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Peter Capaldi
The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar
Twelfth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Davros
Davros
 Colony Sarff has a message to deliver to The Doctor. But The Doctor has disappeared. The Maldovarium... the Shadow Proclamation... the Sisterhood of Karn... wherever Sarff travels, no-one knows of The Doctor's whereabouts.

 But Sarff isn't the only one troubled by The Doctor's vanishing, act as Missy is back - and she wants to find out what's happened to her old friend…

 When the skies of Earth are frozen by a mysterious alien force, Clara is also in need of The Doctor. But what is he hiding from? As past deeds come back to haunt The Doctor, old enemies will come face to face, and for The Doctor and Clara, survival seems impossible.



General Information

Season: Thirty Five (New Series 9)
Production Code: 9-1/9-2
Story Number: 255 (New Series: 99)
Episode Numbers:814 - 815 (New Series: 118 - 119)
Number of Episodes: 2
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Production Dates: February 2015
Broadcast Started: 19 September 2015
Broadcast Finished: 26 September 2015
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: BBC Wales (Roath Lock Studios, Cardiff)
Location: Fuerteventura, Canary Islands; Convento de San Francisco, Garachico, Tenerife, Canary Islands and Parque Nacional del Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Writer:Steven Moffat
Director:Hettie MacDonald
Producer:Peter Bennett
Executive Producers:Brian Minchin and Steven Moffat
Assistant Directors:Chris Thomas and Gareth Jones
Script Executive:Lindsey Alford
Script Supervisor:Nicki Coles
Script Editor:David P Davis
Editors:Selina MacArthur, Becky Trotman (Assistant) and Steven Waltham (Assistant)
Head of Production:Gordon Ronald
Production Manager:Adam Knopf
Production Assistants:Jamie Shaw and Sion Crowle
Post Production Supervisor:Samantha Price
Production Designer:Michael Pickwoad
Director of Photography:Ali Asad
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG
Line Producer:Tracie Simpson
Costume Designer:Ray Holman
Make-Up Designer:Barbara Southcott
Cameramen:Cai Thompson (Assistant), Scott Waller (Assistant), Mark McQuoid (Operator) and Steve Rees (Operator)
Visual Effects:Milk
Special Effects:Real SFX
Prosthetics:Millennium FX
Special Creature Effects:Millennium FX
Stunt Co-ordinators:Crispin Layfield, Gordon Seed and Lucy Allen
Stunt Performers:Belinda McGinley, Dani Biernat, David Grant, Nicholas Daines, Rob Jarman and Sarah Lochlan
Incidental Music:Murray Gold
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Harry Barnes
Sound Recordist:Deian Llyr Humphreys
Music Orchestrated By:Ben Foster
Music Conducted By:Ben Foster
Music Performed By:The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music Recorded By:Gerry O'Riordan
Music Mixed By:Jake Jackson
Title Sequence:Billy Hanshaw
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold
With Thanks To: Sur-Film Production & Services S.L.
Daleks and Davros Originally Created By: Terry Nation
Kahler Created By: Toby Whithouse
Skullions Created By: Gareth Roberts
Hath Created By: Stephen Greenhorn
Blowfish Created By: Chris Chibnall
Judon, Ood and Sycorax Originally Created By: Russell T Davies
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Peter Capaldi (The Twelfth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 1The Companion: Jenna-Louise Coleman (Clara Oswald) Guest Cast: Michelle Gomez (Missy), Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart) Additional Cast: Jami Reid-Quarrell (Colony Sarff), Julian Bleach (Davros), Jaye Griffiths (Jac), Harki Bhambra (Mike), Daniel Hoffmann-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 (Newsreader), Lucy Newman-Williams (Newsreader), Barnaby Edwards (Dalek), Nicholas Pegg (Dalek), Jonathan Ojinnaka (Soldier)Setting: The Maldovarium, The Shadow Proclamation, Karn, London (2010’s), Essex (1138) and Skaro. Villains:Colony Sarff, Daleks, Davros and Missy

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
814The Magician's Apprentice19 September 201546'19"6.5Yes
815The Witch's Familiar26 September 201547'49"5.7Yes

Total Duration 1 Hour 34 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 6.1
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2016)80.90%  (Position = 2 out of 9)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 14 out of 35


Archives


 This story exists and is held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library.



