The Woman Who Fell to Earth

277 – "The Woman Who Fell to Earth"
Doctor Who episode
Promotional image for the episode, displaying Yasmin (Gill), Ryan (Cole), The Doctor (Whittaker), Graham (Walsh) and Grace (Clarke)
Cast
Companions
Others
Production
Directed by Jamie Childs
Written by Chris Chibnall
Script editor Nina Métivier
Produced by Nikki Wilson
Executive producer(s)
  • Chris Chibnall
  • Matt Strevens
  • Sam Hoyle
Incidental music composer Segun Akinola
Series Series 11
Length 63 minutes
Originally broadcast 7 October 2018 (2018-10-07)
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by →
"Twice Upon a Time" "The Ghost Monument"

"The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is the first episode of the eleventh series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Jamie Childs, and was first broadcast on BBC One on 7 October 2018. It stars Jodie Whittaker in her first full appearance as the Thirteenth Doctor, and introduces the Doctor's new companions – Bradley Walsh as Graham O'Brien, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan. The episode also guest stars Sharon D. Clarke, Johnny Dixon and Samuel Oatley.

The story focuses on a group of people who come across a new alien threat together within Sheffield, and find themselves banding together with the recently regenerated Doctor, who has been separated from her time machine the TARDIS since the events of "Twice Upon a Time". As the group seek to understand the threat, they find themselves in danger as well, and discover that the recently arrived aliens are planning a hunt upon a single human, leading the Doctor to co-ordinate an attempt to save everyone from danger.

This episode is the first to be led by Chibnall, alongside executive producers Matt Strevens and Sam Hoyle, after Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin stepped down at the conclusion of the tenth series. Chibnall's first episode marks the third era of production in the revived series, following Russell T Davies' tenure as executive producer from 2005–2010, and Moffat's from 2010–2017. Alongside subsequent episodes in the series, the premiere is the first regular episode to be broadcast on Sunday, instead of Saturday as had been scheduled for Doctor Who since its revival, and is the only episode in the revived era of the programme not to feature any opening titles or credits. Since its first broadcast in the UK, the episode has received positive reviews from critics, as well as an overnight rating of 8.20 million viewers, the highest since "The Time of the Doctor" (2013).

Plot

Ryan, a dyspraxic young man, struggles to ride a bike and throws it off a hill in frustration. Searching for it, he interacts with some strange lights, causing a blue pod to appear. Concerned, Ryan calls the police, receiving help from PC Yasmin Khan, an old school friend. Meanwhile, Ryan’s grandmother, Grace, her husband, Graham, and another passenger, crane operator Karl, find themselves trapped onboard their train with a floating orb of writhing tentacles and electricity. Grace phones Ryan, leading him and Yasmin to head for the train, arriving just as the Doctor suddenly falls through the carriage ceiling. The orb departs after hitting everyone with an energy bolt.

Karl leaves, but the others follow the Doctor, who suffers from post-regeneration amnesia. She discovers the orb implanted DNA destroying bombs into the group, liable to explode at any time. Finding the pod has disappeared, they track it down to a warehouse, whose owner took it upon connecting it with the disappearance of their sister, only to be killed when a second alien emerged from it. The Doctor, missing her sonic screwdriver, constructs another from spare parts. The group intercepts the orb creature, finding it to be a mass of biological data-gathering coils, shortly before the second alien arrives for it, revealing themselves as Tzim-Sha of the Stenza – a warrior race who hunt humans for sport. Furious of his people's actions, the Doctor demands him leave the planet. Tzim-Sha ignores this, collecting the data of his target, Karl, from the coils, and teleporting away.

