Doctor Who: The Cancelled Years - The Definitive Edition | Season 37

The last ten years had been nothing short of a roller coaster for Doctor Who. From very narrowly avoiding the chopping block, to earning new found respect from the general public once again, it's safe to say that the 1990s had been a saving grace for the show.

As the year 2000 began, at the dawn of a new century, there was no doubt that Doctor Who would return for new adventures. But, with the promise of not only a new Doctor, but a new showrunner, writer Russell T Davies, there was potential for the show to go under a great regeneration, with many left wondering: What will become of Doctor Who in the 21st century?

2000 marked a clean slate for Doctor Who, with the debut of a new Doctor & new production team, led by head writer, Russell T Davies. Davies, while immensely respecting the outgoing era, wished to move the show away from the heavy Star Trek inspired ness of the Bonneville era, & wanted to shift a bit more focus on the characters, something which had slowly been integrated into the show since the McCoy era, while also introducing a sense of edginess, which was present in similar shows that caught the attention of young adults, such as the immensely popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was often seen as a rival show to Who.

A major element of this radical shake-up would be the Tenth Doctor. For the new Doctor, Davies wanted someone young, but also someone who could convey the character of the Doctor. After several screen tests & recommendations from agents, Davies found his leading man in the form of actor Aidan Gillen. At the time of his casting, Gillen was already on Russell's radar, after having played Stuart in Davies' own Queer as Folk.

With the new Doctor cast, Davies & Gillen set about crafting the character of the Tenth Doctor. It was decided that his new Doctor would be a much more human Doctor than his recent predecessors. He would often drop pop culture references & would often crack jokes. In an attempt to further explore his more human persona, it was also decided by Russell that a potential relationship could be formed with the new Doctor & his current companion, Jean Robinson. When news of this potential development was announced, there was a swarm of anger & disapproval from the fanbase, who believed this totally went against the Doctor's asexuality.

Another radical departure would be the new Doctors costume. Gone was the classic Edwardian silhouette of the Doctor. In its place was arguably the most ordinary outfit the Doctor had ever worn. A white t-shirt, with a dark navy blue leather jacket, denim trousers, brown shoes & a brown leather satchel, this Doctor's outfit was arguably the most down-to-earth outfit ever worn by the eccentric Time Lord. Like the change in character, this also caused major backlash from fans.

Behind the scenes, further extensive changes were made for the new Season. A new logo was commissioned for the first time since 1993. This would be the first non-stacked logo & would instead be a single line, although a stacked version would be used on certain merchandise. To go alongside this new logo would be a new title sequence. This time, the titles would feature a mix of both space travel & vortex travel, with a consistent colour scheme of green. A new arrangement of the theme tune would be made, composed by the shows new & only composer, Murray Gold, after it was decided to abandon the practise of having several composers working on the show & instead have a singular composer for every episode.

(CLICK ME TO VIEW THE SEASON 37-40 TITLE SEQUENCE)

The show's format & episode count had been majorly tweaked. The episode count was slightly increased from 12 to 13. However, there would now be 10 stories per season; with 7 single-parters & 3 two-parters. Also, the shows aspect ratio was updated from 4:3 to 16:9, which was becoming more standard for TV shows in the early 2000s.

With single 45-minute adventures being the norm now, Russell decided that he needed a way to stop the episodes from slowing down. A complaint he had with the 45-minute rule was that it often resulted in stories having awkward pacing whenever the Doctor was either stuck in a tricky situation, such as being accused of being a spy. Therefore, he decided to reintroduce the Sonic Screwdriver to the show. The sonic, while still retaining its original silhouette, was given a noticeable redesign. Another addition to the script would be the Psychic Paper, which allows the Doctor to get past the whole "accused of being a spy" trope, as it makes people see the Doctor's identity as whoever they want to see.

This season, like all since 1995, would've been produced by Carnival Films. However, after some negotiation between Carnival & the BBC, the decision was made that the show would now be co-produced by Carnival Films & BBC Wales.

Finally, there was an increase of Executive Producers working on the show. These included Russell T Davies, being the head writer, Matthew Robinson, the head of Drama of BBC Wales, who'd previously worked on Doctor Who as a director in the mid 80s, as well as Mal Young, the head of Drama at the BBC. Initially, Russell wished to bring in Nicola Shindler, who'd worked with Russell on Queer as Folk, as producer. However, with Shindler recently establishing her production company, Red Production Company, she declined. The gig therefore went to relatively new producer, Ann Harrison-Baxter

THE BLOOD WARRIORS

WRITTEN BY: Russell T Davies
DIRECTED BY: Brian Grant
PARTS: 1

The Blood Warriors would've been set in modern day London. The story sees the TARDIS landing in London, before we see the new Doctor step outside & examine where he's landed. Jean tries to calm the Doctor down, before he falls unconscious & collapses to the ground. Not knowing what to do, Jean brings the Doctor back inside the TARDIS, where she rests him on a chair.

The Doctor soon recovers, where he tells Jean that his mind is still healing & that he needs help. He then gives Jean to contact UNIT on the TARDIS console, telling her to get through to Brigadier Winifred Bambera & tell her it's Code Palingenesis. Jean turns to the console & makes contact with Bambera, who tells Jean to stay inside the TARDIS & that a squad is on their way. However, when Jean turns back round, the Doctor has vanished.

Cut to the TARDIS wardrobe, where we see the Doctor throwing his old coat & waistcoat off & digging through rows of hanging clothes in search of a new outfit. He eventually settles on a leather jacket, denim trousers & a plain t-shirt. He whips the coat on & feels inside his pockets, where he finds a black ID paper in a leather casing. He identifies it as a 'Psychic Paper' & says it could be useful.