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Notes


Written by the show’s lead writer Steven Moffat this story sees The Doctor (played by Peter Capaldi) battling his old enemies the Daleks and while he attempts to save his companion Clara Oswald (played by Jenna Coleman). Julian Bleach reprises his role as Davros and Michelle Gomez reprises her role as Missy, the current incarnation of The Master.

The first episode of this two-part story is not to be confused with the Virgin Books' The Missing Adventures novel "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" by Christopher Bulis.

Making a welcome return to the show, since the 2014 story "Dark Water/Death in Heaven", is Michelle Gomez as Missy (aka The Master). Steven Moffat, lead writer and Executive Producer has commented: 'Everybody hide - Michelle Gomez as Missy was an instant hit last year, so she’s straight back to plague The Doctor and Clara in the series opener. But what brings her back into their lives is the last thing they’d expect'.

Julian Bleach returns as Davros, the creator of the Daleks. This role was originally played by Michael Wisher in the 1975 Fourth Doctor story "Genesis of the Daleks", before David Gooderson took the part in the 1979 Fourth Doctor story "Destiny of the Daleks". For Davros’ next few appearances ("Resurrection of the Daleks", "Revelation of the Daleks" and "Remembrance of the Daleks") he was portrayed by Terry Molloy before Julian Bleach played the part in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End".

To keep Davros' return a surprise, Julian Bleach was not credited prior to airing. Also the young Davros, played by Joey Price, is not credited as Davros, but rather as ‘Boy’.

Having appeared in "The Day of The Doctor" - the shows’ 50th anniversary special - and the 2014 story "Dark Water/Death in Heaven", Jemma Redgrave returns to the show again playing the part of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart.

Also returning to the guest cast is the Laurence Olivier Award nominee and film, television, radio and stage actress Kelly Hunter as the Shadow Architect. She last played this role in "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End".

Having played Ohila in the 2013 mini-story "The Night of The Doctor" Clare Higgins also joins the guest cast. Also guest starring is Jaye Griffiths who is better known for appearing in Silent Witness and Casualty.

Uncredited cast members include Demi Papaminas (as a School Girl) and David Hobday (as the Grey Dalek).

This story has been directed by Hettie Macdonald - whose previous directing credit on Doctor Who was the highly acclaimed 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Blink" - the Hugo Award-winning story that introduced the Weeping Angels.

This story is the first season opener, since the show returned in 2005, to be directed by a woman.

This was the second Season Thirty Five (New Series 9) two-part story to be filmed. The read-through took place on Monday 9th February 2015 with filming beginning in Cardiff later that same week on Thursday 12th February. Some scenes were also recorded on the island of Tenerife in February 2015.

The exterior scenes on Skaro, featuring Missy and Clara, were shot in Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands. The crew had previously filmed on Lanzarote, another of the islands, for the lunar sequences in the 2014 story of "Kill the Moon" and way back in 1984 that same island was utilised on a location shoot for "Planet of Fire".

The credits for the first episode list the creators of the Kahler, Skullions, Hath, Blowfish, Ood, and Sycorax, all of whom were present when Colony Sarff was searching for The Doctor. This is the Skullions' first appearance on Doctor Who, having previously appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

The Doctor gets the crowd to complete the title of All the Young Dudes. He is also seen and heard playing an electric guitar. When The Doctor spies Clara and Missy, he plays the opening notes to Roy Orbison's Oh, Pretty Woman.

The Doctor's guitar playing was prompted by the fact that Peter Capaldi was in a band when he was younger.

The Doctor's playing electric guitar and teaching medieval people echoes the movies Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, films featuring two rocker teens who travel back in time - in a telephone call box - and teach historical figures their customs.

When The Doctor says he's been in Essex all day, Bors reminds him that he's been there for three weeks. Bors is also heard calling The Doctor a magician.

The Doctor refers to spending a day in a bowtie - reference to his previous incarnation - and the day before that in a long scarf - a reference to his fourth incarnation.