The group track down Karl to a construction yard. The Doctor, Ryan, and Yasmin climb another crane to save Karl, before Tzim-Sha can reach him. Tzim-Sha captures Karl, but the Doctor, recalling her identity, orders Tzim-Sha to leave him, or face losing the pod's recall device and being stranded on Earth. Tzim-Sha detonates the DNA bombs, but the Doctor reveals that she transferred the bombs into the coils, which were then unwittingly self-implanted into Tzim-Sha when he downloaded the data. The Doctor thrusts the recall device at Tzim-Sha and he transports himself away. Grace successfully destroys the coils but is fatally injured after falling from the crane.

Following Grace's funeral, the Doctor tells the group she must find the TARDIS. After building a teleport, she bids the group goodbye, but inadvertently brings them with her into deep space.

Production

Development

It was announced in January 2016 that the tenth series would be Moffat's final series as executive producer and head writer, after seven years as showrunner, for which he was replaced in the role by Chris Chibnall in 2018.[1] Matt Strevens serves as executive producer alongside Chibnall, as well as Sam Hoyle.[2][3]

A new logo was unveiled at the BBC Worldwide showcase on 20 February 2018. This logo was designed by the creative agency Little Hawk, who also created a stylized insignia of the word "who" enclosed in a circle with an intersecting line, typically used for social media accounts.[4] Murray Gold announced in February 2018 that he would step down as the programme's composer, having served as the musical director since 2005, and that he would not be composing the music for the eleventh series.[5] On 26 June 2018, producer Chris Chibnall announced that the musical score for the eleventh series would be provided by Royal Birmingham Conservatoire alumnus Segun Akinola.[6]

Casting

Whittaker at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con, where she promoted her first full series.

The episode introduces Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Her predecessor Peter Capaldi departed from his role as the Twelfth Doctor after the tenth series, having played the role for three series.[7] His final appearance was in the 2017 Christmas special, "Twice Upon a Time".[8] Moffat stated in February 2017 that Chibnall tried to persuade the actor to continue into the eleventh series, but despite this, Capaldi still decided to depart.[9]

The search for the actor to portray the Thirteenth Doctor, led by Chibnall, began later in 2017, after he completed work on the third series of the ITV series Broadchurch, for which he is also the head writer and executive producer. Chibnall had the final say on the actor, although the decision also involved Charlotte Moore and Piers Wenger, the director of content and head of drama for the BBC respectively.[10] Media reports and bookmakers speculated as to who would replace Capaldi as the Thirteenth Doctor, with Ben Whishaw and Kris Marshall among the most popular predictions.[11] On 16 July 2017, it was announced after the 2017 Wimbledon Championships men's finals that Whittaker would portray the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor.[7]

The episode also introduces a new set of companions, including Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, and Mandip Gill as Graham O'Brien, Ryan Sinclair and Yasmin Khan, respectively.[12][13] Actress Sharon D. Clarke also appears as Ryan's grandmother and Graham's wife, Grace.[12][14][15] The episode also guest stars Johnny Dixon and Samuel Oatley.[16][17]

Filming

Jamie Childs directed the first and seventh episode of the series in the opening production block, having directed Whittaker's introduction video as the Thirteenth Doctor.[3][18]

Pre-production for the eleventh series began in late October 2017.[3] After filming for the series was expected to begin in late 2017,[10][2][19] it officially began with the first episode in November 2017.[20] The eleventh series was shot using Cooke and Angénieux anamorphic lenses for the first time in the series' history, a creative decision made in order to make the show look more cinematic.[21]

Promotion

The first teaser for the series was released during the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on 15 July 2018, almost exactly a year after the announcement of Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor.[22][7] Whittaker, Gill, Cole, Chibnall and Strevens promoted the show with a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on 19 July 2018,[23] where the first trailer was released.[24]

Broadcast and reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)8.37[25]
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)90%[25]
Review scores
SourceRating
Daily Mirror[26]
IGN8.7[27]
IndieWireB-[28]
New York Magazine[29]
New York Post[30]
Radio Times[31]
The A.V. ClubB[32]
The Telegraph[33]
The Guardian[34]
The Independent[35]
TV Fanatic[36]