Then cut to the streets of London, where we see a UNIT jeep, with Bambera at the wheel, driving around London in search of the TARDIS. The ground begins to tremble a little; then it begins to tremble more. Then suddenly, the ground violently trembles. Then.... *CRASH* - every window & mirror shatters into shards. We cut to a shot of the sky, where we see a spaceship, looking like a giant chunk of rock, entering Earth's atmosphere.

Cut back to the TARDIS interior, where we see the Doctor enter the console room, delighted to see Jean. Jean slaps the Doctor & says he had her worried. The TARDIS scanner begins to blare, warning the Doctor that an unidentified ship has entered Earth's atmosphere. Jean tells the Doctor that UNIT is on their way, with the Doctor saying that they'll be useful in a time of invasion. The Doctor pulls the lever to open the TARDIS door, before the TARDIS gifts the Doctor a brand new Sonic Screwdriver. The Doctor is thrilled to finally have a new Sonic, before he pockets it & he & Jean exit the TARDIS.

Upon exiting the TARDIS, they're greeted by 2 UNIT Jeeps, with Bambera coming out to greet them. The Doctor says that he's sorry for wasting her time, as he's recovered from his post-regeneration quicker than he expected, but says that it looks like he'll still need her help, before looking up into the sky at the alien ship.

We then see the Doctor & Jean taken to UNIT HQ where they work with UNIT to identify the ship & the aliens onboard. Through some character interactions, we see that Bambera approves of the Doctor's new face, as well as learning that she's been promoted to Major General. We also see that Jean feels comfortable trusting the new Doctor, although she's unsure on what type of man he is now & how he'll react differently to the old Doctor, as well as directly comparing the new Doctor to the old one.

Eventually, the Doctor is able to identify the ship as a Morten Carrier, and identifies the invaders as the Mortem - a race of Vampire-esque Viking Warriors. The Mortem make contact with UNIT, with their leader, Great King Maxwell XIV, demanding that Earth surrender to the Mortem. Despite the Doctor's insistence that he handle this, Bambera replies to Maxwell, stating that the planet is armed & will fight the Mortem. Maxwell says he accepts their challenge, before communications go down. Then suddenly, we see armies of Mortem being zapped down to Earth, where they proceed to try & fight the humans, as well as bite some of their necks & convert them into Mortem.

The Doctor tells Bambera off, before saying that he only knows of one way to defeat the Mortem. He re-establishes communications with Maxwell, where he speaks in an alien language (translated by a UNIT Scientist using a device) & challenges Maxwell to a duel of the minds. Maxwell laughs & strikes his staff into the ground. We then see a blue glow encase the Doctor, Jean & Bambera, as they're teleported aboard the Morten Carrier.

The Doctor explains to Jean & Bambera that the only way to defeat the Mortem is to banish them from Earth, which can only be done by a warrior mightier than them. However, the only way to prove that one is more powerful than a Mortem King is through a duel of the minds - where the minds of the King & the challenger are joined together & thrown into a sword fight to the death. We see the Doctor & Maxwell rest their heads on a machine, where their minds are plugged in & connected.

We then see the Doctor & Mortem King standing alone in a black void. Two swords materialise from thin air. They grabbed their swords & ready themselves. The chime of an ancient Gong echoes through the void & the fight commences. We see the two of them thrown into a big sword fight. Initially, Maxwell appears to be better than the Doctor, to the point where he nearly gets his head chopped off. However, the Doctor is eventually able to overpower Maxwell & pin him down to the ground. The Doctor tells Maxwell that he will spare his life, but on the condition that his Battalion leave Earth & never return. Maxwell ultimately agrees & surrenders his life to the Doctor.

With the fight won, we cut back to reality, where the Doctor & Maxwell are disconnected from the machine. The Mortem army are then teleported back onto the Carrier, where the Doctor addresses the entire Battalion. He says that by the Order of the Red Gods (the Mortem religion which is baked into every warrior), their King has been defeated by a mightier warrior. The Battalion of Great King Maxwell XIV are hereby banished from Earth; never to return. He then orders the Battalion to warn the rest of the universe about Earth, to tell them that it is protected.

We then see the Doctor, Jean & Bambera being zapped back down to Earth, before the ship flies off back into the stars. The Doctor & Jean watch as the ship bursts off into space. However, without the Doctor noticing, Bambera uses her radio to contact UNIT HQ, authorising the use of Project Zeta. Suddenly, a giant laser rises from UNIT HQ, which zaps out a green laser into space, destroying the Mortem ship.

The Doctor is furious at Bambera, believing this to be a murder. Bambera tries justifying her actions, saying they need to make an example of them, but the Doctor sees it as typical, human behaviour - you see something which you don't agree with; something which could change your life, and what do you do? Destroy it. Bambera says she stands by her actions, to which the Doctor says "of course you do. It's not the first time you've wiped out a group of aliens, is it". The Doctor takes Jean's hand & they walk off back to the TARDIS, with Bambera still standing in the street alone.

The story ends with the Doctor & Jean arriving back at the TARDIS. The Doctor checks in with Jean to see how she's holding up & if she still wants to keep travelling with him. Jean says yes, and we end with the two of them entering the TARDIS & taking off in search for another adventure.

