The Sound of Drums

"The Sound of Drums" is the twelfth episode of the third series of the revived British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. It was broadcast on BBC One on 23 June 2007. It is the second of three episodes that form a linked narrative, following "Utopia" and followed by "Last of the Time Lords".

In the episode, set in the 21st century, the alien time traveller the Master (John Simm) uses a network of mobile phone satellites to hypnotise the world and influence the population of the United Kingdom into electing him Prime Minister. Following the election, he makes contact with an invading race he calls the Toclafane.

Plot

The Tenth Doctor, Jack, and Martha escape the Futurekind by using Jack's vortex manipulator to return to present-day London. They quickly learn that the Master has taken on the persona of Harold Saxon, and is the newly elected Prime Minister. The Master has created a phone network called Archangel which subliminally influenced the population to vote for him. The three narrowly avoid a bomb placed in Martha's flat and learn that Martha's family has been arrested. The Master contacts them to gloat about his seeming victory, and reveals that the three are wanted criminals.

Hiding in an abandoned building, the Doctor uses parts of Martha's laptop and his TARDIS keys to create perception filters so they can move about unnoticed. He explains some of the Master's past and tells them how, as a child, the Master looked into the time vortex and was driven mad. They see a TV report that the Master is planning to reveal humanity's first contact the next day with an alien race known as the Toclafane. UNIT takes over the meeting and moves it to the flying aircraft carrier ''Valiant''. The Master accepts the changes and boards the ''Valiant'' with his wife Lucy. The Doctor, Martha, and Jack teleport aboard and discover that the TARDIS has been converted by the Master into a Paradox Machine that is building up power to be activated at the appointed time of first contact.

The Doctor, Martha, and Jack enter the bridge of the ''Valiant'' as the first four Toclafane appear on board. The Master orders the Toclafane to kill US President Winters. The Master reveals that he can see around the perception filters, and uses his laser screwdriver to kill Jack and artificially age the Doctor 100 years using Professor Lazarus's genetic manipulation technology, and DNA he took from the Doctor's severed hand (which Jack took aboard the TARDIS). Jack, having been revived, gives Martha his vortex manipulator and tells Martha to get off the ''Valiant''.

The Master brings Martha's family onto the bridge as the Paradox Machine activates. A massive rift opens above the ''Valiant'', allowing six billion Toclafane to descend upon Earth and kill one-tenth of the Earth's population. Martha tends to the aged Doctor, and he whispers into her ear. She uses the vortex manipulator to teleport away, and promises to come back.

Continuity

Whilst the boy Master wears a black-and-white outfit like those worn by the first Time Lords seen on screen, in ''The War Games'' in 1969, the adult Time Lords are depicted dressed in the ceremonial robes first seen in ''The Deadly Assassin'' in 1976. Created by then BBC staff designer James Acheson prior to his film career, the huge stiff collars of these outfits remained the distinctive look for officials of the Doctor's race. The collars used were the originals, on loan from the Doctor Who Exhibition in Blackpool.

The Seal of Rassilon—the equally well-established Gallifreyan symbol employed by Acheson (originally in the non-Time Lord-related ''Revenge of the Cybermen'')—appears here for the first time since its prominent use in the television movie.

When talking to the world's press cameras toward the end of the episode, the Master begins his speech "Peoples of the Earth, please attend carefully." This paraphrases part of a speech he gave in episode four of ''Logopolis'' (1981), which began "Peoples of the Universe, please attend carefully."

The Master refers to his wife, Lucy Saxon, as his faithful " companion", a title regularly assumed by the travelling partners of the Doctor.

The Master is shown enjoying an episode of ''Teletubbies'', continuing a fascination with children's television first seen in ''The Sea Devils'' (1972), when he was shown watching ''Clangers''. He wryly analyses both series' characters, remarking how amazing it would be if they were real.

When confronting Lucy about her husband's fictitious life history, Vivien Rook refers to the fall of Harriet Jones, who first appeared as an MP in " Aliens of London" before being elected Prime Minister by the time of "The Christmas Invasion". Although that episode hinted at her downfall due to the Doctor's intervention (due to her having a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons), this episode confirms it, mentioned as being at the same point that the Master appeared.

In his first cabinet session, the Master refers to the reconstruction of the Cabinet Rooms and Downing Street, which were destroyed at the climax of "World War Three".

Martha's television is branded Magpie Electricals—this company originally rented and sold televisions manufactured by other companies in the 1950s, as seen in " The Idiot's Lantern".

The Master reveals that he was responsible for Tish getting the job working for Professor Lazarus—whose work he was funding—in "The Lazarus Experiment", hoping to trap the Doctor and Martha. In that episode a circular symbol can be seen throughout the main building featured, the same symbol is visible as being part of the Master's ring in this episode, a hint that he is connected to the Lazarus project. He has since incorporated the genetic manipulation technology into his new laser screwdriver.

The Doctor had previously been prematurely aged in ''The Leisure Hive'' (1980).

This is the first episode in which it is explicitly established that the TARDIS' anachronistic nature goes largely unnoticed in part due to its "perception filter". This was previously hinted by ''Torchwood'' episode " Everything Changes", where it was explained that this property of the TARDIS had been welded to a pavement slab. The second use of the term was in "Human Nature" where the Doctor noted that his TARDIS could place one on his fob watch.

US President Winters states that UNIT protocols for alien first contact were established in 1968; this was the year UNIT was introduced to the series in '' The Invasion''.

Winters, the President of the United States, refers to himself as "President-elect".

The Doctor makes reference to having to end the Time War. This is echoed in "The Satan Pit" when the Beast calls the Doctor the "killer of his own kind", suggesting explicitly the Doctor's involvement with the destruction of all the Time Lords in the last great Time War. This is also alluded to in "Journey's End" to a lesser extent, and "The End of Time". In "The Day of the Doctor" it's later revealed that the Tenth Doctor had a hand in it as well as his past War Doctor incarnation and his future eleventh incarnation, but that things didn't end as he had previously believed.

The Master, as Saxon, offers Lucy Saxon a Jelly Baby whilst inside the Valiant. These were a favourite sweet of the Fourth Doctor and the Master offers them to his wife in a similar way.

"Vote Saxon" posters also appear at various points throughout Series 3 and at least once in the ''Torchwood'' episode " Captain Jack Harkness".

Outside references

Writing in the episode's BBC Fact File, Peter Ware observes that the Master's introduction of the Jones family as having come "all the way from prison" is similar to the style used in the TV show '' This Is Your Life''.

When the Master addresses the nation, he opens with 'Britain, Britain, Britain'. This is a reference to the popular British comedy '' Little Britain'', which opened with Tom Baker's narrator saying the same. Tom Baker also played The Fourth Doctor.

Production and publicity

This episode, along with "Utopia" and "Last of the Time Lords", are treated in several sources as a three-part story, the first such story in the revived series of ''Doctor Who''. However, Russell T Davies has said that he regards "Utopia" as a separate story, but notes that the determination is arbitrary.

Some of the car action sequences in this episode were filmed by Freema Agyeman herself rather than a stunt double, and took place at Harbour View Road, Penarth. David Tennant's makeup in which he is aged 100 years was inspired by the First Doctor, William Hartnell.

The episode was advertised on BBC
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