Boxset Extras: Mini Episodes

As with Series 5's Meanwhile in the TARDIS, a collection of mini-episodes will be included with the Series 6 boxset. A short summary of each of the five episodes follows (beware minor spoilers):

• “Night And The Doctor” kicks things off in madcap fashion, as Amy answers a phone call from a British royal, and the Doctor dashes in from a party, dressed in top hat and tails, carrying a goldfish in a bowl – a very important goldfish. Well, so he thinks, anyway… It’s inconsequential fare, but good fun. Arthur Darvill also pops up briefly in this segment, after the Doctor wakes him with a cry of “Rory, she’s having an emotion!”

• “Good Night” is this reviewer’s favourite of the bunch (and, at nearly five minutes, the longest). A rather touching two-hander between Smith and Gillan, it sees Amy trying to talk to the Doctor about the fact that “her life makes no sense” (about time too!), and the Doctor taking her to “the saddest moment in her life” to meet… well, that would be telling. One neat idea expressed here is that our misremembered memories and feelings of déjà vu are actually side-effects of time being rewritten.

• In “First Night” the Doctor lands in River’s cell during her first night in jail, to take her out for an adventure. Ending on a cliffhanger, it’s really the first part of a two-parter, which concludes in “Last Night”.

• This tale sees Moffat making characteristic use of the possibilities of time travel, and putting them to the services of a timey-wimey miniature farce: at one point, there are three River Songs in the TARDIS… One interesting point we learn is that it was the Doctor who suggested that River keep a diary of their adventures together, and who introduced her to the term “spoilers”. As for the meaning of that title? Well, we won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say it has a very poignant significance…

• Finally, “Up All Night” is stuck on a separate disc from the other mini-episodes, which is initially rather mystifying. All becomes clear when you watch it, as it has absolutely no connection to them. Only a minute long, it was clearly written with the intention of using it as one of the “episode prequels” used to promote the series online. Featuring Craig, Sophie and, er, Stormageddon, it’s set shortly before the events of “Closing Time” and basically establishes the set-up for the episode. Viewed after you’ve seen Gareth Roberts’s episode it is, to be honest, pretty pointless.

Thanks to Time Dragon In The Vortex and The Whoniverse Blog for the heads-up

Own a Pet Bitey

Character Options has announced a pet Bitey, aka Bump and Go Cybermat, coming this October:

Recreate scenes from Series 6, Episode 12, Closing Time with this replica electronic patrolling Cybermat with motorised tail action. Watch as it hunts, patrols and changes direction when it bumps into an object.

Closing Time Tonight!

It's Saturday again, and a new episode of Doctor Who- Closing Time airs tonight! Here's a round-up of trailers and clips:

NEXT TIME

BBC One Trailer

Clips:

CLOSING TIME airs tonight on BBC One at 7.10pm, 9/8C on BBC America, and 8pm on SPACE in the UK, US and Canada respectively. We'll have the next time, (and possibly a TV trailer) prequel and leaked promotional pics for The Wedding of River Song straight after the UK broadcast, so don't look if you don't  want to be spoiled, or want to wait for your country's broadcast to catch the trailer.

Clips from Open All Hours: Doctor Who Confidential

Some clips have been released from the Confidential for Closing Time, entitled Open All Hours:

Details:

Confidential is on set with Matt Smith and his returning co-star James Corden. The two make their very own Doctor Who episode with a difference and talk about the highs and lows of shooting at night -- in a department store, with babies!
Spend the night with Greg James and listen to his insightful, in-depth character profile of his new role.
This week, experience ‘A Day in the Life’ of a Doctor Who location manager, and in Script to Screen, the competition winners get to hang out with Matt Smith on set for the filming of Death is the Only Answer.
Featuring interviews with Matt Smith, James Corden, Greg James, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill.

 Clip one:



Clip two:

Closing Time Promotional Pictures

The BBC has released some promotional pictures for Closing Time by Gareth Roberts:

Teasers for Closing Time

SFX have released some teasers for Closing Time.

1 A slight and frothy episode with a bit of pathos and foreshadowing

2 And when we say slight, we mean slight – the SF plot is virtually non-existent and, unlike its sorta prequel (“The Lodger”), “Closing Time” doesn’t really have a charming, personal tale to tell. There are sweet moments, but no real story

3 Instead it’s more about looking for “telling” parallels and “pertinent” metaphors

4 Clearly the intention is to have some fun between the intensity of previous two episodes and the finale. It is very funny and witty, with some splendid Matt Smith moments but at the expense of virtually all else – there is no sense of threat at all, the monsters are comedy stooges and Craig – so great last time – is a little irritating here

