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| url = http://www.dwscifi.com/articles/show/227 | url = http://www.dwscifi.com/articles/show/227
}}</ref> and is the eleventh episode of ] of the revived ''Doctor Who'' series. This episode, the first of a three-part story, sees the return of ] and ], the latter portrayed by both ] and ].<ref name="Utopia"/> }}</ref> and is the eleventh episode of ] of the revived ''Doctor Who'' series. This episode, the first of a three-part story, sees the return of ] and ], the latter portrayed by both ] and ].<ref name="Utopia">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/facts/fact_311.shtml|title=Doctor Who - Fact File - "Utopia"|accessdate=2007-06-17}}</ref>


== Synopsis == == Synopsis ==
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==Cast== ==Cast==

* ] — ] * ] — ]
* ] — ] * ] — ]
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* Kistane — ] * Kistane — ]
* Wiry Woman — ] * Wiry Woman — ]
* ] — ] <ref name="Utopia">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/episodes/2007/facts/fact_311.shtml|title=Doctor Who - Fact File - "Utopia"|accessdate=2007-06-17}}</ref> * ] — ]


===Cast notes=== ===Cast notes===

Revision as of 01:56, 18 June 2007

2007 Doctor Who episode
191a - Utopia
Cast
Doctor
Companion
Production
Directed byGraeme Harper
Written byRussell T. Davies
Executive producer(s)Russell T. Davies
Julie Gardner
Production code3.11
SeriesSeries 3
First broadcast16 June 2007
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Blink"
Followed by →
"The Sound of Drums"

"Utopia" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 16 June 2007 and is the eleventh episode of series three of the revived Doctor Who series. This episode, the first of a three-part story, sees the return of Jack Harkness and the Master, the latter portrayed by both Derek Jacobi and John Simm.

Synopsis

As Captain Jack Harkness reappears in the Doctor's life, the TARDIS is thrown out of control to the end of the universe — where a lonely Professor is working on a means to save the remnants of humanity. But will the vicious Futurekind thwart his plans?

Plot

File:Master Regenerates.jpg
The Doctor's greatest enemy regenerates.

The TARDIS lands in Cardiff to refuel from the Rift. Due to the Rift's recent activity, refuelling should take less time than the previous visit. Captain Jack Harkness races towards the TARDIS, grabbing onto it during dematerialisation and causing the TARDIS to hurtle out of control to the end of the Universe.

After landing in the year 100 trillion on the planet Malcassairo, the Doctor, Jack (who is unable to die as a result of being resurrected by Rose Tyler in "The Parting of the Ways"), and Martha are surprised to find life in the form of the "Futurekind", mutated cannabalistic humanoids. They stumble onto a pack of Futurekind who are chasing a human. Their intended prey is trying to reach "the Silo" to travel to "Utopia", the last home of the human race.

In the Silo (an old missile bunker), Professor Yana and his insectoid assistant Chantho are desperate for help. The spacecraft destined for the distant colony Utopia is unable to take off due to problems with the experimental drive system, and Yana's research into new technology has been stalled for some time. Yana hopes that the Doctor will be able to get repairs back underway. The Doctor initially says he doesn't recognize the technology and can't help, but suddenly produces a solution. The refugee population of the Silo is immediately mobilized to board the spacecraft and leave the planet, but a Futurekind has secretly infiltrated the silo and vandalises the power and control systems. The Doctor and Jack volunteer to help with the repairs and then with final manipulation of the spacecraft's radioactive power source (Jack cannot be killed by the lethal radiation flooding the chamber). While Jack is doing this, he and the Doctor discuss Jack's immortality, and why the Doctor abandoned him on Satellite Five. Finally, the rocket is able to take off for Utopia, and leaves the Doctor, Yana, Chantho, Martha, and Jack on the planet's surface.

Yana, who seems frequently ill, explains that he hears a constant drumbeat inside his head - a condition he has had since birth, but the drums have been getting louder recently. Words such as "regeneration", "Dalek" and "TARDIS" only exacerbate the problem, as does any discussion of time travel (however, Yana seems completely unaffected by the phrases "the Doctor" and "Time Lord"). This is noticed by Martha, the Doctor and Chantho on separate occasions. Martha also notes that Yana has a fob watch of the exact same design as John Smith's watch in "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood". Yana explains that he's had it as long as he can remember, but his most specific memories are extremely vague. She immediately races to inform the Doctor, leaving Yana alone with the watch...which seems to be speaking to him.