PLANT MATTER

WRITTEN BY: Mark Gatiss
DIRECTED BY: Richard Stroud
PARTS: 1

Plant Matter would've been set on the planet Freeland. The story sees the Doctor taking Jean to Freeland, one of the largest colony worlds to exist. There, they travel to The Interstellar Market - a giant trade hub at the centre of the planet. We see the two of them exploring local shops & Jean buying weird alien tat. We also see the Doctor & Jean joking about this being their first "date" - the first hint that the relationship between the Doctor & Jean is about to be taken into new territories.

However, their date is shortly interrupted by the sound of a scream echoing through the Market, as the Doctor & Jean rush to the scene. Pushing past the local police, they find the body of a young woman, whose veins are beginning to turn green. They also see that her stomach has been penetrated, yet no signs of blood. Realising that an unusual, possibly extra-terrestrial, killer is loose, the Market is put into lockdown, leading the Doctor & Jean to investigate.

The story sees the Doctor & Jean working with the local law enforcement to try & track down the killer. We see the Doctor analysing the blood of the victim, a woman named Isabella, where he discovers that their DNA is being rewritten into plant matter. We also see tensions rising between the humans & a race of plant-like aliens named the Triff, with the humans accusing the Triff of the murders.

The Doctor leaves Isabella's body with the local police. However, when he returns, he finds that not only are the police now dead, and also infected with the same plant matter, but that Isabella has moved. The Doctor checks the CCTV footage, where he sees Isabella rising to her feet & attacking the police officers using her green veins, which shoot out of her arm like webs.

The story then turns into a horror / zombie survival story, where we see the trapped population slowly being picked off by the infected, which the Doctor dubs as the Plantated, while the Doctor attempts to try & find a cure, as well as the source of origin. He eventually discovers that the source of this plant virus came from a mutated vegetable product in a food stall, which was consumed by Stephen. Using a sample of this mutated plant matter, however, the Doctor is able to develop an antivirus, which should restore everyone back to normal.

The story ends with the Doctor infecting the Market's water output with the Anti-virus, before activating the sprinklers. The sprinklers begin to shoot out water, which is infected with the anti-virus, onto the plantated, which eventually returns everyone back to normal.

NIGHT OF THE SCARECROWS

WRITTEN BY: Steven Moffat
DIRECTED BY: Sandy Johnson
PARTS: 1

Night of the Scarecrows would’ve been set in the fictional village of Fincher. The story would be told through the found-footage format. The story primarily follows a woman named Catherine Darlington, who has come to Fincher on holiday with her mum & dad, Bradley & Jess, her brother, Charlie, and her boyfriend, Andy.

The story initially sees Catherine & her family arriving in Fincher, where they unpack in their rented cottage, before exploring the local scenery. We’d also have some internal family drama, with Catherine & Andy being madly in love, despite her dad’s disapproval. We then cut to night time, where we see the group heading out to the local pub for some drinks & grub.

We initially see them walking along the pathway, where we see some conflict breaking out between Bradley & Jess. However, before Bradley can take a swing at Andy, the group’s attention are caught when they spy a group of scarecrows stumbling their way into town. Everyone in the area watches & starts filming the scarecrows, wondering whether this is some form of practical joke. Suddenly, one of the scarecrows reaches inside its body & pulls out a futuristic device. It aims it at an old lady & squeezes the trigger down, which fires a laser that disintegrates the lady into ash.

The story then turns into a typical alien invasion story, where we see Catherine & her family running & trying to escape the scarecrows. They try to flee the area in Bradley’s car, only to discover that the battery is dead. They then try phoning for help, only there’s no signal. Realising they’re on their own, the group makes their way to the local pub, where they barricade all the doors, leaving them trapped.

We then have more character drama, with Bradley & Andy making peace. However, this moment is interrupted by the sound of a scarecrow breaking through the main doors. Then suddenly, out of the back door, a strange man & a young woman enters the scene - The Doctor & Jean. The Doctor uses his sonic to turn the scarecrow into a pile of straw, before using the sonic to seal the door for good.

The Doctor explains who he & Jean are, before explaining that the scarecrows are being controlled by a race of aliens known as the Koravians. He further explains that Catherine’s family are the only survivors & that the only way to defeat the Koravians is to blow up their ship, which would in-turn blow up the entirety of Fincher. He then orders Catherine’s family into the TARDIS, but Catherine turns back to the Doctor & offers to help him.

We then see the Doctor, Jean & Catherine storming out of the pub & pushing past the Scarecrows, as they make their way to the nearby fields, where the Koravian spaceship lays. The trio enter the spaceship, where the Doctor throws Catherine the sonic & asks her to help Jean to deactivate the ship's safety protocols. We then see Jean & Catherine working together to deactivate the safety protocols, while they watch the Doctor on a monitor, as he confronts a group of off-screen Koravians. The Doctor gives a usual “stand down or i will stop you” threat, which of course goes nowhere.

With the safety protocols disabled, the ship begins to go into meltdown. The Doctor dashes out of the main door, with Jean & Catherine following close behind, sprinting towards the entrance ramp as the ship prepares for takeoff. The Doctor & Jean roll off the ramp & onto the ground. However, Catherine is grabbed mid-air by a Koravian - a typical bug-eyed monster, which Catherine’s camera gets a good view of. Catherine is able to break free of its grip & successfully escapes the ship, while also dropping the camera in the process.

Catherine attempts to retrieve her camera, but Jean grabs her arm & tells her to leave it, as we see the trio dash off-screen. We stay in the camera’s POV - lying in some grass, with a view of the Koravian spaceship taking off in the distance. We hear the TARDIS dematerialising off-screen, followed by the spaceship exploding. We see a giant shockwave filling the area, hurtling straight towards the camera. The wave hits, and the footage cuts to a glitchy error screen, before ending the episode by suddenly cutting to black

.

