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"The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

'', and was broadcast on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

on 23 October 2022. The episode was ordered for the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the launch of the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

, airing five days after. It was written by

Chris Chibnall Christopher Antony Chibnall (born 21 March 1970) is an English television writer and producer, best known as the creator and writer of the award-winning ITV mystery-crime drama ''Broadchurch'' and as a showrunner of the long-running BBC sci-fi ...

, and directed by

Jamie Magnus Stone Jamie Magnus Stone (born 15 December 1985) is a Scottish film director and animator, who studied at the National Film and Television School. He is the son of Sally Magnusson and grandson of Magnus Magnusson and Mamie Baird. Career Stone st ...

Jodie Whittaker Jodie Whittaker (born 17 June 1982) is an English actress who is best known for portraying the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' (2017–2022) and as Beth Latimer in ''Broadchurch'' (2013–2017). She came to prominence ...

stars in her final regular appearance as the

Thirteenth Doctor The Thirteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the fictional protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme, ''Doctor Who''. She is portrayed by English actress Jodie Whittaker, the first woman to portray the character, sta ...

, alongside

Mandip Gill Mandip Kaur Gill (born 5 January 1988) is an English actress. Her first television role came in 2012 when she was cast as Phoebe McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks''. After departing the series in 2015, Gill went on to have guest ro ...

and

John Bishop John Marcus Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former footballer. Bishop formerly played football as a midfielder for Winsford United F.C., Crewe Alexandra F.C., Runcorn F.C., Rhyl F.C., Witton Al ...

as her companions

Yasmin Khan Yasmin Khan is a historian of British India and Associate Professor of History at Kellogg College, Oxford. Education and career Born in 1977 to Pakistani and Anglo-Irish parents in Kingston-upon-Thames, Khan completed her BA in history at S ...

and Dan Lewis, respectively. The episode also features the return of

Jacob Anderson Jacob Basil Anderson (born 18 June 1990) is a British actor and musician. As an actor, he is known for his roles as Grey Worm in '' Game of Thrones'' and Louis de Pointe du Lac in '' Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire'', and his recurrin ...

as Vinder and

Jemma Redgrave Jemima Rebecca Redgrave (born 14 January 1965), known as Jemma Redgrave, is a fourth-generation British actress of the Redgrave family. She played the title character in four series of '' Bramwell'', and has a recurring role in ''Doctor Who'' as ...

Kate Stewart Kate Stewart (born 16 January 1995), also formerly known as KStewart, is an English singer-songwriter. She featured on the vocal version of Oliver Heldens's "Koala", and her song "Ain't Nobody" charted at number 86 on the UK Singles Chart. On ...

, both of whom last appeared in the thirteenth series;

Sacha Dhawan Sacha Dhawan (; born 1 May 1984) is a British actor from Greater Manchester. He is best known for playing Akthar in the play ''The History Boys'' (2004–2006) and its film adaptation (2006), Paul Jatri in the BBC One comedy drama series ''Last ...

as The Master and

Patrick O'Kane Patrick O'Kane is an Irish actor who was born in 1965 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He has been part of the companies of the Royal National Theatre and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. He has appeared in London's West End and at the Abbe ...

as Ashad, both of whom last appeared in the twelfth series; previous companions

Janet Fielding Janet Fielding (born Janet Claire Mahoney; 9 September 1953) is an Australian actress who starred in the BBC science fiction television series '' Doctor Who'' as companion Tegan Jovanka. Early life and career Fielding was born in Brisbane. Aft ...

Tegan Jovanka Tegan Jovanka is a fictional character played by Janet Fielding in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An Australian airline stewardess and a native of Brisbane who was a companion of the Fourth and Fifth ...

and

Sophie Aldred Sophie Aldred (born 20 August 1962) is an English actress and television presenter. She has worked extensively in children's television as a presenter and voice artist. She played the Seventh Doctor's companion, Ace, in the television series ''Do ...

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

. The ending of the episode features

David Tennant David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show '' Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...

, who previously portrayed the

Tenth Doctor The Tenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the main protagonist of the BBC science fiction television franchise ''Doctor Who''. He is played by David Tennant in three series as well as nine specials. As with previous incarnations of the ...