When the Doctor hears about this, he realises that the name "Yana" is an acronym of "You are not alone," the final words of the Face of Boe. At the same time, Yana opens the watch, releasing the Time Lord configuration. The Doctor races to Yana's office, but Yana has sealed the doors and disabled security, allowing the Futurekind into the silo. Yana then fatally wounds Chantho, but not before he tells her that he is the Master.

The Doctor forces his way into Yana's office, but not before the Master enters the Doctor's TARDIS with the Doctor's severed hand (see "The Christmas Invasion") that Jack brought with him. Mortally wounded by Chantho, the Master regenerates into a younger body - whose voice Martha recognises. He then locks the TARDIS, preventing the Doctor from opening it, and after berating the Doctor, leaves in the TARDIS (despite the Doctor's attempts to prevent him doing so), stranding the Doctor, Martha and Jack in the distant future.

Cast

Cast notes

  • This is Derek Jacobi's third involvement in Doctor Who and second time playing the Doctor's nemesis. The first was in the September 2003 audio drama Deadline, where he played a screenwriter who believes himself to be the Doctor. The second was several months later, in the webcast Scream of the Shalka, where he played an android version of the Master. David Tennant also had a minor, uncredited role in Scream of the Shalka.
  • John Bell is a nine-year-old who won a Blue Peter competition to appear in this episode.

Continuity

  • Captain Jack was last seen at the end of the Torchwood episode "End of Days" looking off-screen while the familiar sound of the TARDIS is heard in the background. The Torchwood team find Jack gone, and the place in a mess. The Doctor notes that the Rift has been active recently; this was due to Abaddon escaping through the Rift in "End of Days".
  • Martha inquires about the earthquake in Cardiff "a couple of years ago", and the Doctor claims "a bit of trouble with the Slitheen". This refers to the events of the 2005 episode "Boom Town" He also states that he was "a different man back then"; the episode took place during the Ninth Doctor's tenure.
  • Jack says that he used a Vortex Manipulator to travel back from the year 200,100. Vortex Manipulator technology was also used by the Family of Blood in "Human Nature" to track the Doctor through time.
  • Jack calls the human survivors "fantastic," an adjective used often by the Ninth Doctor previously.
  • Instead of landing in the 21st century, Jack found himself in 1869. This is the same year that the Rift is opened in Cardiff, as seen in "The Unquiet Dead".
  • One of the items in Jack's backpack is the severed hand of the Doctor. This was first seen in "The Christmas Invasion", when the hand was cut off by the Sycorax leader, and was a recurring background item on the Torchwood Three Hub set. This episode confirms that the hand is indeed the Doctor's.
  • This episode contains clips from "The Parting of the Ways", "The Christmas Invasion", "Human Nature" and "Gridlock". It also features dialogue from The Daemons spoken by Roger Delgado, the first actor to play the Master, and the trademark chuckle of Anthony Ainley, who portrayed the character during the 1980s.
  • The Doctor previously claimed to be a "Doctor of Everything" in Spearhead from Space and described the human race as "indomitable" in The Ark in Space.
  • The last time that the Master appeared on screen he was in possession of a human host. How he survived being sucked into the TARDIS's Eye of Harmony at the end of the 1996 Doctor Who television movie or how he reacquired Time Lord physiology is not explained in this episode.
  • Derek Jacobi plays the fifth incarnation of the Master whom the Doctor has come across on screen, and John Simm is the sixth. At least one television pundit has speculated whether "Mister Saxon" is an intentional anagram of "Master No. Six" or is perhaps "a big red herring". The Master often shows a penchant for synonymous and anagrammical pseudonyms in the classic series, such as the name "Mr Magister" in The Dæmons.

Production and pre-broadcast publicity

  • This is the first episode of the series to feature John Barrowman's name in the opening credits, and the first time 3 people have been in the opening credits in the revived series.
  • Music cues originally composed for Torchwood are heard in the background of this episode, notably a variation of the Torchwood theme tune played when Jack runs towards the TARDIS and a motif played when Jack lies dead having ridden on the TARDIS through the Vortex.
  • This episode was not announced to be part one of a three-parter until the Totally Doctor Who episode the day before.

References

  1. "Doctor Who UK airdate announced". News. Dreamwatch. February 27, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ "Doctor Who - Fact File - "Utopia"". Retrieved 2007-06-17.
  3. "A New Doctor, A New Dimension?" (HTML). Retrieved 2007-06-11.
  4. "Jacobi confirmed for Dr Who role". BBC News. BBC. 25 January, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. "Future Boy". News. BBC Doctor Who website. June 7, 2007. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. "End of Days". Torchwood. Season 1. Episode 13. 2007-01-01. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
  7. "Of a Thursday". Digital Spy. 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-06-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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