THE HOLY TERROR

WRITTEN BY: Robert Shearman
DIRECTED BY: Richard Stroud
PARTS: 2

The Holy Terror would’ve been set in what appears to be a mediaeval castle. The story sees the Doctor & Jean arriving in a castle, after the crowning of its new emperor, Pepin the 6th. Wanting to learn more about the place they’ve arrived in, the Doctor visits a man named Eugene, who is responsible for writing the new bible. However the Doctor notices that all the old bibles of previous emperors appear to have been written by Eugene.

Interacting with some of the locals, the Doctor & Jean find them to be odd - like poorly written characters. This leads the Doctor to investigate, where he discovers a secret room underneath the castle. He finds that where a man named Childeric has his son locked in a small room, cut off from human interaction, as he hopes by raising a person who's never interacted with someone or even heard someone speak, he’ll become a god, who speaks the language of the gods. Eugene is terrified of the boy, as he believes he’s seen the face of the boy before.

Eventually the boy is released. However when he is, he’s like an evil god & wants to kill everyone. He begins to look for his father. & after scanning Childeric, he discovers that Childeric isn’t his father, and this results in the boy using his powers to destroy Childeric.

The boy then begins shifting around the castle, searching for his father. & anyone who isn’t ends up being killed. & we eventually learn from the Doctor & Eugene that Eugene is the boy’s father. It turns out that the entire castle is a prison created by Eugene for himself after he murdered his son. He made the castle & filled it with generic stereotype characters in an attempt to escape his guilt for murdering his son. However, his son has become a part of the dream & we learn that Eugene has been reliving the same events for a long time, where his son goes in search for his father, before Eugene is forced to kill him again, which would restore everything back to normal & everything repeats over & over again.

Eventually, the Doctor helps Eugene break free of the cycle by convincing him not to kill his son, but instead Eugene lets the son kill him, which results in everything around them fading from existence, leaving only the Doctor & Jean

WRONG LIVES

WRITTEN BY: Russell T Davies
DIRECTED BY: Brian Grant
PARTS: 1

Wrong Lives would've been set in St. Lambert's Hospital in the 65th Century. The story begins with the Doctor & Jean in the TARDIS, where we see them having a laugh at an off-screen adventure. However, they're interrupted when the TARDIS scanner warns them about an incoming Wavestorm. The Doctor jumps to his feet & begins working at the console, carefully piloting the TARDIS through the storm. Then suddenly, the TARDIS is caught in a pocket of the storm, causing the console to spark & knocking the Doctor & Jean unconscious.

We then cut to a POV shot from Jean's perspective, where we hear her asking if JEAN's fine. We see them stand up & look at the Doctor. The Doctor looks at Jean & starts freaking out, asking what the hell he's doing... outside her body. We then cut to a shot of the Doctor & Jean, as the two of them realise... they've somehow body swapped. Somehow, the Doctor's mind has been transferred into Jean's body, and Jean's mind has been transferred into the Doctor's body.

We then see the Doctor (played by Baxendale, for sake of ease) piloting the TARDIS to a space hospital named St. Lambert's. There, the Doctor meets with a Doctor named Wilson, who can help put the Doctor & Jean's minds back into their rightful bodies. However, before the operation can be performed, the hospital's power is drained & the hospital is raided by a group of fish-like space pirates known as the Premu. The Leader of the Premu, named Gatail, hijacks the intercom system & announces that he knows Whiles is here & that he's here to kill him.

The story sees the Doctor & Jean trying to find out who this Whiles is & what he's done to upset the Premu, as well as trying to find a way to get rid of the Premu & restore the power. Throughout the story, we see Jean (played by Gillen, for sake of ease) becoming weaker & weaker. It turns out that Jean's mind is too weak & small for the Doctor's brain, which is slowly killing her. The Doctor realises that they must restore the power & get Jean's mind back in her rightful body, otherwise she'll die & the Doctor will forever be stuck in Jean's body.

Eventually, the Doctor discovers that Whiles is actually Doctor Wilson. It turns out that Wilson was originally a Premu, who, like his former brothers, robbed & killed. However, it eventually dawned on Whiles that what he was doing was wrong, just wrong. So, in an attempt to escape from his old life, he faked his death & proceeded to transfer his mind into a human clone body.

In the end, the Doctor is able to get rid of Premu by tricking them into thinking they've killed Wilson. However, unbeknownst to the Premu, Wilson yet again transferred his mind into another body. This time a robotic form. The story then ends with the Premu leaving the hospital & restoring the power, where Wilson is successfully able to restore the Doctor & Jean back to their rightful bodies in time.

OLD FRIENDS

WRITTEN BY: Alan Barnes
DIRECTED BY: Euros Lyn
PARTS: 1

Old Friends would've been set in the fictional Crimson Creek College in modern day Cardiff. The story sees the Doctor & Jean investigating the Crimson Creek College by posing as a couple of investors. We learn that the college has invited a bunch of potential investors to the college in the hope of gaining financial backing for a new IT wing. We also learn that the Doctor & Jean are investigating the college for anything alien, after finding reports of students vanishing without a trace.

While secretly investigating the college, the Doctor recognises one of the investors as his old companion, Bernice Summerfield. The Doctor makes light conversation with Bernice, while keeping his identity a secret, as well as explaining to Jean who Bernice is.

