'Music of the Spheres' a.k.a. 'The Proms Cutaway' by Russell T. Davies

Lounging on the floor of the TARDIS console room, the Doctor is happily writing a musical score when his muse is rudely interrupted by the arrival of an intruder, as a diminutive alien Graske materialises on board, taking advantage of the fact that the time-space vessel’s defences have been dropped. When the Graske remarks on the beautiful sound that can be heard playing throughout the ship, the Doctor explains that it is the ‘Music of the Spheres’ – the sound of planets, suns and galaxies turning, as filtered through the TARDIS’ harmonics system. The Graske informs the Doctor that it has come to warm him of danger: a space portal has opened inside the TARDIS. Looking through the rift in space and time, the Doctor is astonished to see the interior of London’s Royal Albert Hall, where the Proms are in progress. After saying hello to the bemused audience, the Doctor decides to send the orchestra a composition of his own, ‘Ode to the Universe’, a symphony inspired by the music of the spheres. After throwing the papers of his manuscript through the portal, the Doctor conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the world premiere of his symphony, a somewhat eclectic and cacophonous piece of music… However, the Doctor’s pride at his musical brilliance is short-lived: the Graske has taken advantage of the portal to slip through to the Albert Hall, where it is now causing a commotion with a water pistol stolen from the Doctor. Realising that the Graske’s warning was just a trick to allow the creature to escape to Earth and cause trouble, the Doctor reverses the neutron flow of the portal, pulling the Graske back inside the TARDIS; the Time Lord then reverse flips the alien’s teleport system, sending the Graske to the other side of the galaxy. The threat over, the Doctor prepares to close the portal; bidding goodbye to the Proms audience, he reminds them that not only is the music of the spheres all around them, but it is inside each of them too…

David Tennant (The Doctor), Jimmy Vee (The Graske), Philip Hurd-Wood (Voice of the Graske)

Directed by Euros Lyn
Produced by Catrin Lewis Defis
Executive Producers Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC Radio 3):
27th July 2008 @ 11:41 am
(Within 'The Proms'-'Doctor Who' concert, 11:00 am - 1:11 pm)

TX (BBC 1):
1st January 2009 @ 2.10 pm
(Within 'The Proms'-'Doctor Who' concert, 1:50 am - 2:50 pm)

Notes:
*Featuring the Tenth Doctor

*This specially-written mini-episode was seven minutes long

*The concert itself was held at the Royal Albert Hall, and presented by Freema Agyeman, with guests Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri and Catherine Tate, plus Ood, Judoon, Cybermen, Daleks and Davros

*The theme for the concert was 'Time and Space', and the line up was:

- Murray Gold: 'Concert Prologue' (3 mins) - Aaron Copland: 'Fanfare for the Common Man' (3 mins) - Murray Gold: 'All The Strange Strange Creatures' (4 mins) - Mark-Anthony Turnage: 'The Torino Scale' (UK premiere) (4 mins) - Holst: 'The Planets' - 'Jupiter' (8 mins) - Murray Gold: 'The Doctor Forever' (4.30 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Rose' (1.30 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Martha v The Master' (4.30 mins) - 'Music of the Spheres' (including theme original) (7.30 mins) INTERVAL - Wagner: 'Die Walküre - The Ride of the Valkyries' (5 mins) - Murray Gold: 'The Daleks & Davros' (8 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Donna, Girl in Fireplace, Astrid' (4 mins) - Prokofiev: 'Montagues and Capulets' from 'Romeo and Juliet' (5 mins) - Murray Gold: 'This is Gallifrey' (3.30 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Doctor's Theme' / 'Song for Freedom' (5.30 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Doomsday' (5 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Song for Ten' (4 mins) - Murray Gold: 'Doctor Who' Theme (1.30 mins)

*Music was by the Murray Gold Band; the London Philharmonic Choir and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra were conducted by Ben Foster and Stephen Bell; Melanie Pappenheim and Tim Phillips provided vocals

*A one-hour version of this Proms was later transmitted on New Year's Day 2009, on BBC 1 at 1.50pm

*This was the first 'Doctor Who' content to be shown in High Definition (the first full story was 'Planet of the Dead')