The Time of Angels (TV story)

 The Time of Angels is the fourth episode of Series Five. It is the first part of a two-part story. It marks the re-appearance of River Song and the Weeping Angels.

Synopsis
The enigmatic River Song hurtles back into the Doctor life but she's not the only familiar face returning... The Weeping Angels are back! The Doctor is recruited by Father Octavian to track the last of the Angels through the terrifying Maze of the Dead. As the Time Lord faces the Lonely Assassins, last seen in Blink, River Song is by his side. But can she be trusted? BBC Doctor Who

Plot
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Cast

 * The Doctor - Matt Smith
 * Amy Pond - Karen Gillan
 * River Song - Alex Kingston
 * Alistair - Simon Dutton
 * Christian - Mark Springer
 * Father Octavian - Iain Glen
 * Cleric Christian - Mark Springer
 * Cleric Angelo - Troy Glasgow
 * Cleric Bob - David Atkins
 * Jessica Paige - Louisa Lytton
 * Cleric Pedro - Mark Monero
 * Cleric Marco - Darren Morfitt
 * Cleric Phillip - George Russo
 * Weeping Angel - Marie McGonigle
 * Weeping Angel - Caroline Royce
 * Security Guard - Mike Skinner

Crew
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Story Notes

 * This was the first episode of Series 5, and therefore the first episode featuring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, to be filmed. The first scenes shot were of the Doctor, Amy, and River Song on a beach.
 * This is, in truth, the third appearance of the Weeping Angels if one counts non-TV appearances; they have previously featured in DW: Blink and in Captain Jack's Monster Files (See WC: A Ghost Story for Christmas)
 * Steven Moffat stated in a TalkTalk interview that his son - while watching the episode - said 15 minutes through the episode: "Dad, that is the single most scariest thing I've ever seen in my life!"
 * When teasing the new series, one of the things Moffat mentioned was "the Doctor's mistake in the maze of the dead" - no doubt a reference to this episode.
 * There are lots of clips of this episode in the trailers for Series 5. These include
 * A group of Angels not Weeping, not Screaming, just putting their hands in the air.
 * Some Angels capturing River Song and the Clerics
 * An Angel in a vault with Amy looking at it through a T.V. moniter - in Doctor Who Magazine 418 including a preview of this episode, the synopsis states the Angel is in the Byzantium Spaceship and is being stored in the vault, but escapes. How the other Angels come along is unknown.
 * A Single Angel screaming.
 * This episode will be set in the Alfava Metraxis (See Radio Times 3-9 April)
 * A clip for the episode heavily indicates that this episode will not chronicle River Song's first meeting with the Doctor (from her perspective), as she knows, interestingly, how to pilot the TARDIS herself, and claims that he "leaves the brakes on" (causing the materializing noise) and talks about him as if they have traveled together before.
 * This was the first episode of Series 5 to be filmed.
 * [River has] been in prison for a long time for murdering somebody… She [has] killed ‘the best man she ever knew’. River is allowed to leave prison because her archaeological expertise is needed to confirm that a piece of art in a collector’s hands is a Weeping Angel. She thinks it’s a Weeping Angel rather than just a sculpture, but she needs the Doctor to confirm it. There’s a party in a spaceship where the statue is being held and everybody seems to be in 1940’s outfits. The Doctor, Amy and River [get] stuck in a forest, with Weeping Angels peeping out from behind trees. These Angels are much more frightening than before. It’s terrifying. River has a book that contains images of all the Doctors and their adventures, past and future. It’s also the map of their relationship, but he’s not allowed to see it! At the end of the two episodes, the Doctor asks if he can trust her. River Song says, “Yes, you can, but what would be the fun in that?”

Ratings
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Filming Locations
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Rumours

 * People have said that Sally Sparrow from the episode Blink will make a come-back, but this has not yet been revealed.Rory's presence in Flesh and Stone may indicate that part of this two-parter is set on 21st century Earth, which would mean that such a return is possible. However, given that actress Carey Mulligan was, at the time the episode was filmed, in extreme demand due to her star-making turn in the film An Education, including being in the midst of filming Wall Street 2 in the US, such an appearance is unlikely unless the role has been recast.
 * River Song's presence in this episode may indicate that it is set in the 51st century, but this is not certain, as it is unknown precisely where in the timeline River Song comes from.
 * Being a two-parter, there might not be one of The Cracks in this episode, as they tend to appear in the final scene.
 * The Doctor will meet Father Octavian at Amy and Rory's wedding. Octavian will be a able to see the future like Carmen and foreseen the Doctor's showdown with the Weeping Angels and send him after them.
 * A Teaser from Digital Spy has implied a Data Ghost device will appear in this episode.

Production errors
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Continuity

 * The Weeping Angels previously appeared in DW: Blink
 * River Song previously appeared in DW: Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead
 * River Song mentioned the crash of the Byzantium in DW: Silence in the Library.