We then cut to night, where we see both the Doctor & Jean landing the TARDIS inside the college, as well as Bernice Summerfield breaking into the building. We see the two groups using their tracking devices (the sonic screwdriver for the Doctor, and a random tracker for Bernice), which brings the two parties to the lower levels. There, the Doctor bumps right into Bernice, where she works out that this man is the Doctor. After a quick reunion scene, as well as Bernice & Jean getting to know each other, the trio enter a nearby lift, where the Doctor hacks it & they descend to the lower levels.

On the bottom floor, we see the trio doing some investigating, before the Doctor discovers a locked, heavily fortified door. He sonics it open, which reveals a giant room filled with computers & a giant, floating box in the centre of the room. Entering the room, the trio discover hundreds of students wearing different versions of the Crimson Creek College uniform from throughout the college's history. Each student is trapped in a glass box, sat down on a chair &, seemingly hypnotised, rapidly typing a form of alien code onto a computer.

Not knowing the origin of this alien tech, the Doctor concludes that he'll have to steal some of its code & use the TARDIS to scan it. Bernice pulls out some sort of futuristic USB & plants it into a computer, which downloads the code onto the USB. Then suddenly, a loud alarm begins blaring throughout the college & the exit doors close behind the Doctor, Jean & Bernice. & then, out of the shadows, emerges the teachers from the college, led by the Headmaster, Mr Hughes. The teacher's eyes suddenly turn into a yellow-green colour & the teachers announce in unison "you shouldn't be here", as they begin to close in on the Doctor's group.

The Doctor sonics the door open & he & his companions sprint back to the Lift, while the teachers chase after them. The trio successfully escape into the Lift just in time & they travel to the ground floor, where they quickly dash out of the college. The Doctor then says that he needs to get back into the college in order to retrieve the TARDIS. However, the building is put into lockdown, leaving the Doctor separated from the TARDIS.

We then see Bernice taking The Doctor & Jean to the Wales Millennium Centre, where she has them stand on a platform next to the water tower. Then suddenly, the ground beneath them lowers & the group enter Bernice's base of operations: The Pyramid. Bernice explains to the Doctor that since taking over from her father, the rift moved from Little Caldwell to Cardiff, and so she moved The Pyramid, now with a much grander facility, to Cardiff. We see the new Pyramid Headquarters to be a sleek & official looking room, filled with highly advanced computers & alien technology.

Bernice then introduces the Doctor & Jean to her colleagues: Jennifer Ward, a disabled Zygon, played by Keeley Hawes, and Jack Afton, a human mind in an Auton body, played by David Oyelowo. Once everyone has been introduced, the Doctor works with Bernice to decipher the alien code on her USB stick, which reveals that the technology is of Gryllotin origin - the Gryllotin being a race of mighty warriors that were thought to be extinct.

The next day, we see the Doctor, Jean & Bernice returning to the college, where the Doctor confronts Mr Hughes, who reveals what he & the rest of the Gryllotin are planning. It turns out that the giant, floating box in the basement is actually a prison which houses the Grakross - the ancient God of the Gryllotin. He also reveals that for over 200 years, the Gryllotin have controlled Crimson Creek College & have been kidnapping & hypnotising the smartest pupils every year to a machine. They then use the minds of the children to decode thousands of lockdown sequences built within the prison to free the Graknoss.

The story then sees the Doctor & Jean working with Bernice, Jennifer & Jack to defeat the Gryllotin & stop them from releasing the Graknoss. Eventually, the Gryllotin are defeated when the Doctor trips the security on the Graknoss prison, which sets the prison box to self destruct. They then proceed to free all of the students & escape the college before it explodes, which in turn kills the Gryllotin.

The story then ends with the Doctor saying his farewells to Bernice & The Pyramid, before he & Jean return to the TARDIS.

THE FIRES OF VULCAN

WRITTEN BY: Steve Lyons
DIRECTED BY: Sheree Folkson
PARTS: 1

The Fires of Vulcan would've been set in Pompeii in 79 AD. The story sees the Doctor & Jean arriving in Pompeii one day before Vesuvius erupts, although the TARDIS refuses to tell them this. However, when the Doctor learns of where & when he is through a man named Tibernus, who believes the Doctor & Jean to be messengers of Isis, the Doctor appears to be somewhat sombre.

We then see the Doctor & Jean exploring the streets of Pompeii where they eventually meet Valeria, an innkeeper, in whose inn they meet a gladiator named Murranus. The Doctor & Murranus proceed to play a game of dice, where the Doctor discovers his dice to be were loaded. However, when Murranus is called out, he accuses the Doctor of cheating instead & attempts to kill him, but is thwarted by an earthquake caused by the volcano, which allows the Doctor & Jean to escape back to the TARDIS. However, when they arrive at the TARDIS, they find it to be buried under a building that collapsed during the earth tremor. The Doctor then reveals to Jean that they can't escape, saying that in 1980 the TARDIS will be discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.

He explains that many years ago, he was contacted by UNIT, who explained that they'd found the TARDIS in Italy, but that version of him still had his TARDIS, so he knew it was likely to be a future version's TARDIS. Jean asks the Doctor why they didn't just leave when they arrive, to which the Doctor explains that if he left, it would create a paradox.

The story then sees Jean trying to find a way to escape Pompeii, with the Doctor seemingly accepting his fate. Jean, with help from a widow named Eumachia, is able to rescue the TARDIS from the collapsed building. However, Eumachia believes Jean & the Doctor to be liars pretending to be messengers from Isis, & framed Jean for stealing some jewels to discredit the goddess.

