'The Night of the Doctor' by Steven Moffat

“The universe stands on the brink. Will you let it fall?” – High Priestess Ohila

Aboard a stricken gunship the pilot, Cass, desperately tries in vain to regain control of her ship before it crashes into the planet below. To her surprise a man appears in the cockpit; introducing himself as the Doctor, he grabs her hand and urges her to the back of the stricken vessel, where his own ship waits to rescue them. However, on hearing that his blue box is bigger on the inside, Cass pulls away – she has realised the Doctor is a Time Lord, and wants nothing to do with a member of the race that is currently waging a terrible Time War against the Daleks. The Doctor attempts to convince Cass that he is not involved in the war, but Cass refuses to listen; stepping back, she seals the bulkhead between them. The gunship smashes into the surface of the planet, killing both its occupants. The crash is witnessed by a coven of women in a nearby cave; they pull the Doctor’s corpse from the wreckage and take him back to their temple… Sometime later, the Doctor awakes to find himself very much alive. Seeing the group of women before him, the Time Lord immediately recognises them as the Sisterhood of Karn, the Keepers of the Flame of Eternal Life. Their High Priestess, Ohila, tells the Doctor that they have restored him using their Elixir of Life – but only for four minutes. She then offers the Doctor a choice of potions to trigger his next regeneration: fast or strong, wise or angry, whatever he requires for his next body. As Cass’ lifeless corpse is brought into the temple by some of the Sisters, Ohila urges the Doctor to take action and end the Time War. The Doctor refuses, but on seeing Cass, he realises he has no choice: he must become a warrior. Ohila hands the Doctor the potion she herself made, and then she and her sisters hurriedly leave. After uttering the names of his former companions in salute and then apologising to Cass, the Doctor grimly raises the goblet to his lips and drinks – triggering his regeneration. The Time Lord who now stands takes up Cass’ gun belt and puts it over his shoulder; then, looking the reflection of his new face in the surface of the goblet, he declares that he is the Doctor no more…


Paul McGann (The Doctor), Emma Campbell-Jones (Cass), Clare Higgins (Ohila), John Hurt (The War Doctor)

Directed by John Hayes
Produced by Denise Paul
Series Producer Marcus Wilson
Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Caroline Skinner
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC Website):
14th November 2013

TX (BBC Red Button):
• 16th November @ 7.30-9.55pm and 10.30-11.45pm
• 17th November @ 6.30-9.55pm
• 18th November @ 7.00-10.30pm
• 19th November @ 9.30pm-Midnight
• 20th November @ Midnight-7.00 am and 7.30pm-Midnight
• 21st November @ Midnight-7.00am and 5.30-8.10pm and 10.00pm-Midnight
• 22nd November @ Midnight-7.00am and 7.30pm-Midnight
• 23rd November @ Midnight-2.30pm and 6.00-7.45pm

Notes:
*Featuring the Eighth Doctor, and introducing the War Doctor

*This six-minute and forty-five-seconds mini episode was made available on the BBC's official website on 14th November, and later on the Red Button service from 16th to 23rd November

*The Doctor mentions Charley, C’Rizz, Lucy, Tamsin and Molly – his companions from the ‘Big Finish’ Eighth Doctor audio adventures