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254) THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE/
THE WITCH'S FAMILIAR

19 - 26 Septemebr 2015

Viewing Figure: 6.54M/5.71M

Plot

Colony Sarff looks for The Doctor with a message from Davros, and Missy has The Doctor's last will and testament 

Cast

Peter Capaldi (The Doctor), Jenna Coleman (Clara), Michelle Gomez (Missy), Jami Reid-Quarrell (Colony Sarff)

Julian Bleach (Davros), Jemma Redgrave (Kate), Jaye Griffiths (Jac), Harki Bhambra (Mike), Daniel Hoffman-Gill (Bors)

Joey Price (Boy), Benjamin Cawley (Kanzo), Aaron Neil (Mr Dunlop), Clare Higgins (Ohila), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Daleks)

Kelly Hunter (Shadow Architect), India Ria Amarteifio (Alison), Dasharn Anderson (Ryan), Stefan Adegbola (Newsreader)

Shin-Fei Chen, Lucy-Newman Williams (Newsreaders), Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg (Daleks), Jonathon Ojinnaka (Soldier)

​

Uncredited Cast

Matthew Doman, Phil Brown, Simon Carew, Chester Durrant, Jon Davey, Jeremy Harvey, Gwion Ap Rhisiart, Ian Hilditch

Ken Hosking, Darren Swain, Claudio Laurini, Richard Knott, Mickey Lewis, David Stock, Shelby Williams, Andrew Cross

David Hobday, Richard Highgate, Harry Burt, Kevin Hudson, Steve Lathwell, Garry George (Daleks)

Crew

Steven Moffat (Writer), Peter Bennett (Producer), Hettie McDonald (Director)

Crispin Layfield, Gordon Seed, Lucy Allen (Stunt Coordinators), Sarah Lochlan, Dani Biernat, Belinda McGinley, David Grant

Nicholas Daines, Rob Jarman (Stunt Performers), Dan Mumford (1st Assistant Director), James DeHaviland (2nd Assistant Director)

Danielle Richards (3rd Assistant Director), Gareth Jones, Chris Thomas (Assistant Directors), Sean Evans, Kyle Davies (Unit Drivers)

Iwan Roberts (Location Manager), Iestyn Hampson-Jones (Unit Manager), Adam Knopf (Production Manager)

Sandra Cosfield (Production Coordinator), Hannah Jones (Production Secretary), Sion Crowle, Jamie Shaw (Production Assistants)

Justine Wooff (Assistant Accountant), Bethan Griffiths (Art Department Accountant), Nicki Coles (Script Supervisor)

Lindsay Alford (Script Executive), David P Davis (Script Editor), Mark McQuoid (Camera Operator)

Steve Rees (2nd Camera Operator), Jonathan Vidgen, Matthew Lepper (Focus Pullers), John Johnson (Grip)

Cai Thompson, Scott Waller (Camera Assistants), Sean Cronin (Assistant Grip)

Tam Shoring, Christopher Goding (Sound Maintenance Engineers), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Andrew Gardiner (Best Boy)

Andrew Williams, Bob Milton, Gareth Sheldon, Gawain Nash, Matt Wilson (Electricians)

Tristan Peatfield, Dafydd Shurmer (Supervising Art Directors), Julia Challis (Stand by Art Director), Adrian Anscombe (Set Decorator)

Sarah Frere (Production Buyer), May Johnson, Vicki Male, Rose Pearce (Prop Buyers), Kartik Nagar (Draughtperson)

Paul Smith (Props Master), Kyle Belmont (Props Chargehand), Liam Collins, Ian Davies (Standby Props)

Scott Howe, Nigel Magni, Matt Watts (Prop Hands), Jamie Southcott (Storeman), Chris Lees (Concept Artist)

Matthew Clark (Graphic Artist), Tom Munday (Motion Graphics), Mike Collins (Storyboard Artist), Paul Jones (Standby Carpenter)

Shadow Scaffolding (Rigging), Christian Davies, Austin Curtis (Practical Electrician), Alan Hardy, Jamie Thomas (Props Makers)

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

John Sinnott (Chargehand Carpenter), Tim Burke, Lawrie Ferry, Matt Ferry, Chris Daniel, Julian Tucker, George Rees

Dan Berrow, Keith Richards, Campbell Fraser (Carpenters), Jonathan Tylke (Construction Driver), Clive Clarke (Head Scenic Artist)

Steve Nelms, Matt Weston, Paul Murray (Scenic Painters), Georgie Sayer (Assistant Costume Designer)

Simon Marks (Costume Supervisor), Andie Mear, Ian Fowler, Jenny Tindle (Costume Assistants), Sara Angharad (Make-Up Supervisor)

Megan Bowes, James Spinks (Make-Up Artists), Glyn Evans (Unit Medic), Alice Purser (Casting Associate)

Becky Trotman, Steve Waltham (Assistant Editors), Dan Rawlings (VFX Editor), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer)

Matthew Cox (ADR Editor), Darran Clements (Dialogue Editor), Harry Barnes (Effects Editor), Jamie Talbutt (Foley Editor)

Julie Ankerson (Foley Artist), BBC Wales Graphics (Titles), Billy Hanshaw (Title Concept), Christine Kelly (Assistant Online Editor)