, appearing as the

Fourteenth Doctor The Fourteenth Doctor is the current incarnation of the Doctor, the fictional protagonist of the BBC science fiction television programme, '' Doctor Who''. The Fourteenth Doctor is portrayed by Scottish actor, David Tennant, who previously por ...

Plot

The Doctor and her companions rescue a

bullet train Bullet train may refer to: Rail * Shinkansen high-speed trains of Japan, nicknamed for their appearance and speed * Other high-speed trains of a similar appearance to Japanese trains * An ongoing project to build high-speed rail in India. Rail to ...

in space from a CyberMaster attack, but

Dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoi ...

is nearly killed during the escapade. Having developed a sense of his mortality, Dan parts with the Doctor to get back to living his life. A renegade

Dalek The Daleks ( ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. They were conceived by writer Terry Nation and first appeared in the 1963 ''Doctor Who'' ...

contacts the Doctor, offering information about a Dalek plot to destroy humanity. The Doctor's former companions

and

investigate the abduction of a dozen of the world's leading seismologists and the addition of

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...

's face defacing fifteen famous paintings.

invites the Doctor to

UNIT Unit may refer to: Arts and entertainment * UNIT, a fictional military organization in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' * Unit of action, a discrete piece of action (or beat) in a theatrical presentation Music * ''Unit'' (alb ...

's headquarters to meet Tegan and Ace and discuss their findings. The Doctor clarifies that the new face in the paintings is actually that of the

Master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

, whom she goes to confront. The Doctor learns the Master and his CyberMasters have allied with the Daleks to end humanity in the present by triggering eruptions from all Earth's volcanoes simultaneously. The Doctor meets the renegade Dalek, discovering the other Daleks allowed it to contact her in order to capture her, which they do after killing the traitor. UNIT arrests the Master, who reveals he sent a miniaturised version of Ashad to Tegan, who assumed it was a warning from the Doctor. This enlarges and acts as a portal bringing Ashad and a large number of Cybermen into UNIT HQ, freeing the Master. The Daleks take the Doctor to 1916 Russia and hand her to the Master, who uses

Gallifrey Gallifrey () is a fictional planet in the long-running British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. It is the original home world of the Time Lords, the civilisation to which the protagonist, The Doct ...

an technology and the Qurunx (an enslaved energy being) to force her to regenerate into him. In her mind, the Doctor encounters manifestations of her

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, Fifth, Sixth,

Seventh Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season e ...

, and Eighth incarnations, who inform her it may be possible to undo the forced regeneration with outside help. An AI program the Doctor created, using images of the Fifth, Seventh,

Fugitive A fugitive (or runaway) is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...

, and Thirteenth Doctors, leads Ace to meet with former companion

Graham O'Brien Graham O'Brien is a fictional character created by Chris Chibnall and portrayed by Bradley Walsh in the long-running British sci-fi television series ''Doctor Who''. A retired bus driver from Essex who is in remission from cancer, the character ...

and destroy the Dalek volcano machine, Tegan to destroy the Cyberman converter and CyberMasters in UNIT HQ just as they are about to convert Kate, and Yaz and previous ally Vinder to capture the Master and make him undo the Doctor's transformation. Defeated, the Master mortally wounds the Doctor with the Qurunx's energy beam, causing her to begin regenerating. The Doctor takes Yaz home before departing alone. Yaz attends a support group of former companions including Graham, Dan, Kate, Ace, Tegan,

Ian Chesterton Ian Chesterton is a fictional character in the British science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and a companion (Doctor Who), companion of the First Doctor. He was played in the series by William Russell ( ...

Jo Jones Jonathan David Samuel Jones (October 7, 1911 – September 3, 1985) was an American jazz drummer. A band leader and pioneer in jazz percussion, Jones anchored the Count Basie Orchestra rhythm section from 1934 to 1948. He was sometimes k ...

and

Melanie Bush Mel, also sometimes referred to as Melanie, is a fictional character played by Bonnie Langford in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. A computer programmer from the 20th century who is a companion of the ...

. The Doctor travels to a cliff where she regenerates into the

, who is alarmed to discover he has become physically similar to his tenth incarnation.