We then see the Doctor trying to rescue Jean, as well as dealing with Murranus, who is trying to avenge himself after being tricked by the Doctor. We also see the Doctor attempting to find the TARDIS, after realising that the building which collapsed was excavated long before 1980 & that the TARDIS must have been moved somewhere else.

Eventually, the Doctor is able to rescue Jean & find the TARDIS, which was located in Eumachia family's tomb, who believed it to be a temple to Isis and hoping to hide it from the people. The Doctor & Jean make their way quickly back to the TARDIS as Vesuvius erupts & Pompeii falls around them. However, instead of instantly dematerialising, the Doctor & Jean remain in the TARDIS in Pompeii 79 AD for 3 days, as the ash and lava harden around the ship & make a police-box shaped hole. Then, the Doctor flies the TARDIS to the exact same spot in 1980, where the TARDIS is discovered by UNIT, thus preserving the timelines.

SEASONS OF FEAR

WRITTEN BY: Paul Cornell & Caroline Symcox
DIRECTED BY: Sheree Folkson
PARTS: 2

Seasons of Fear would've been set in Britain in the years 305, 1055, 1806 & 1930. The story begins with the Doctor & Jean at a party in 1930. There, the Doctor meets a man named Sebastian Grayle, who seemingly knows who the Doctor is. Grayle reveals to the Doctor that they're mortal enemies. He goes on to say that he is immortal & that his master's have taken control of the world & created an alternative timeline. Grayle also claims to have killed the Doctor in his future, which happened in Grayle's past. We then see the Doctor & Jean return to the TARDIS, where they plan to stop Grayle from meeting his Masters &, possibly, save the Doctor's life.

After learning that the first recorded instance of the surname Grayle originate in 305 AD, the Doctor & Jean travel to the Roman empire, where they meet Grayle, who's going by the name of Decurian Graylisle. There, they find Grayle in possession of an alien communicator. The Doctor discovers that Grayle is planning on sacrificing her men to his Masters in exchange for immortality. The Doctor is able to save Grayle's men, but couldn't stop a partial release of power — enough to keep Grayle alive for centuries.

Realising that Grayle will attempt to gain immortality again, but realising that he seems to only be able to do so at certain times, the Doctor & Jean return to the TARDIS. After doing some quick research, the Doctor figures out that Grayle's masters can only make contact with him again when the stars are properly aligned. He works out that the next possible time in history will be in 1055, so he sets the TARDIS coordinates to the court of Edward the Confessor in 1055.

Arriving in 1055, the Doctor meets with Edward, who is already acquainted with the Doctor) & finds & confronts Grayle, now going by the name Leofric of Exeter. There, the Doctor learns that Grayle is determined to execute his plan. Eventually, the Doctor discovers that Grayle's plan is to take over Edward's throne and use holy metal (which the Doctor identifies as plutonium) to bring his masters to Earth and gain immortality. However, the Doctor is able to thwart Grayle's plans & return to the TARDIS.

We then see the TARDIS taking the Doctor & Jean to the year 1806, after the TARDIS detects Grayle's presence. After doing some exploring, they find themselves in Wickham caves, home of the Hellfire club, where they meet a man named Richard Martin. Martin reveals that the club was founded by Grayle & takes the Doctor & Jean to meet him. Grayle challenges him to a duel, which he accepts. Grayle slightly injures the Doctor, but the Doctor reveals his sword to be able to suck out alien energy, the one keeping Grayle young and immortal. Grayle then kidnaps his fiancee, Lucy, & plans to use her as a sacrifice for his masters, as they need organic matter to feed on as passing through the black hole starves them.The Doctor & Jean eventually find Grayle, but it is too late as the gate has opened & Grayle's Master's reveal themselves - the Nimon.

We learn that the Nimon require the psyionic oscillator, a horned goblet, from Grayle. However, when Grayle can't find it, Lucy reveals herself & Martin, who is actually her father, to be a thief who was only planning on marrying Grayle to steal his fortune. Grayle chases after Martin, leaving the Doctor, Jean & Lucy alone. Then, after coming up with a plan, the trio escape back to the TARDIS, while Grayle retrieves the oscillator, kills Martin, frees Martin & perseus after them.

The Doctor gives Lucy instructions while inside the TARDIS, but Grayle & the Nimon manage to get inside. Suddenly, the Doctor opens the doors & throws himself & most of the Nimon into the vortex. Grayle continues his plan, but Lucy delivers the Doctor's message to Jean: "Fast return switch, three times fast".

Lucy activates the Fast return switch three times, which brings the Doctor back to the year 305 AD, where he warns some Roman soldiers about the Nimon, telling them to be ready to fight the demon bulls. The Doctor then finds Decurian Graylisle, where he learns that Grayle only agreed to help the Nimon & become immortal so that he could afford to marry his fiancee. The Doctor then agrees to give Graylisle an inheritance, therefore giving Graylisle no reason to side with the Nimon.

Suddenly, the TARDIS arrives & out steps Grayle, Jean, Lucy & the remaining Nimon. The Nimon attempt to attack the soldiers but are easily killed, with the Doctor having provided them with special weapons. Grayle then attempts to kill the Doctor, but Graylisle kills his future self, feeling disgusted with what he became. The Doctor then works with Graylisle to destroy his machine & stop the Nimon from landing on Earth, thus correcting the timeline. The story then ends with the Doctor returning Lucy to her rightful time & the Doctor giving Graylisle a massive inheritance.

