A Night with the Stars (TV story)

A Night with the Stars was a minisode broadcast with the 2013 documentary The Science of Doctor Who. It was named sometime after. It was released on DVD with its parent documentary, as A Night with the Stars: The Science of Doctor Who.

The story begins at the start of the documentary, and continues in brief one-minute segments throughout, bookmarking different concepts that Cox wishes to explore.

Plot
With lecture notes in hand, Brian Cox enters the door to the make-up artist, into the TARDIS. The Eleventh Doctor is expecting him. The Doctor's already seen the lecture he's about to do, and thought it great. He gives Brian a gift, which Brian says must be over 250 years old, but the Doctor picked it up last Saturday tea-time. The Doctor tries to dematerialise, but the time rotor explodes.

Later, the Doctor's under the TARDIS console trying to fix things, when Brian encounters a Silent on the TARDIS scanner. The Doctor explains who they are, and Brian wants to see more aliens. The Doctor asks if he's applying for the job of his assistant, and finally dematerialises.

In the Time Vortex, Brian fiddles with a switch, causing another explosion. When the Doctor orders him not to touch, Brian only agrees that the machine is complicated-"ish". "Bigger on the inside than the outside doesn't seem to be complicated to me". The Doctor explains that he uses a black hole to power it, which Brian says would rip the ship to bits. "Read some Einstein."

The TARDIS lands. The two have travelled together, and Brian says he wants to visit more alien worlds. The Doctor is firm, though, that he has a lecture to give. The Doctor hands him the gift from earlier. He explains why he chose to take Brian on a tour of the universe: there's one girl in his audience with sad eyes, who loves science, and after today, she stops being ordinary and grows up to be extraordinary, a woman who changes the world. The Doctor wants Brian to inspire her.

The Doctor drops Brian back off where he got him, and decides to go on "one more adventure before tea".

Cast

 * Eleventh Doctor - Matt Smith
 * Brian Cox - himself

Crew

 * Writer - Steve Thompson
 * Director - Ashley Way
 * Titles - Charles Gatward
 * Designer - Joshua Grace
 * Engineering Manager - Stephen Dunn
 * Lighting Director - Chris Rigby
 * Camera Supervisor - Joe Finan
 * Sound Supervisor - Andy Wernham
 * Prompt - Emily Henderson
 * EVS Operator - Chris Fells
 * Vision Mixer - Mark Foster
 * Floor Managers - Nick Keene, Sara Marshal-Page

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor plays the song "Things Can Only Get Better" after Brian enters the TARDIS
 * The Doctor calls the TARDIS a "spaceship/time machine/swimming pool; optional hatstand".
 * The Doctor mentions the TARDIS' dimensional transcendentalism, which Brian isn't particularly amazed by.
 * The Doctor says he likes Albert Einstein, as he's a bow tie wearer.
 * Upon returning Brian to his time and place, the Doctor asks for some merchandise: a lunchbox, maybe a t-shirt: slim fitting.
 * Brian tells the Doctor not to forget to twiddle the size of the event horizon.

Story notes

 * It was released on DVD with the documentary in the 50th anniversary collector's edition box set. It was under the title "A Night with the Stars: The Science of Doctor Who".

Continuity

 * When Brian Cox encounters a Silent on the TARDIS scanner, the Doctor says to "get your tally out". (TV: Day of the Moon, The Wedding of River Song)
 * The Doctor offers to show Brian the black hole down in the "basement" of the TARDIS, which powers the ship. (TV: Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS)
 * The Doctor references Albert Einstein. (TV: Time and the Rani, Death is the Only Answer, et al.)