks being of uncertain length), and Davros is still alive in the latter (and further appearances). The annual also suggests that the Time War started out with incidents such as this, but later became a full-scale war, so the Doctor may be referring to the first year of this full-scale conflict.

Continuity

 * This episode marks the first on-screen appearance of the Shadow Proclamation, first mentioned in DW: Rose. This episode reveals that it is an organisation, not just a treaty.


 * It appears that Gwen and Ianto are both aware of The Doctor, implying that Jack has told them about him at some point after Exit Wounds, although it is unknown if he has told them about his travels with him or whether he wanted to clear up some details of him to "clean up" some of the "Anti Doctor" bias of Torchwood setup by Queen Victoria (and possibly to explain his disappearance after End of Days).


 * This episode also marks the first appearance in the main Doctor Who series of the following characters and locations from the spinoff series: the Torchwood Hub, 13 Bannerman Road, and the Mr Smith computer. Also referenced for the first time in the parent series are Owen Harper, Alan Jackson, Rhys Williams and Mary Cooper. However this is not the first reference to Toshiko Sato as she had previously appeared in Aliens of London or Gwen Cooper, Ianto Jones, Luke Smith, Clyde Langer and Maria Jackson as they were all mentioned in the previous episode, Turn Left, which also referenced the Sarah Jane Adventures villain The Trickster.


 * The Medusa Cascade, first mentioned in DW: Last of the Time Lords also plays a key role in the episode.


 * The Valiant last appeared in DW: The Poison Sky to help UNIT with attacking the ATMOS Factory and, before that, in DW: The Sound of Drums. In this episode, it is seen being swarmed (and most likely destroyed) by a huge group of Daleks using 'maximum extermination'), which they also use to exterminate a man that rebels against their order of human surrender. This is the first time this power has been used. When building the new Dalek army, Davros most likely improved the Daleks' weaponry. The Daleks have also used maximum extermination when attacking 'Hooverville'.


 * The Doctor deposed Harriet Jones in DW: The Christmas Invasion.


 * The gun that Captain Jack used to kill the Dalek with was the same gun he used in DW: The Parting of the Ways.
 * The Doctor previously disabled the teleportation function of Captain Jack's Time Agency wrist strap in DW: Last of the Time Lords and regained the correct digits to reactivate it in this episode.


 * Gwen states that she intends to "go out fighting" like Owen Harper and Toshiko Sato to Ianto after handing him a firearm during the Dalek invasion of Torchwood 3, referring to their deaths in TW: Exit Wounds.


 * The sub-wave network mentioned by Harriet Jones, and funded by the Mr Copper Foundation is most likely a reference to Mr Copper from DW: Voyage of the Damned.


 * The Doctor mentions a previous attempt to move the earth "a long time ago", possibly a reference to the goal of the Daleks in DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, as well as the feature film remake Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD which co-starred Bernard Cribbins, who plays Donna's grandfather in this episode. It may also have been a reference to the moving of earth in The Mysterious Planet, when it became known as Ravolox. Both incidents, however, occur far into Earth's future. On the other hand, the Doctor was probably thinking in terms of his own personal, subjective timeline, rather than in terms of objective "linear" time; events which happened to his 1st incarnation would seem "a long time ago" from his 10th incarnation's point of view.


 * Sarah Jane Smith, Rose, Jack, Martha have all encountered the Daleks.
 * Sarah first encountered the Daleks in DW: Death to the Daleks and then in Genesis of the Daleks where she also encountered Davros.
 * Rose first encountered the Daleks in DW: Dalek, and then in DW: Bad Wolf (TV story)/The Parting of the Ways and in DW: Army of Ghosts/Doomsday.
 * Jack previously encountered them in DW: Bad Wolf (TV story)/The Parting of the Ways and knew of them before those episodes.
 * Martha first encountered the Daleks in DW: Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks, and learned of them in Gridlock.


 * Gwen does not know who the Daleks are; this is a reference back to an early episode of Torchwood in which it was stated that an attempt at covering up some elements of the Battle of Canary Wharf was made. Similarly, when Jack first contacts Martha, he references putting something in his drink, referencing the "contaminated water supply" cover story.
 * Donna is told that she had something on her back. She was first told she has something on her back in DW: The Fires of Pompeii and it was a major element of the preceding episode, Turn Left the Beetle sound effect is heard as this point as well.
 * This is the second on-screen appearance of the Judoon the first being DW: Smith and Jones. They also appear in TDA: Revenge of the Judoon.


 * The Daleks say "The Daleks are the masters of Earth!" they previously said this in DW: The Dalek Invasion of Earth, where they also issued the command for "the males, the females and the descendants" to come into the street and surrender to them.
 * The Doctor calls out "Bye!" to Davros in a similar fashion that the Fourth Doctor bade him farewell in DW: Destiny of the Daleks and the Seventh Doctor in DW: Remembrance of the Daleks. The Master also says something similar in Utopia whilst stealing the TARDIS as a rather chıldısh Bye-Bye!.


 * Jack refers to Sarah Jane's encounters with the Slitheen (SJA: Revenge of the Slitheen) and (SJA: The Lost Boy).


 * The Doctor's TARDIS has reverted to its original appearance and is no longer covered with the words "Bad Wolf" as at the end of Turn Left.


 * Mr Smith using every phone on Earth to call The Doctor is similar to everyone saying "Doctor" in Last of the Time Lords.


 * In The Parting of the Ways, the Emperor of the Daleks refers to Rose as 'The Abomination', and in this episode the Dalek Supreme used the same nickname for Dalek Caan. This is also the name given to the Special Weapons Dalek in the novelization of Remembrance of the Daleks (novelisation). This seems to be a popular name (or insult) for things that that The Daleks hate or fear. Oddly, The Doctor has never been called it. He is called something worse than Abomination


 * The Doctor and Rose are reunited near a church, echoing the setting of Father's Day in which Rose's father is killed by an oncoming car and dies in the street. In this instance, Rose witnesses the Doctor being mortally wounded by a Dalek, and cradles him as he lies dying in the street.


 * On screen, the Doctor was last shown meeting Davros in DW: Remembrance of the Daleks, however this episode establishes that they had at least one more encounter, during the Time War. Davros acknowledges that the Doctor has changed again since their last meeting.


 * The head of the Shadow proclimation's reaction when the Doctor left is the same as Donna's in the Runnaway Bride.


 * The Doctor is also shot by a Dalek and on that occaion his legs are temporialy paralysed (DW: Planet of the Daleks)


 * Upon answering the phone to Martha the first time, Jack says "Martha Jones, voice of a nightingale." Words he used in TW: Reset when introducing her to the rest of the team.

DVD and Other releases

 * Released in the Series 4 DVD boxset in November 2008 along with the rest of the Series.
 * Released as Series 4 Volume 4 in a vanilla edition alongside Turn Left and Journey's End.