THE LAND OF THE DEAD

WRITTEN BY: Stephen Cole
DIRECTED BY: Sandy Johnson
PARTS: 1

The Land of the Dead would've been set in Alaska. The story sees the TARDIS landing in Alaska in 1964. There, the TARDIS detects the presence of a strange, unknown energy. Using the scanner, the Doctor spies smoke rising from the ice. However, before the Doctor & Jean can investigate, the TARDIS almost crashes into an aircraft, which throws the TARDIS 30 years into the future, but in the exact same place.

Landing in 1994, the Doctor & Jean exit the TARDIS to investigate. However, after a few moments of exploration, the Doctor & Jean find themselves being chased by a deadly creature. They take cover in a nearby building, where they meet a small party - including a Multi-millionaire named Shaun Brett.

Here, we learn a bit about Shaun - how he made a fortune in Alaskan oil, but at the cost of his father's death in 1964. He's now building & furnishing the house, sourced from local materials, as a shrine to his father's memory. He is matched with Tulung, a half-Koyukon native hired by Brett to liaise with the locals, whose father died in the same incident as Brett's father. Shaun is assisted by Gaborik, another Kolyukon, who is secretly sabotaging the work in order to ensure his own continued employment & is also stealing pelts from the house to sell. Also on site is Monica Lewis, an interior designer who has been working at the site for three years, crafting the interior of the house.

The bone creatures are found to consist of only bone, & ancient, mostly-fossilised bone at that. They are held together by a bio-electric field, which seems also to be their weapon, as it exerts damaging effects on the minds of those around it - especially Jean, who seems to be particularly harmed, although not controlled by the effect. The Doctor determines that the creatures are much older than the dinosaurs, although still somehow living; they date, in fact, to the Permian era, & thus he nicknames them "Permians". Further, they consume sources of energy, including living beings, as revealed when one of them manages to kill & devour Gaborik.

The story then sees Brett & Tulung trying to confirm their own version of history, where they discover that Jean, somehow, was there, when she identifies the plane she witnessed in 1964. With the Permians' electric field affecting his mind, Tulung believes Jean to be supernaturally powerful, & kidnaps her to protect himself & Brett from the Permians as they make their way to the site of their fathers' deaths. Once there, Tulung discovers the truth: That their fathers unearthed a Permian & were attacked—but that Brett's father fled in the plane Nyssa witnessed & left Tulung's father to die. He defeated the Permian but died in the process, & his remains are still on the ground inside the dig site. Meanwhile, the Doctor & Monica are forced to battle the monsters in the house & escape via a shortcut, arriving at the dig site.

Brett refuses to believe the truth about his father & attempts to destroy the Permians with dynamite, sacrificing himself in the process. However, the attempt reveals that they are vulnerable to fire. The story then ends with the Doctor & the others rigging the house to burn, then trap the creatures inside & burn it to the ground.

With the Permians defeated, Monica & Tulung, who are now free of the field's influence, leave in the site's transport, & the Doctor and Jean depart in the TARDIS.

UTOPIA

WRITTEN BY: Russell T Davies
DIRECTED BY: Euros Lyn
PARTS: 2

Utopia would've been set on modern day Earth. The story sees the Doctor being summoned to Earth by Bernice Summerfield & Winifred Bambera, asking for the Doctor's help. They explain that 24 hours ago, UNIT found a wounded man on the run, who wouldn't stop repeating the phrase "Utopia is coming". The man was taken to The Pyramid to recover, as well as to scan his brain, only to be murdered by an unidentifiable assassin several hours later.

The Doctor asks what the man might've meant by "Utopia". Bambera explains that the best theory she & her team have come up with is that it has something to do with The Utopia - a highly advanced strap you wear on your head. Utopia scans your brainwaves & allows you to communicate with anyone you want, provided you have them added as a friend. Bernice also explains that in 2 days time, Utopia is going to be taken to the next level. Soon, Utopia will be connected to a satellite in space known as 'The Cloud' which'll allow anyone to learn anything about the human race at any time. However, both UNIT & The Pyramid have already investigated the company behind Utopia, Edensgate, only to come up clean.

Deciding to investigate themselves, the Doctor & Jean travel to Edensgate's factory, where they pose as a couple of buyers & receive a guided tour of the factory, along with a group of legitimate buyers. They too find nothing obviously malicious, so they decide to break into the factory at night time. However, unbeknownst to them, the Doctor & Jean are being monitored by a man at a desk in a grand office.

That night, we see the Doctor & Jean breaking into Edensgate to do further investigation. The Doctor is able to find & tear apart a prototype Utopia device, where he discovers a strange, alien micro-circuit buried deep within the Utopia. Then suddenly, the Doctor & Jean are surrounded by a swarm of armed guards. They handcuff the Doctor & Jean, before they proceed to escort them away.

They're taken to this big, vast hall. Inside the hall are rows upon rows of Utopia's, ready to be shifted around the world. The room also contains several monitors around the room, playing radio waves of some kind, as well as advertisements for the Utopia devices. We also see a man sitting at a desk with his back to the Doctor. The Doctor greets the man by saying "I presume you're the boss here. Now tell me - what is Utopia really?". The man swivels around the chair, revealing the CEO to be The Master. The Doctor, with a look of anger on his face, says "you... i should've known". The Master, with a grin of mischief on his face, responds with "Why, my dear Doctor. It is good to see you again...".