Production

Development

"The Power of the Doctor" was written by showrunner and executive producer

, and directed by

. After the first two specials were produced as part of the eight episodes ordered for the thirteenth series, a third feature-length special was later ordered to coincide with the centenary of the BBC and serve as Whittaker's

regeneration Regeneration may refer to: Science and technology * Regeneration (biology), the ability to recreate lost or damaged cells, tissues, organs and limbs * Regeneration (ecology), the ability of ecosystems to regenerate biomass, using photosynthesis ...

episode. The BBC describes the final episode as an "epic blockbuster special". Casting and details of the centenary special, without yet revealing the title or airdate, were released after "

Legend of the Sea Devils "Legend of the Sea Devils" is the second of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was broadcast on BBC One on 17 April 2022. The episode was written by Ella Road and Chris Chibnall, and dire ...

" concluded. The name of the special, "The Power of the Doctor", was announced on 14 September 2022.

Casting

stars as the

in her final episode, alongside

and

as Dan Lewis. The

...
announced Whittaker's and Chibnall's departures from the series in July 2021. A trailer for the special was released in April 2022, and confirmed the return of

as Vinder, and

, both of whom last appeared in the thirteenth series. The Master, played by

, and Ashad, played by

, who both appeared in the twelfth series, also return. The special also sees the return of former companions

, and

portrayed by

, and

Bradley Walsh Bradley John Walsh (born 4 June 1960) is an English actor, comedian, singer, television presenter, and former professional footballer. Walsh is known for his roles as Danny Baldwin in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' (2004–2006), as ...

respectively. The

s and the

Cybermen The Cybermen are a fictional race of cyborgs principally portrayed in the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who''. The Cybermen are a species of space-faring cyborgs who often forcefully and painfully convert human beings ...

also appear. In cameo roles, the

, Fifth, Sixth,

, Eighth, and

Doctors appear. The First Doctor is portrayed by David Bradley, who previously portrayed the character in the episodes "

The Doctor Falls "The Doctor Falls" is the twelfth and final episode of the tenth series of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay, and was broadcast on 1 July 2017 on BBC One. I ...

" and " Twice Upon a Time" (both 2017), as well as portraying the original First Doctor actor

William Hartnell William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the First Doctor, first incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 to 1966. In film, ...

in the bio-drama ''

An Adventure in Space and Time ''An Adventure in Space and Time'' is a 2013 British biographical television film, starring David Bradley, Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDonough, and written by regular ''Doctor Who'' writer Mark Gatiss, it p ...

'' (2013), while the others are played by their respective original actors,

Peter Davison Peter Malcolm Gordon Moffett (born 13 April 1951), known professionally as Peter Davison, is an English actor with many credits in television dramas and sitcoms. He made his television acting debut in 1975 and became famous in 1978 as Tristan ...

Colin Baker Colin Baker (born 8 June 1943) is an English actor who played Paul Merroney in the BBC drama series '' The Brothers'' from 1974 to 1976 and the sixth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running science fiction television series '' Doctor ...

Sylvester McCoy Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith (born 20 August 1943), known professionally as Sylvester McCoy, is a Scottish actor. Gaining prominence as a physical comedian, he became best known for playing the seventh incarnation of the Doctor in the lon ...

Paul McGann Paul John McGann (; born 14 November 1959) is an English actor. He came to prominence for portraying Percy Toplis in the television serial ''The Monocled Mutineer'' (1986), then starred in the dark comedy ''Withnail and I'' (1987), which was a ...

, and

Jo Martin Jo Martin (born 29 April) is a British actress. She played Natalie Crouch in the BBC One sitcom ''The Crouches'', which aired between 2003 and 2005. She joined the cast of ''Holby City'' in 2019 as neurosurgeon Max McGerry. Martin portrayed an ...

. According to Chibnall,

Fourth Doctor The Fourth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is portrayed by Tom Baker. Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time Lord from the ...

actor

Tom Baker Thomas Stewart Baker (born 20 January 1934) is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the Fourth Doctor, fourth incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction television series ''Doctor Wh ...

was invited to appear in the episode but declined.

, who previously portrayed the

, makes a brief appearance as the newly regenerated

. Companions

(née Jo Grant), and

, respectively portrayed by William Russell,

Katy Manning Catherine Ann "Katy" Manning (born 14 October 1946) is an English-Australian actress, television presenter, voice artist and former model. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as th ...

, and

Bonnie Langford Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964) is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series ''Just William''. In the 1980s, she played c ...

