Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars (episode 4.16)

[rogartheranger]

Planet of the Dead:-
Carmen: "Doctor, you take care now."
The Doctor: "You too, chops and gravy, lovely!"
Carmen: "No, but you be careful, because your song is ending sir."
The Doctor: "What do you mean?"
Carmen: "It is returning...It is returning through the dark. And then Doctor...oh but then...
He will knock four times."


Ominous warnings afoot lead us towards the second of this years' Doctor Who specials, "The Waters of Mars," which will be broadcast before Christmas, probably sometime in November. Little is known about this episode, but I can confirm some early casting news and quote a few hints from the production team to whet your appetite.

The Waters of Mars has been written jointly by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford (who helmed Torchwood Series 2), and has been directed by Graeme Harper. For those not familiar with Graeme's previous Doctor Who work, he is effectively the grand-daddy of Dr Who directors having previously helmed the original series classics, The Caves of Androzani, and Revelation of the Daleks. He has since returned and worked on many of the new-Who era episodes many of which tend to focus on the big ambitious event-stories involving companion departures (Rose, Martha and Donna) and returning villains such as The Master, Cybermen, Daleks and Davros:- Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel, Army of Ghosts/Doomsday, 42, Utopia, Last of the Timelords, Planet of the Ood, The Unicorn and the Wasp, Turn Left, The Stolen Earth/Journeys End. I think this bodes well dont you?! (lol)

Joining the Doctor as his assistant in this story is Lindsay Duncan who has previously appeared as Servilia in Rome, and more recently as the Iron Lady in Thatcher, plus staring roles in Shooting the Past, GBH, and curiously as the voice of TC-14 in the Phantom Menace (and not many people probably know that).

Also starring in this episode will be Peter O'Brien who i recall from Neighbours and the Flying Doctors in the 80's, but I expect some of you may know him better from roles in Queer as Folk, Casualty, or the Bill.

Russell T Davies told Dr Who Magazine (issue 407): "Its a particular delight to welcome Peter to Cardiff, because it's ten years since Queer as Folk first aired on Channel 4 - in which Peter played Cameron, the poor soul who had to go out with a Doctor Who-loving boyfriend! Not only that, but he was then dumped in the last episode because he failed to name all the Doctors. Cameron even committed the cardinal sin of referring to the Fifth Doctor as 'the vet'. He had to go! So it's funny to see Peter now running round the corridors of Upper Boat with the Tenth Doctor - but he's loving it, and it's brilliant to see him again."

Also returning to the worlds of Doctor Who are Chook Sibtain (Sarah Jane Adventures) and Alan Ruscoe (tends to play prosthetic monsters in Dr Who), plus Sharon Duncan Brewster (a veteran of Bad Girls and Eastenders), Alexsandar Mikic, Gemma Chan, Cosima Shaw and Michael Goldsmith. More names and roles to come once I get them.

So what can we expect from this episode:

Speaking in Doctor Who magazine issue 407, (prior to the broadcast of Planet of the Dead), RTD had this to say: "The title of 4.16 will be revealed at the end of Planet of the Dead, together with a short-trail in which you'll see excerpts from what promises to be one of our scariest adventures ever. Events are going to darken around the 10th Doctor as he heads towards the end of his tenure, and it all starts in Episode 4.16, (Waters of Mars), as he and his co-stars are plunged into a world of terror. And these days, we can no longer guarantee that the Doctor will escape unscathed! Even at the assembly stage, this story is looking truely thrilling and nightmarish, with just about the best work I have ever seen Graeme Harper do. It'll be worth the wait, I promise."

David Tennant was also interviewed recently in the current edition of the Radio Times (interview taken on 12th February), and said the following hints of what is to come in the next installment:

"When we start on the next script, you can sense the bell tolling for the Tenth Doctor. Something happens in that one that fundamentally alters who the Doctor is and where he is, which is the sort of thing you can only do when you know that you're coming to the end. That's very exciting, and quite sad. This Easter episode is, I suppose, the last hurrah for my Doctor. The end is nigh. You can sense the Grim Reaper knocking on the door. But," he concludes cryptically, "how many times?"

As for your hope of seeing Ice Warriors, Mr Clarke? Well your guess is as good as mine right now. In the original series they weren't the only creatures to claim the Red Planet as their home, as I recall the unnamed alien-ambassadors (from the Pertwee adventure: The Ambassadors of Death) also came from there too. Or maybe this water-related menace from the teaser-trailer is completely unrelated to either species? Let the speculation being.......

[agentofping]

I say again. ICE WARRIORS!!!