Television

As the "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" was the premiere episode of the eleventh series, it was aired for an extended broadcast length, like previous series' premieres, for a total of 63 minutes,[19][37] with a broadcast both in the United Kingdom on BBC One, and United States on BBC America.[38] The premiere episode of the eleventh series featured neither opening titles or credits, and is the only episode of the "revived" era to begin without either of these – while episodes such as "The Day of the Doctor" (2013) and "Sleep No More" (2015) were created with a similar lack of these, they featured either a modified title sequence or opening credit sequence.[39][40]

Cinemas

The premiere of the new series was held at Light Cinema in Sheffield on 24 September 2018, as part of a red carpet event for the episode and eleventh series.[41][42] "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" was released in the Brazilian cinemas on 7 October 2018,[43] in Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Kazakhstani and Azerbaijani cinemas on 7–8 October,[44] in select Australian cinemas on 8 October,[45] and in the United States on 10–11 October.[46]

Ratings

The episode was watched by 8.20 million viewers overnight, making it the highest overnight viewership since "The Time of the Doctor" (2013), which received 8.30 million overnight viewers. The episode also had an audience share of 40.1%.[47][48] Additionally, it marked the highest overnight figure for a series premiere since "Partners in Crime" (2008), the opening episode of the fourth series; which achieved 8.40 million viewers.[49]

Critical reception

The episode currently holds a score of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 8.37. The site's consensus reads "Jodie Whittaker easily embodies the best of the titular time traveler in 'The Woman Who Fell to Earth' and proves that change can be a very, very good thing."[25]

Home media

"The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is set to be receive a standalone DVD release in Region 4.[50]