Geraint Pari Huws  (Online Editor), music orchestrated and conducted by Ben Foster, music mixed by Jake Jackson

music recorded by Gerry O'Riorda, Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music), with thanks to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales,

Sur-Film Productions & Services Sl, Daleks and Davros created by Terry Nation, Kahler created by Toby Whithouse

Skullions created by Gareth Roberts, Hath created by Stephen Greenhorn, Blowfish created by Chris Chibnall

Judoon, Ood & Sycorax created by Russell T Davies, Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Gordon Ronald (Head of Production)

Samantha Price (Post Production Supervisor), Ceredig Parry (Production Accountant), Deian Llyr Humphreys (Sound Recordist)

Ray Holman (Costume Designer), Barbara Southcott (Make-Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), Milk (Visual Effects)

Real SFX (Special Effects), Millennium FX (Special Creature Effects & Prosthetics), Selina MacArthur (Editor)

Michael Pickwoad (Production Designer), Ali Asad (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Line Producer)

Steven Moffat, Brian Minchin (Executive Producers)  

​

Uncredited Crew

Alyn Luker, Nick Goolding, Rebecca Hewitt, Brogan Gaymer, Natalia Alexeeva,  Harry Bunch (Assistant Directors), Paul Carmichael

Jolyon Davey, Rob McKenna, Steve Ryan (Unit Drivers), Yanira De Armas Tosco (Production Manager), Sharon Jones (Script Supervisor)

Roger Pearce (Camera Operator), Mike Phaure (2nd Unit Camera Operator), Neil Brown, Chris Williams, Shirley Schumacher, Richard Turner

Craig Porter (Focus Pullers), Chris Hughes, Gary Sheppeard, David Summerfield (Grip), Max Friswell, Sean Fox, Gethin Williams

Matthew Leighton, Harri Elfyn, David Key, Will Antill (Camera Assistants), Sam Philips (Assistant Grip)

Jason Devlin (Sound Maintenance Engineer), Gareth Thomas (Standby Carpenter),  Jill Blundell, Sara Morgan, Amy Clarke, Maria Franchi

Charlotte Mitchell (Costume Assistants), Cathy Davies, Barbara Roberts, Kylie Jonkam, Louisa Cavell, Ros Wilkins

Heulwe Evans (Make-Up Artists), Tim Surrey (Sound Recordist)

Broadcast

Filming Locations

  • Caerphilly Castle, Castle Street, Caerphilly

  • Tonyrefail School, Gilfach Road, Tonyrefail

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 2

  • MOD St Athan, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan

  • Minas de San Jose, Teide National Park, Tenerife

  • Glorieta de San Francisco S N, Garachico 38450, Tenerife

  • Taffs Well Quarry, Ty Nant Road, Morganstown

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 1

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 3

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Studio 4

  • Howard Gardens (London Street)

  • Old Custom House, Bute Street, Cardiff

  • Margam Country House, Port Talbot

  • Dragon International Film Studios, Park LLanilid, near Pontyclun

  • Cardiff City Hall, Gorsedd Gardens Road, Cardiff

  • BBC Roath Lock Studios: Backlot

  • The Tower, St Katherine's Way, London

  • Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridge

Deaths

  • Colony Staff [killed by Missy with a Dalek gunstick]

  • Davros [killed when the Dalek City falls on itself]

    • death debatable​

  • Bors [strangled by one of Colony Staff's snakes]​

  • Kanzo [pulled underground by one of the Handmines]

  • UNIT Soldier [killed by Missy]

  • Daleks [killed in various ways]

Production Days

  • 35 Days between Thursday 12 February - Monday 27 July 2015

Production Errors

  1. When Colony Sariff leaves Karn, the glow of a hoverboard can be seen. The hoverboard was used to make him appear to slither across the ground​​

  2. When Missy opens the doors to the cell that she and Clara are in, the snakes which binded Clara's hand together disappear without an explanation as to where they have gone

  3. A camera can be seen at one point reflected in The Doctor's sonic sunglasses

  4. As Missy is cornered by Daleks towards the end of the episode, the dome light fail flash when they threaten her

​​

Working Titles

  • [no known working titles]

Verdict

The two parter is very sleek looking and everything has an expensive aesthetic feel to it. The Daleks are expanded, and their Universe continues to grow which can lead itself to some inventive storytelling, but the story becomes less important as the episodes move on. The cast are nothing that special and most of the characters are small to make them seem necessary. Julian Bleach excels as Davros once again bringing a more calmer and sensitive side to the character although his whole backstabber twist is not that surprising. The Doctor becomes wild in personality and plainer in performance which is not The Doctor at all. The Master returns and is madder than ever but the direction and lines she’s given make her a totally dislikeable character. She jokes about killing a man and reveals his wife had just had a baby. Nice, so baby can grow up without a dad. The joke is heavily black comedy orientated and is best suited for adult animated series. The episodes are full of great moments, The Doctor in Davros’ s chair, the wide range of Dalek casings and the Dalek sewer. Good imagination and CGI shots push the narrative to the background which is a shame because there are some interesting ideas which go unanswered or are left as first-draft kind of feel. ***​

 

76) THE ARK IN SPACE

Number of Production Days: 5

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