AoP

[rogartheranger]

Well here is a web-link (a rather long one too) which will direct you to the BBC's teaser trailer for the Waters of Mars:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/?episode=S0_06&character=&action=videostream&playlist=/doctorwho/playlists/s0_06/video/s0_06_trl_02.xml&video=1&date=&summary=A preview of the next special.&info=&info2=&info3=&tag_file_id=s0_06_trl_02

[rogartheranger]

Some of you may have already seen this, but if you haven't then I recommend that you check out the web-link below for the new trailer to The Waters of Mars which was premiered last week at the San Diego Comic-Con:


http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/videos/?episode=S0_07&character=&action=videostream&playlist=/doctorwho/playlists/s0_07/video/s0_07_trl_04.xml&video=1&date=&summary=&info=&info2=&info3=&tag_file_id=s0_07_trl_04

[Mykilus]

BRAAAAAAIIIIIIINNNNNZZZZZZZZZZZz...........

looks good

[rogartheranger]

According to the BBC press site, the line up for this year’s Children In Need – which is being broadcast on Friday 20 November – will include a preview of the Doctor Who Christmas special. The implication of this news is that we can now safely assume that The Waters of Mars will have to be broadcast on BBC1 before 20th November.

Now if we take this deduction one-step further - I know that the next issue of Doctor Who Magazine - due to be published on Thursday 12th November - will feature a preview of The Waters of Mars. This means that this episode will not be broadcast prior to 12th November. Therefore by process of elimination we are left with the weekend of Saturday 14th November as the likely broadcast date for The Waters of Mars!!!

[kevinrolfe]

you should get out more

[rogartheranger]

Well it turns out that my guesstimate was pretty close in the end as David Tennant has confirmed today that The Waters of Mars will be broadcast on Sunday 15th November at 19:00!!!! The countdown starts here - let the speculation and hype begin!!!

[rogartheranger]

That episode was quite simply SUPERB and well worth the long-wait since Easter Saturday!!!

Just as a reminder - if you fancy a preview of the forthcoming Xmas Special then tune into Children in Need on Friday 20th November (betw 20:00 - 20:30), for a specially packaged sequence from scenes 3 and 4, (which will probably involve the Doctor meeting the Ood).

Following this teaser, the BBC will then commence broadcast of "Dreamland" which is the Doctor Who animated feature (staring David Tennant) - which will begin broadcast over 6 daily episodes from Saturday 21st November to Thursday 26th November on the BBC Red Button and Online. I think the episodes are probably about 7 mins long, and a full broadcast of the complete 42 min feature will be available on the BBC in early December. That will then leave us with 4 weeks before the first of the Christmas episodes.

Meanwhile on the Torchwood front, I am pleased to confirm that a 4th Series has now been commissioned and so Capt Jack will be back again in the not too distant future (hurrah!)

[kevinrolfe]

Torchwood season 4 sweeeeeeeeeeeeet

[Mykilus]

An excellent episode...... However,
If the Dalek did not kill the young Adele Brook because it knew that she was a fixed point in time, then surly
it must have known that the Daleks/Davros`s plan was doomed too failiar......
Did anyone else notice in the trailer for Dreamland that the alien ship that is seen flying over the earth is the same design as the one built the nanites in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Myke

[rogartheranger]

In answer to your question about the Dreamland trailer Myke - the similarity in ship design was intentional as there will be a story-link between the animated feature and the nanites from The Sarah-Jane adventures.

[Renny]

However,
If the Dalek did not kill the young Adele Brook because it knew that she was a fixed point in time, then surly
it must have known that the Daleks/Davros`s plan was doomed too failiar......
Myke

Gawd, enough with the nit-picking. I think you risk missing the entire point by looking too hard at single moments like that. I thought it was a very entertaining hour with a strong emotional core. Sometimes we should watch this stuff with better eyes, I think. And anyway, how did you know the Dalek was any more surly than any other ?

[kevinrolfe]

it must have been the sink plunger that was surly !

[Mykilus]

probably because the Delak was messing around with my spill chucker.............

As i said i thought the episode was excellent,And going with a more darker tone with the show has made it that much more enjoyable.(to me at least)I guess as we get older we need better story lines to get more out of it.
As for the nit picking, I will pack my Doctor Who nerd safely away and keep my speculations to myself until Xmass.

Myke

[scarab]

Well if i can put my 2 peneths worth

We attempted to watch the episode with the lights off and in its HD and surround sound glory but it was deemed too scary so the lights had to come on lol.

I have to say i really enjoyed the episode (in fact a alot more than the previous desert episode) i particularly liked the point in the episode when the doctor has finally had enough , even though ultimatley he goes too far .

As for hayden , laura and even ruth they are enjoyed the episode (thumbs up indeed)

Ben
btw hayden and lauras favourite saying for this week is "dont touch the water not even a drop"

[rogartheranger]

Good stuff Ben, I watched the Waters of Mars in HD too, and what a big difference it makes to the picture quality!!! (and yes I kept the lights on as well). I wouldnt be surprised if kids around the country will now be clamouring to scare their friends by standing under dripping shower-heads (whilst spitting out water) so that they can pretend to be infected by the Flood, (errr...or maybe thats just me)! Lol

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