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232) THE BELLS OF SAINT JOHN

30 March 2013

Viewing Figure: 8.44M

Plot

The Doctor and Clara band together as they discover an enemy hiding in the WI-FI

Cast

Matt Smith (The Doctor), Jenna Louise-Coleman (Clara), Manpreet Bachu (Nabile) Sean Knopp (Paul), James Greene (The Abbot)

Eve De Leon Allen (Angie), Kassius Carey Johnson (Artie), Geff Francis (George), Celia Imrie (Miss Kizlet), Robert Whitelock (Mahler)

Dan Li (Alexei), Daniella Eames (Little Girl), Antony Edridge (Pilot), Fred Pearson (Barista), Jade Anouka (Waitress)

Olivia Hill (Newsreader), Matthew Earley (Man with chips), Isabella Blake-Thomas (Child reading Comic), Richard E Grant (The Great Intelligence)

​

Uncredited Cast

Tim Reid (Spoonhead)

Crew

Steven Moffat (Writer), Marcus Wilson (Series Producer), Denise Paul (Producer), Colm McCarthy (Director)

Crispin Layfield, Jo McLaren (Stunt Coordinators), Andy Godbold, Dani Biernat (Stunt Performers)

Nick Brown (First Assistant Director), Heddi-Joy Taylor-Welch (Second Assistant Director), Danielle Richards (Third Assistant Director)

Gareth Jones, Louisa Cavell (Assistant Directors), Nicky James, Thomas Elgood (Location Manager)

Monty Till (Unit Manager), Isetyn Hampson-Jones (Location Assistant), Phillipa Cole (Production Manager) 

Claire Hildred (Production Coordinator), Gabriella Ricci (Assistant Coordinator), Sandra Cosfield (Production Assistant)

Rachel Vipond, Samantha Price (Production Assistants), Rhys Evans (Assistant Accountant), Joe Phillips (Assistant Script Editor)

Steve Walker (Script Supervisor), Joe Russell (Camera Operator), James Scott, Chris Walmsley (Focus Pullers), Gary Norman (Grip)

Meg de Koning, Sam Smithard, Cai Thompson (Camera Assistants), Owen Charnley (Assistant Grip)

Ross Adams, Chris Goding (Sound Maintenance Engineers), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Stephen Slocombe (Best Boy)

Bob Wilton, Nick Powell, Gafin Riley, Gareth Sheldon (Electricians), Paul Spriggs (Supervising Art Director)

Adrian Anscombe (Set Decorator), Adrian Greenwood, Charlie Lynam, Holly Thurman (Production Buyers)

Amy Pickwoad (Art Director), Richard Hardy (Assistant Art Director), Donna Shakesheff (Art Department Coordinator)

Paul Smith (Props Master), Ian Griffin (Props Chargehand), Jayne Davies (Set Dresser)

Austin J Curtis, Jamie Farrell, Jamie Southcott (Prophands), Helen Atherton, Rob Brandon (Standby Props)

Mike Elkins, Paul Barnett (Dressing Props),Chris Lees (Graphic Designer), Christina Tom (Graphic Artist)

Andrew Wildman (Storyboard Artist), Florence Tucker (Petty Cash Buyer), Will Pope (Standby Carpenter)

Bryan Griffiths (Standby Rigger), Christian Davies (Practical Electrician), Penny Howarth, Alan Hardy (Props Makers)

Gareth Fox (Prop Driver), Terry Horle (Construction Manager), Dean Tucker (Construction Chargehand)

John Pinkerton (Scenic Artist), Fraser Purfit (Assistant Costume Designer), Carly Griffith (Costume Supervisor)

Katarina Cappallazzi, Gemma Evans (Costume Assistants), Vivienne Simpson, Sara Angharad, Allison Sing (Make-Up Artists) 

Alice Purser (Casting Associate), Becky Torman (Assistant Editor), Joel Skinner (VFX Editor), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Matthew Cox (ADR Editor), Darran Clements (Dialogue Editor), Paul Jefferies (Sound Effects Editor), Jamie Talbutt (Foley Editor)

Peter Anderson Studio (Graphics), BBC Wales Visual Effects (Additional Visual Effects) 

Jon Everett (Online Editor), Mick Vincent (Colourist), with thanks to The BBC Narional Orchestra of Wales

conducted and orchestrated by Ben Foster, mixed by Jake Jackson, recorded by Gerry O'Riordan

Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music), Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Julie Scott (Production Executive)