References

  1. ↑ Dowell, Ben (22 January 2016). "Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat quits to be replaced by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall". Radio Times. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Everything we know so far about 'Doctor Who' Season 11". CultBox. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Sandwell, Ian (27 October 2017). "Doctor Who series 11 lands its first director as work gets under way on Jodie Whittaker's debut". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Fullerton, Huw (20 February 2018). "New Doctor Who logo revealed for Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor era". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  5. ↑ O'Connor, Rory (20 February 2018). "Doctor Who: Bradley Walsh WON'T work with two big stars after they confirm their exits". Express. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  6. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan (26 June 2018). "Doctor Who series 11 composer has been revealed". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 "Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker is to replace Peter Capaldi in the Time Lord regeneration game". The Telegraph. 16 July 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  8. ↑ "Peter Capaldi announces he will stand down as Doctor Who at the end of the year". BBC. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  9. ↑ "Steven Moffat: Chris Chibnall tried to persuade Peter Capaldi to stay on Doctor Who". Radio Times. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  10. 1 2 Dowell, Ben (31 January 2017). "New Doctor Who boss Chris Chibnall will lead the hunt for Peter Capaldi's replacement". Radio Times. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Littlejohn, Georgina (8 February 2017). "WHO WILL BE WHO? Who will be the next Doctor Who? Latest odds on who will replace Peter Capaldi, from Richard Ayoade to Olivia Coleman". The Sun. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  12. 1 2 "Doctor Who: Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill and Sharon D Clarke join Jodie Whittaker as regular cast members". Radio Times. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  13. ↑ McHenry, Jackson (19 July 2018). "Jodie Whittaker Wakes Up in Doctor Who's Comic-Con Trailer". Vulture. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Doctor Who spoilers: Sharon D Clarke spills on Bradley Walsh in new series". Metro UK. 26 March 2018.
  15. ↑ Chibnall, Chris (18 September 2018). ""My Doctor Who Manifesto"". Radio Times: 18.
  16. ↑ Marcus (18 September 2018). "Series 11 – New Images and Infomation". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "Doctor Who – Series 11 – Episode 1 The Woman who Fell to Earth". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  18. ↑ "Sarah Davies 1st Assistant Director" (PDF). Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  19. 1 2 "Doctor Who: Bradley Walsh among new cast members". BBC News. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
  20. ↑ Davies, Megan (12 November 2017). "Bradley Walsh confirms he starts work on Doctor Who next week". DigitalSpy. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  21. ↑ Strauss, Will. "Films at 59 supplies filmic kit for the next Doctor Who". Broadcast. Broadcast. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  22. ↑ Jeffery, Morgan. "Doctor Who series 11's first official trailer will air during the World Cup final". digitalspy.com. Digital Spy. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  23. ↑ "Doctor Who Comic-Con panel details revealed". RadioTimes.
  24. ↑ Schaefer, Sandy. "Doctor Who Season 11 Trailer & Poster: New Faces, New Worlds". screenrant.com. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  25. 1 2 3 "Doctor Who – Season 11, Episode 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  26. ↑ Hyland, Ian (7 October 2018). "Jodie Whittaker is a hit as first female Doctor Who but Lord, is the time wrong". mirror. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  27. ↑ Lavin, Lauren (7 October 2018). "Doctor Who Season 13 Premiere Review". IGN. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  28. ↑ Nguyen, Hanh (7 October 2018). "'Doctor Who' Review: New Doctor Jodie Whittaker Is Remarkable, but Her First Episode Is Not". IndieWire. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  29. ↑ Ruediger, Ross. "Doctor Who Season Premiere Recap: Stranger in the Night". Vulture. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  30. ↑ "Gender swap, diversity and wit rekindle 'Doctor Who'". New York Post. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  31. ↑ "Doctor Who series 11: The Woman Who Fell to Earth review – 'Jodie Whittaker is exactly the regeneration this show needed'". Radio Times. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  32. ↑ Siede, Caroline (7 October 2018). "Doctor Who boldly goes into a whole new era". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  33. ↑ Hogan, Michael (7 October 2018). "Doctor Who series 11, episode 1: The Woman Who Fell to Earth review: Jodie Whittaker shines in flawed but fun Doctor Who debut". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  34. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (7 October 2018). "Doctor Who review: great Jodie Whittaker debuts in new series with heart(s) and soul". the Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  35. ↑ "Doctor Who, The Woman Who Fell To Earth, review: Jodie Whittaker delivers blockbuster performance as BBC sends out statement to Netflix". The Independent. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  36. ↑ "Doctor Who Season 11 Episode 1 Review: The Woman Who Fell To Earth". TV Fanatic. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  37. ↑ "Doctor Who – how long is the new series? Extra-long opening episode for Jodie Whittaker's Doctor". Radio Times. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  38. ↑ Marcus (5 September 2018). "Doctor Who Back on Sunday 7 October". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  39. ↑ Amaya, Erik (7 October 2018). "Doctor Who: What's Old and What's New in Season 11's Premiere". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  40. ↑ Kelly, Stephen (8 October 2018). "13 questions (and some answers) we have about Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who debut". Radio Times. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  41. ↑ Marcus (12 September 2018). "Doctor Who: Red Carpet Experience". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  42. ↑ Youngs, Ian (24 September 2018). "Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker lands in Sheffield for red carpet premiere". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  43. ↑ "Doctor Who | Estreia da temporada 11 será transmitida nos cinemas do Brasil". Omelete (in Portuguese). 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  44. ↑ "Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth". CoolConnections. Retrieved 14 October 2018.
  45. ↑ Marcus (12 September 2018). "Doctor Who Hits Australian Cinemas". Doctor Who News. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  46. ↑ Collis, Clark (27 September 2018). "Doctor Who season 11 premiere to screen in cinemas". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  47. ↑ "Doctor Who Series 11 (2018) UK Ratings Accumulator". Doctor Who TV. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  48. ↑ "Most Viewed Xmas Special 2005–2013". Doctor Who TV. 2 January 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
  49. ↑ "Whittaker debuts with new Doctor Who high". BBC News. 8 October 2018.
  50. ↑ "Doctor Who – The Woman Who Fell To Earth". Sanity. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
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