, also appear in brief cameos. Russell, who last appeared as Ian in the final episode of '' The Chase'' in 1965, broke the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

for "Longest gap between TV appearances" at .

Filming

"The Power of the Doctor" was filmed throughout September 2021, directed by

, concluding on 13 October 2021. Tennant's appearance was filmed around May 2022, directed by

Rachel Talalay Rachel Talalay (born July 16, 1958) is a British-American film and television director and producer. She is also a University of British Columbia film professor. Early life and education Talalay was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her father Paul T ...

. Returning showrunner

Russell T Davies Stephen Russell Davies (born 27 April 1963), better known as Russell T Davies, is a Welsh screenwriter and television producer whose works include '' Queer as Folk'', '' The Second Coming'', ''Casanova'', the 2005 revival of the BBC One scie ...

scripted the incoming Doctor's appearance, with his first line, a reference to his first words as the

, being suggested by Tennant himself. The background of the regeneration scene, where the Doctor lands the TARDIS atop a stone arch and looks out over the sea, was filmed by drone at

Durdle Door Durdle Door (sometimes written Durdle Dor) is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England.West, I.W., 2003.Durdle Door; Geology of the Dorset Coast. Southampton University, UK. Version H.07.09.03. It is priva ...

in Dorset. The

Lulworth Estate The Lulworth Estate is a country estate located in central south Dorset, England. Its most notable landscape feature is a five-mile stretch of coastline on the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site, including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. ...

was not informed of the context of the scene when granting permission for the shoot, and after the episode's broadcast expressed concern that it would encourage viewers to place themselves in danger. Among the musical cues heard in the episode is "

" by Germany-based pop and Eurodisco group

Boney M Boney M. was a German- Caribbean vocal group that specialized in disco and funk created by German record producer Frank Farian, who was the group's primary songwriter. Originally based in West Germany, the four original members of the group' ...

, originally released in 1978; the Master, as played by Dhawan, portraying the Russian cleric, uses the song to accompany his impending transformation. Dhawan noted that he was given only "one or two takes" for the set piece, "and we didn't have that long to shoot it."

Broadcast and reception

Broadcast

"The Power of the Doctor" was first broadcast on 23 October 2022 as part of the BBC's Centenary celebrations, and is the third and final of the three 2022 specials. The special is 87 minutes long.

Ratings

The episode was watched by 3.71 million viewers overnight, becoming the fourth most-watched programme of the day, with peak viewership reaching 4.04 million. The episode received an

Audience Appreciation Index The Audience Appreciation Index (AI) is an indicator measured from 0 to 100 of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by the B ...

score of 82. The final consolidated ratings for the episode were 5.295 million viewers, making it the fifth most watched programme overall for the week.

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, a

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

website, 100% of seven critics gave "The Power of the Doctor" a positive review, with an average rating of 7.30 out of 10. The ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' and ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'' awarded the episode four out of five stars, the latter calling the episode "an electrifying thrill-ride of non-stop surprises". The ''Houston Press''' review was less positive, calling the episode "an explosive but confusing close" and concluding that "''Doctor Who'' just doesn’t seem to have a present, let alone a future anymore."

Home media

"The Power of the Doctor" received a separate

home media Home media refers to media used for recording, copying, delivery, and playback of various types of entertainment and information in the home. Forms of home media include: * Home video * Magnetic tape * Phonograph record See also * ''Home Media M ...

release in Region 2/B on 7 November 2022, in Region 4/B on 7 December 2022, and in Region 1/A on 13 December 2022. The episode is also included in the 2022 specials home media set released in Region 2/B on 7 November 2022.

Soundtrack

Selected pieces of the score from this special were digitally released on 16 December 2022. A physical CD release containing all 3 soundtracks of the 2022 specials is set for release on 13 January 2023.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Power of the Doctor, The Thirteenth Doctor episodes 2022 British television episodes British television specials Dalek television stories Cybermen television stories The Master (Doctor Who) television stories Doctor Who stories set on Earth Television episodes set in Siberia Television episodes set in Saint Petersburg Television episodes set in Bolivia Doctor Who pseudohistorical serials Television episodes set in the 1910s Fiction set in 1916 Fiction set in 2022 Doctor Who multi-Doctor stories