The Master reveals to the Doctor what Utopia is all about. We learn that Utopia is a part of his plan to conquer the Earth. Tomorrow, he will activate a radio signal on every station, which'll turn every user into an obedient servant to The Master. From there, he will use his new army to destroy the remaining population & turn the Earth into his own planet to rule - his own Utopia.

The Master then has the Doctor & Jean to be taken away & locked, saying that they'll be executed at sun down. They're thrown into a small prison cell, where the Doctor & Jean formulate a plan to escape. We then cut to the next day, where a guard opens the cell door. However, he's knocked out by the Doctor & Jean. They make their escape, while locking the guard in their cell, before they begin to sprint to the exit as the alarm is raised. The Doctor & Jean burst through the factory side doors, dash back to the TARDIS & take off, just as the guards begin to open fire on the TARDIS. The Master emerges from the factory & states "Leave him. It's too late for him now. Come - it is time for the broadcast".

The Doctor makes contact with Bernice & Bambera, telling them that they need to stop the Master's transmission. However, while they're able to disable most TV Networks & radio stations, the Master's plan fails. The radio transmission is activated, which turns every Utopia user into a servant to the Master, before cutting back to the Master, laughing evilly in his chair.

The TARDIS then lands in UNIT HQ, where the Doctor & Jean reunite with Bernice & Bambera. They show the Doctor news broadcasts from around the world, where we see riots & chaos in the streets of London, New York - everywhere on Earth. The Doctor theories that if he can destroy the Master's transmitter, it will probably return everyone back to normal. However, when he tries to return to the factory in the TARDIS, he's knocked back to UNIT HQ, as it turns out the Master has set up a force field around the factory.

We then see the Doctor working with UNIT & Bernice trying to hack into the factory & disable the Master's defences. However, the Master discovers the Doctor's plans & orders his army to attack UNIT. We see swarms of people beginning to storm UNIT HQ, taking out UNIT personnel with weapons. Realising they're outnumbered, the Doctor, Jean, Bernice & Bambera are forced to flee in the TARDIS & travel to The Pyramid.

At The Pyramid, we see the group working with Jennifer Ward & Jack Afton to continue working on hacking into the Master's defences. Then suddenly, their work is interrupted by a TV broadcast from the Master, telling the Doctor & his "puny friends" to surrender or else he'll start ordering his army to commit suicide. Realising he has no choice, but also realising the Master mightn't be aware of Bernice, the Doctor, Jean & Bambera are teleported to the surface, where they're promptly captured, thrown into a black SUV & driven to the Master's factory.

Inside the factory, the Master has the Doctor separated from his companions, with the Master stating "y'know, i was wrong about your friends. I think they'll make excellent members to my Master Race after all", before proceeding to laugh evilly & ordering his men to have the Doctor imprisoned. The Doctor is then handcuffed & dragged away to another prison cell, where he's bolted away for good. However, once the coast is clear, the Doctor is able to escape via a ventilation shaft.

Once he's escaped, the Doctor sneaks his way around the factory until he finds himself in a communications room. There, he proceeds to access a terminal, where he begins sending coordinates & instructions to The Pyramid (though these instructions are meaningless & mostly off-screen to us). However, the Doctor is once again found & taken to the Master.

The Master tuts at the Doctor saying "you really are a troublesome one, my dear Doctor. Fortunately, I have a solution for your meddling". He then reveals a Utopia machine, while explaining that this one is slightly different, and that this one will slowly destroy his mind. The Master plants the Utopia on the Doctor's head & activates it. We see the Doctor collapse to the ground & grunt in pain, as the Utopia attacks the Doctor's mind.

Suddenly, one of the Master's servants enters the room, telling the Master "We've got a problem". We then cut back to The Pyramid, where we see Bernice, Jennifer & Jack rapidly typing on several computers. Cut back to the Master's factory, where we see Bernice appearing on a monitor. The Master stares at Bernice with menace, grunting the words "you...". Bernice gives a smile & a wink, before pressing enter on a keyboard. We then see an EMP laser firing out of the water tower in Cardiff & shooting across the sky until it collides with the Master's factory, which lowers all of the Master's defences & destroys the Utopia transmitter, as we see people around the world throwing off their Utopia's in a state of panic.

The Doctor removes his Utopia & dashes to Jean & Bambera's side. The Master orders his guards to destroy the Doctor & his companions, only to have his guards turn their guns on him. Bambera pulls out a side arm & aims it at the Master. The Doctor tells the Master "it's over, Master", and the Master surrenders to his knees.

We then cut to 2 hours later, with UNIT personal searching & collecting evidence from the Master's factory. The Master gets handcuffed by a UNIT soldier, before being taken off the premises. We then see the Doctor thanking Bernice, who is also at the scene now for the assist. Then suddenly... *BANG* *ZAP*! The Doctor & his companions dash outside, only to find The Master's guards - having been shrunk down to the size of an inch. We then hear the sound of a TARDIS dematerialising & we see an old, grimy truck vanishing into thin air - The Master's TARDIS!

The story then ends in Cardiff Bay, with the Doctor saying his farewells to The Pyramid team & Winifred Bambera, before he & Jean leave in the TARDIS.

CONCLUSION

Season 37 proved to be the right move at the right time for the general audiences. The show's new style had proven to be a smash hit, with healthy reviews & viewing figures. Gillen was praised as the Tenth Doctor, with his new on-going relationship with Jean Robinson proving to be popular with viewers. The old fans however were left feeling mostly mixed with the show, feeling that the show had been too modernised & felt less like Doctor Who. However, it was obvious that this was the direction the show was heading in & a new season would debut the following year.

To be continued...