Forum:Timeline Clarification Questions

Time Line Clarification Questions
OK, so I didn't pay too much attention to the time line during the early episodes of the new series, but I understand that when the Doctor returns Rose 12 months late, that is the reason for all of the "everything happens a year ahead of now" thinking.

So, is the date established during Rose or any other episode to confirm this theory (I'm sure it is and I missed it), or to show that the episode Rose didn't in fact occur a year BEFORE now, and that after the 12 month jump everything is back on track? And does the theory account for any of the missed bits of time that occur while the Doctor and Rose/Martha/Donna are jumping around the galaxy?

There are so many jumps in time that the Doctor and his companions make that I can't imagine having a solid understanding of the exact date of any "current" Earth-bound incident without some sort of visual evidence. --Raukodraug 18:15, 28 July 2009 (UTC)


 * According to the Missing Posters for Rose it says she's been missing since 6th March 2005. (So 12 months onwards is 2006, probably March in Aliens of London)
 * Each subsequent story reinforces this date, (for this information onwards I'm using the information and mostly the footnotes from AHistory Second Edition as it's been a while since I watched these) The Christmas Invasion is set after The Parting of the Ways (which itself doesn't take place much time after Boom Town, which takes place six months after Aliens of London). In School Reunion Sarah says that the Sycorax stuff happened 'last Christmas', placing School Reunion in 2007 (this date goes on to support time placement for other SJA eps). Love & Monsters states it takes place 2 years after Rose (further supporting the 2005 start date). Army of Ghosts takes place before The Runaway Bride (which is Christmas 2007), but still in 2007. This is important as in TW: Ghost Machine 1941 is stated as being 66 years ago (placing that story in 2007, and much of S1 of Torchwood in 2007). --Tangerineduel 13:51, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

From series 2 onward the year is in synch with our own. Series 1 is a bit confusing, but roughly most of it is set in 2005 as you shall soon find out in The End of Time at christmas. Series 2 - 2006 definite. Series 3 - 2007 through till 2008 during the year that never was. Series 4 - 2008. Reasons - research.

Just watched Fires of Pompeii again - Donna is complaining about why The Doctor can't save everyone if aliens are interfering - she then goes on to say "But you dsaved me - 2008, bla bla bla something about everyone else". So series 4 is defnitely set in sync with our time. What I think has happened was Series 1 and 2 and placed directly after each other - so then end of Series 1 happed in 2006 and all of series 2 happened in 2006. Same goes for Torchwood.Saxon 3 18:46, November 5, 2009 (UTC)

Rose happened in 2005. Therefore Aliens of London, World War Three, Boom Town, The Parting of the Ways and The Christmas Invasion are in 2006. This means that School Reunion, Love & Monsters, Army of Ghosts, Doomsday and The Runaway Bride would kind of have to be in 2007, seeing as they can't all be crammed into that brief time period between Christmas and New Year. That means Smith and Jones, The Lazarus Experiment, Blink, The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords and Voyage of the Damned are in 2008 and Partners in Crime, The Sontaran Stratagem, The Poison Sky, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth and Journey's End are in 2009, so Planet of the Dead is in 2010. As for Torchwood, Combat is set in January 2008, and seeing as Out of Time is before Christmas, the rest of the series would be in 2007, except for Captain Jack Harkness and End of Days, which are set after Combat. I think Series 2 would be set in late 2008 and it is confirmed that Series 3 is in late 2009. Series 1 of SJA is set before DWSeries4, probably in late 2008. Then Series 2 would be in late 2009 and Series 3, ocuring after Planet of the Dead, would be in 2010. Bigredrabbit 21:36, November 5, 2009 (UTC)

In the fires of pompeii Donna clearly states that The Doctor saved her and the whole world in 2008 (she said this because they were in ancient rome) which places all previous events in synch with ours. Otherwise series 2 and 3 are in the same year then.


 * Could you give a time reference (which point time wise during the episode this is said) I've had a quick look through the pre-title sequence and she doesn't appear to say anything about 2008 (this is the only time in the episode they say they're in Rome). Please also remember to sign your comments with four ~ or by pushing the button above the text box that looks like a signature. --Tangerineduel 10:03, November 6, 2009 (UTC)

Well she said it when they were walking under mount versuvius - just after they escaped from the sisterhodd of the sybilline. Saxon 3 13:19, November 6, 2009 (UTC)


 * Just had a look for myself and it's somewhat inconclusive and vague. What Donna says as you mentioned partly above is "I'm history to you, you saved me in 2008, you saved us all.". However that doesn't negate the other references. All Donna says is that the Doctor saved her and "us all in 2008", which doesn't necessarily mean she's referring to her wedding day/The Runaway Bride.
 * The arguments against it are the dates and stories I've mentioned above. Donna says in Partners in Crime she'd been following things the Doctor was involved in, so she could be referring to the events of Voyage of the Damned. --Tangerineduel 15:11, November 6, 2009 (UTC)

I'm not saying that the runaway bride is in 2008 because the doctor didnt save everyone in the runaway bride. I'm saying that it is proof that series 4 is set in 2008. Which means Series 1 is set in 2005/2006, Series 2 in 2006/2007, Series 3 2007, and Series 4 2008. Planet of The Dead - 2009 and children of earth and the sarah jane adventures and the doctor who specials. Saxon 3 15:25, November 6, 2009 (UTC)

Plus Donna wouldn't have any evidence to say that The Doctor was on the ship in Voyage of The damned - wich by the way is set directly after last of the time lords so that is set in christmas 2007 Saxon 3 15:27, November 6, 2009 (UTC)


 * You can't broadly state that each series is set during a particular time. You can state certain stories during those series could take place during certain time periods but there is still the evidence I've stated above.


 * 2008 is when Martha Jones joins the Doctor. On Earth Martha is with the Doctor for about a week. The Master (Mr Saxon) gets elected in 2008. Voyage of the Damned as you have said does take place after Last of the Time Lords it also references the previous two Christmas specials, which means they exist and backs up the other dating, placing it in 2008.


 * NSA: Beautiful Chaos states specifically that Donna is from 2009 when she's travelling with the Doctor.


 * If hypothetically you were to place Voyage of the Damned in 2007 that would place The Runaway Bride in 2006 and The Christmas Invasion in 2005. --Tangerineduel 16:50, November 6, 2009 (UTC)