The Bells of Saint John: A Prequel was the prequel to The Bells of Saint John, the sixth episode of the seventh series of Doctor Who. It is the last story to feature the Eleventh Doctor wearing his Series 6-onward attire.
Synopsis
The Doctor takes a break on Earth, despondent that he can't find Clara.
Plot
A little girl finds the Doctor sitting on a swing in a playground. They discuss that he is sad because he can't find his "friend". They share a friendly exchange before the little girl returns to her mother. The Doctor doesn't realise that the little girl is actually Clara herself, for whom he is looking. Clara's mother appears and scolds her for talking to a stranger.
Cast
Crew
- Writer - Steven Moffat
- Director - John Hayes (uncredited)[source needed]
References
- Clara mentions having lost her "best pencil, her school bag, her gran and her mojo".
- Depending on when in the 1990s this minisode takes place, Clara mentioning "mojo" might be a reference to the then-popular Austin Powers movie series, which briefly returned several outdated words to popular use, including "mojo."
Story notes
- This is the last appearance of the Eleventh Doctor's Shetland Tweed Jacket. (TV: A Christmas Carol)
Continuity
- The Doctor is looking for a third Clara. (TV: The Snowmen)
- The little girl comments on the Doctor's age. (TV: The Impossible Astronaut, Closing Time)
- The Doctor references having lost "a friend" twice. (TV: Asylum of the Daleks, The Snowmen)
- The little girl is the third Clara the Doctor meets, who later in her life becomes a regular companion of his. (TV: The Rings of Akhaten) However, her older self doesn't appear to recognise the Doctor from this brief encounter when they meet again. (TV: The Bells of Saint John)
- The Doctor meets another companion as a child. He previously met Rose Tyler, Amy Pond, and River Song as children. (TV: Father's Day, The Eleventh Hour, A Good Man Goes to War)
Home video releases
This prequel was released along with the entire second half of Series 7 (episodes six to thirteen) on DVD and Blu Ray on the May 22, 2013, and as part of The Complete Seventh Series on September 24, 2013. This mini-episode was released as part of The Complete Seventh Series on DVD and Blu Ray on September 24, 2013.