5 However, the foreshadowing does give the episode some gravitas and the final scenes perk things up magnificently

6 There are lots of little “Oooooh” moments as unexpected elements click into place

7 Two people (and one of them’s not Craig) have very surprising career changes

8 There is a potential replacement for K9

9 Stormageddon

10 Freeze frame on a newspaper for some very amusing headlines

11 An enemy from the other side gets a mention

 

12 The Doctor repeats a line first uttered by Patrick Troughton

13 The resolution to the main plot is very cheesy, and even an attempt to de-cheese it doesn’t really work

14 The Doctor appears to have developed another new power which then mysteriously deserts him again when it would be useful

15 The Doctor is here to help, and has a badge to prove it

16 There’s a wonderful moment with the Doctor and someone his complete opposite under the stars

17 There’s the return of a familiar song

18 There’s the return of a familiar song

19 18 was not a mistake. Maybe it’s a double bluff

20 The Doctor has a smashing moment

21 Somebody’s confused between partners and companion

Quotes from Closing Time

CultBox has posted some quotes from Closing Time by Gareth Roberts.

'You don't need to number food.'

'What are you not telling me?

'I've had some wonderful feedback.'

'You always survive.'

'Metal rat, real mouth.'

'I am so old.'

'You can't help who your mates are.'

'I always knew I'd die asking.'

'Well, well, well. You have been busy.'

'You have failed, Doctor.'

Gareth Roberts on Closing Time

In an interview with the official Doctor Who site, Gareth Robets, writer of Closing Time, talks about his episode.

Could you tell us a little bit about your episode?
Gareth Roberts: It's 200 years after The God Complex - for the Doctor, anyway. All the stuff you saw at the very beginning of The Impossible Astronaut, with him waving to Amy through all time and space, he's been doing that.
But time is closing in on him and he can't put off going to Lake Silencio and his doom. But before he does, he thinks he'll make one last social call - and he ends up working in a shop and fighting the Cybermen.

Craig is back! Hurray! Did you always intend to have him return... and how has he changed?
GR: I was thinking of returning to Craig when I knew James had been cast in The Lodger, and even more so when I saw his performance. He and Matt have an amazing on-screen chemistry, and it already felt like he was one of the Who family as it were.
I think it's funny how the Doctor has the two extremes of River Song and Craig in his life - River is so complex and mysterious and Craig is so straightforward and uncomplicated. He hasn't changed that much except that he and Sophie have now got a baby, and Craig is finding it hard being a dad.

You got to write for the Cybermen! You're a professional writer and you've written for Doctor Who many times... but is it still exciting to "work with" such iconic enemies?
GR: Yes! It was my idea to include them as there were no other returning monsters in this series, at least not as the main antagonists. I thought there should be a sense of history about the Doctor's final battle to save Earth before he heads off to meet his death.
The Cybermen are at their scariest, I think, when they're lurking in the shadows like they did back in the 60s, so I tried to bring some of that back to them.

What have you got lined up for the future that you can tell us about / tease us about?
GR: Well - I'm novelizing the 'lost' 1979 story Shada by Douglas Adams. It's been a heck of a job, much harder than I anticipated, but I wanted to do him and his story justice. As for future Doctor Who on tv - well, as far as I know, the Doctor dies in episode 13, so we'll have to wait and see.

Trailers for Closing Time

The Cybermen and Craig Owens return in Closing Time as the Doctor travels alone. Here summary, next time and tv trailers, and an episode discussion by producer Denise Paul. 

In the last few days of his life, the Doctor pays a farewell visit to his old friend Craig, and encounters a mystery. People are going missing, a silver rat scuttles in the shadows of a department store, and somewhere close by the Cybermen are waiting…

Next Time trailer:



TV trailer:



Denise Paul discusses the episode:

Pictures from Closing Time

A Doctor Who TV user has shared some images from episode 12, Closing Time, which will feature James Corden as Craig.

More here.

Title for Episode 13 is not The Wedding

A few days ago, the Daily Star speculated that the title for episode 13 would be The Wedding. It has been confirmed that this is not the case:

From their Twitter account: “The six stories are called Let’s Kill Hitler; Night Terrors; The Girl Who Waited; The God Complex; Closing Time; and something so secret we’re not allowed to say what it is yet. Sorry. It’s 5 words….”

It has been rumoured that the title will be announced tomorrow as The Wedding of River Song, will. This fits the five-word mark, although it is still unconfirmed.

Title for Episode 12 Confirmed

BBC America has confirmed that the title of episode 12 will be called Closing Time, as predicted by the Daily Star. The episode, written by Gareth Roberts, will most likely be a companion-lite episode as was the last episode featuring James Corden as Craig.

James Corden and Matt Smith in The Lodger

The Daily Star article stating this episode would be called Closing Time also predicted episode thirteen would be called The Wedding. This is yet to be confirmed.