Nerys Davies (Post Production Supervisor), Jeff Dunn (Production Accountant), Deian Llyr Humphreys (Sound Recordist)

Howard Burden (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music)

The Mill (Visual Effects), Real SFX (Special Effects), Prosthetics (Millennium FX), Mark Davis (Editor)

Michael Pickwoad (Production Designer), Simon Dennis (Director of Photography), Des Hughes (Line Producer)

Steven Moffat, Caroline Skinner (Executive Producers)  

​

Uncredited Crew

David Mack (First Assistant Director), Harry Bunch (Second Assistant Director)

Delmi Thomas, Matt Redd, James Sampson (Third Assistant Director),  Chiara Carbonara, Charlotte Lailey de Ville, Rebecca Knoig

Gareth Webb (Third Assistant Director), Iwan Roberts (Location Manager), Andy Ryland (Unit Manager), Susannah Binding (Script Supervisor)

Paddy Blake (Camera Operator), Chris Reyolds, Robin Horn, Mary Kyte, Trevor Speed, Duncan Fowlie, Chris Samworth

Barry Crocker (Focus Pullers), Steve Manningham, James Holloway, Clive Baldwin, Chris Jordan (Grip), James Brown, Matt Lepper

Tomoi Summers, Laurence Watson, Kriss Dallimore, Chris Hayden (Camera Assistants), Sam Reeves, Ben Moseley

Lee Naylor-Vane (Assistant Grip), Chris Hughes, Laura Coates, Glyn Hamer (Sound Maintenance Engineers), Ian Jewels (Best Boy)

Sian Samuel, Pam Verran (Costume Assistants), Pam Mullins, Gill Rees (Make-Up Artists), Gareth Meirion Thomas (Sound Recordist)

Stephan Pehrsson, Tim Palmer BSC, Neville Kidd (Director of Photography)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios

  • Beatty Avenue, Roath, Cardiff

  • Ecubed Solutions, MOD St Athan, St Athan, Barry

  • Southerndown Beach, Beach Road, Dunraven Park

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 1

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 4

  • Grange St Paul's Hotel, Godliman Street, London

  • Westminster Bridge, London

  • Waterloo Bridge, London

  • Horse Guards Parade, London

  • The Mall, London

  • Admiralty Arch, London

  • Queen's Walk, Southbank, London

  • St Thomas Street, London

  • Fforest Fawr, Heol-Y-Fforest, Taffs Well

  • Caerphilly Castle, Castle Street, Caerphilly

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 3

  • Welsh National Assembly Building, Pierhead Street, Cardiff

  • Cardiff Street [Photoshoot]

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 2

  • St Pancras Station, London

  • Eurostar, (Int Eurostar), Paris, France (Ext Paris)

  • San Francisco, California, USA

  • Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan

  • Television Centre, London

Deaths

  • [death fails to follow The Doctor this time]

Production Days

  • 22 Days between Monday 24 September 2012 - Monday 18 Febraury 2013

Production Errors

  1. During the motorcycle scene, various members of crew are reflected in The Doctor's helmet 

  2. When the little girl says 'Stops' and everybody freezes and blue flickering lights appears over everyone's heads, the Barista has no lights above him

  3. Clara can be seen swinging her coffee cup around during the aeroplane scene without dropping a single drop. Later on after returning to the Tardis she is seen drinking from the cup. There is no suggestion that she may have refilled it along the way, and it is obvious that the cup is empty â€‹

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

This episode would appear to revisit the direction the Russell T Davies era took, where an ordinary everyday requirement – the Internet in this case is twisted to provide a tale where aliens use it to their advantage. The location filming is again similar to the Davies era using famous London landmarks as the headquarters for the antagonists as seen in 157, 160, 172 and 177. The script is once again brilliant, Moffat appears to be on an upward climb again after a long absence from creating anything worthy of your attention. The episode is full of energy and The Doctor takes a profound interest throughout. However he does dress up as a Monk, hides his face and whips it back as though it is supposed to be surprising that he is the one under it. Guess what it is not. The Doctor is always in danger where the Wi-Fi can turn almost anything against him and kill him. Including a plane where he acts all James Bond to prevent it from crashing into a residential era. The Doctor seems more fresher than in the past with a sleeker and more youthful costume bringing out the best in Matt Smith. The Great Intelligence returns but seems rather out of place taking a more hands on approach instead of using foot soldiers to do his dirty work. Apart from the Spoonhead which looks rubbish and is rubbish. ****​

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Number of Production Days: 5

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