The Taking of Chelsea 426 was the thirty-fourth novel in the BBC New Series Adventures series. It was written by David Llewellyn and featured the Tenth Doctor.
Publisher's summary[]
The Chelsea Flower Show - hardly the most exciting or dangerous event in the calendarr, or so the Doctor thinks. But this is Chelsea 426, a city-sized future colony floating on the clouds of Saturn, and the flowers are much more than they seem.
As the Doctor investigates, he becomes more and more worried. Who is shopkeeper Mr Pemberton acting so strangely? And what is Professor Wilberforce's terrible secret?
They are close to finding the answers when a familiar foe arrives, and the stakes suddenly get much higher. The Sontarans have plans of their own, and they're not here to arrange flowers..
Plot[]
to be added
Characters[]
- Alice Wendell
- Professor Wilberforce
- Jake Carstairs
- Vienna Carstairs
- Tenth Doctor
- Brian Carstairs
- Bess Carstairs
- Mynah bird
- Mr Pemberton
- Wallace Fitch
- Mr Smalls
- Mr Sedgefield
- Zeke
- Assistant
- Bruno
- Field Marshal Henry Whittington Smythe
- Usher
- Sergeant Bashford
- Colonel Sarg
- General Kade
- Captain Thomas
- Zack
- Jenny
- Commander Strom
Worldbuilding[]
- The Rutans and the Sontarans are present.
- According to the Doctor, it is about due for the Third Renaissance.
Food and Beverages[]
- The Doctor cannot stand pears. He drinks orange juice in the Grand Hotel.
Notes[]
- This book continues the theme set by the BBC Tenth Doctor Adventures line for 2009, featuring returning monsters from the TV series. It also continues a series of novels in which the Doctor travels without a companion.
- David Llewellyn also wrote the Torchwood novel Trace Memory [+]David Llewellyn, BBC Torchwood novels (BBC Books, 2008)., and would later go on to write extensively for Big Finish.
- The title is a reference to the novel and film The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The number is also reminiscent of the 456, an alien race introduced a few months prior to the book's release in Children of Earth.
- The Doctor asks Vienna, "The city or the song?" The song may be a reference to the song by Ultravox, the song by Billy Joel or the Owl City song "Dear Vienna".
- This story was also released as an ebook available from the Amazon Kindle store.
- Several elements introduced in this story would later be reused in Llewellyn's novel Night of the Humans [+]David Llewellyn, BBC New Series Adventures (BBC Books, 2010). including the Hexions, Mercutio 14 and the Herald of Narking.
- The Doctor's dislike or pears references the Seventh Doctor's distaste for them in the novel Human Nature [+]Paul Cornell, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995). from the Virgin New Adventures. The same reference to pears was originally filmed for the televised adaptation of the story in Series 3, but this scene was deleted. The Taking of Chelsea 426, therefore, essentially preserved this characteristic into the revived era. It was eventually directly referenced on television in Series 9's Hell Bent [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 9 (BBC One, 2015)., and again in Series 10's Christmas Special, Twice Upon a Time [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2017 (BBC One, 2017).. Incidentally, the latter was novelised by Paul Cornell, who also wrote both versions of Human Nature.
Continuity[]
- The Sontarans last appeared on screen in TV: The Sontaran Stratagem [+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008). / The Poison Sky [+]Helen Raynor, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008). and TV: Enemy of the Bane [+]Phil Ford, The Sarah Jane Adventures series 2 (CBBC, 2008).. They last appeared in print in PROSE: The Sontaran Games [+]Jacqueline Rayner, Quick Reads (BBC Books, 2009)..
- The Rutans last appeared on screen in TV: Horror of Fang Rock. To date, this is their only on-screen appearance.
- The events of TV: The Two Doctors [+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 22 (BBC1, 1985). and The Time Warrior [+]Robert Holmes, Doctor Who season 11 (BBC1, 1973-1974). are mentioned.
- Chelsea 426 was founded by the Interplanetary Mining Corporation. (TV: Colony in Space [+]Malcolm Hulke, Doctor Who season 8 (BBC1, 1971).)
- The Doctor mentions a Krynoid. (TV: The Seeds of Doom [+]Robert Banks Stewart, Doctor Who season 13 (BBC1, 1976).)
- While in the TARDIS, Jake plays with the crate of items beginning with C, last seen in TV: The Unicorn and the Wasp [+]Gareth Roberts, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).. Its contents include an Agatha Christie novel, the Carrionite globe and a Cyberman's chest plate.
- The Doctor declares a dislike of pears. (PROSE: Human Nature [+]Paul Cornell, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1995).)
- At the end of the novel, the Doctor looks around the empty TARDIS. He also did this before his second meeting with Donna Noble. (TV: Partners in Crime [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)
- The Doctor says "For one thing I've had my fair share of angry mothers lately" (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)., The Lazarus Experiment [+]Stephen Greenhorn, Doctor Who series 3 (BBC One|BBC One]], 2007)., Partners in Crime [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 4 (BBC One, 2008).)
- The Doctor mentions the Battle of Olympus Mons. (PROSE: Transit [+]Ben Aaronovitch, Virgin New Adventures (Virgin Books, 1992).)
Audiobook[]
- This novel was released as an audiobook in September 2010 by BBC Audio and read by Christopher Ryan.
Audiobook cover
External links[]
- Official The Taking of Chelsea 426 page at Penguin Books
- The Taking of Chelsea 426 at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- The Discontinuity Guide to: The Taking of Chelsea 426 at The Whoniverse
- The Cloister Library: The Taking of Chelsea 426
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