Daleks and the Cybermen
Essay Preview: Daleks and the Cybermen
Report this essay
Doomsday” is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, “Army of Ghosts”, was broadcast on 1 July 2006. The two-part story features the Daleks, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series finale, and the Cybermen, who appeared in “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel”. Both species unexpectedly arrive on Earth at the conclusion of “Army of Ghosts”.
The concept of the Daleks and the Cybermen both appearing on-screen was first proposed in 1967, but was vetoed by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks. The episode is the first conflict between the two species in Doctor Whos 45-year history, and features: Billie Pipers last appearance in the lead companion role as Rose Tyler; the final regular appearance of Noel Clarke as Roses ex-boyfriend and previous companion Mickey Smith; and final regular appearances of Camille Coduri and Shaun Dingwall as Roses parents Jackie and Pete Tyler. The episode was filmed in December 2005 and January 2006, alongside the episodes “Rise of the Cybermen” and “The Age of Steel”.
The plot consists mostly of the Daleks and Cybermen waging a global war with humanity caught in the crossfire. The Doctor, the Tyler family, and Mickey Smith fight for their lives trying to revert the situation. They are successful, but at an emotional cost to the Doctor and Rose as they are split apart into separate universes.
The episode is one of the most popular Doctor Who episodes since the shows revival. It was nominated, along with “Army of Ghosts”, for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; won by the fourth episode in the series, “The Girl in the Fireplace”. It shared the new series highest Audience Appreciation rating of 89 with “The Parting of the Ways”, “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead” until 28 June 2008–“The Stolen Earth” gained a AI rating of 91[1]–and is favoured by most critics for both the Cybermen-Dalek conflict and the farewell scene between the Doctor and Rose.
Contents [hide]
1 Synopsis
2 Production
2.1 Conception
2.2 Filming
2.3 Music
3 Broadcast, reception, and legacy
3.1 Broadcast and pre-airing media blackout
3.2 Critical reception and later release
4 References
5 External links
[edit] SynopsisThe episodes opening continues from the final scene of “Army of Ghosts”; Dr Singh (Raji James), Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) are trapped in a sealed room within Torchwood Tower. Four Daleks, accompanied by a device known as the “Genesis Ark”, have emerged from the void ship.[2] A Dalek Supreme called Dalek Sec extracts information about Earth from Singh, killing him in the process. He discovers that a separate invasion is in progress, and sends Dalek Thay out to investigate. The Cybermen, who took control of Torchwood, detect the Dalek technology and offer an alliance. The Daleks decline their offer and the two species