The Doctor says he no longer has a screwdriver ‘I’m over screwdrivers…’ – Having given the young Davros his sonic screwdriver and it wearing out with age, The Doctor decided against carrying around another screwdriver and instead revealed that he now has a pair of sonic sunglasses.

The Doctor has used a sonic screwdriver since the 1968 Second Doctor story "Fury from the Deep". One version was destroyed by the Terrileptils in the 1982 Fifth Doctor story "The Visitation" leaving him apparently without a sonic screwdriver until the Seventh Doctor’s final adventure in 1996. Different Doctors have used different-looking versions of the device, a fact directly referenced in "The Day of The Doctor" where it served as a metaphor for his changing appearance (‘Same software… different case!’).

The Doctor’s ‘sonic shades’ are the latest in a long line of sound-based devices to feature in the Doctor Who universe. Others include Sarah Jane Smith’s ‘sonic lipstick’, Captain Jack Harkness' sonic blaster and, of course, the sonic screwdriver. The Doctor also used a sonic lance in the 1985 Sixth Doctor story "Attack of the Cybermen", whilst the Ice Warriors came armed with sonic canons and, in "Partners in Crime", the ill-fated Miss Foster carried a sonic pen.

Missy is heard to exclaim ‘Ooh. Never seen that before’, referring to The Master's altercations with the Fifth Doctor (and/or possibly employing a vulgar innuendo).

Davros’ words ‘Compassion, Doctor. It has always been your greatest indulgence…’ echo those spoken by his creations in the 2010 Eleventh Doctor story "Victory of the Daleks": ‘The Doctor has failed! His compassion is his greatest weakness! Daleks have no such weakness!

The Doctor had previously contemplated his death on a battlefield, at Trenzalore ("The Time of The Doctor").

The First Doctor and the Fourth Doctor make brief appearances during Missy's exposition of her account of The Doctor's fight with 50 android assassins.

Regenerative energy can apparently be used to renew any life form if extracted from a Time Lord's body.

During the second part of this story The Doctor, Missy and Davros all mention how The Doctor ran away from Gallifrey. The Doctor is heard to say that he left Gallifrey because he was bored. The Second Doctor previously said the same in "The War Games". According to The Master he left on a whim because an unlocked TARDIS was nearby (see the audio story "The Light at the End"), while in "Robot of Sherwood" Clara Oswald told Robin Hood that The Doctor ‘was moved to steal a TARDIS and fly among the stars, fighting the good fight because he found the plight of the oppressed and weak too much to bear’.

In the scene where Clara is teaching she is heard to mention the English novelist, Jane Austen. The last time this famous writer was referenced in the show was also by Clara and on that occasion The Doctor corrected her regarding the year which Austen’s best known work, Pride and Prejudice, was written. Clara also claims that Jane Austen was a ‘phenomenal kisser’.

Missy insults Clara, calling her ‘nano-brain’. In the 2014 story "Deep Breath" the Twelfth Doctor previously insulted humans, calling them pudding-brains.

Clara is surprised by The Doctor's hug, knowing he doesn't like it (see "Deep Breath" and "Listen"). He reminds her that it's a way to hide one's face ("Dark Water/Death in Heaven").

Clara combines her computer skills and talent for understanding behaviour to find The Doctor. She previously did the same to find Miss Kizlet's uploaded victims in "The Bells of Saint John".

Clara, upon deducing The Doctor's location and intent, is heard to say ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ - quoting the first line of Dylan Thomas’ poem of the same title.

The scene where Clara is being put into the Dalek mirrors a scene from her debut episode, "Asylum of the Daleks." A similar tactic was used by Ian Chesterton in "The Daleks", the first Dalek story, and again in the Third Doctor 1973 story "Planet of the Daleks" by Rebec, a Thal. The Doctor also concealed himself in what appeared to be a Dalek’s shell during "The Space Museum".

When Clara is trapped inside a Dalek she tries to identify herself to The Doctor, but actually says ‘I am a Dalek’. A previous version of herself was locked inside a Dalek casing for so long it conditioned her to say only things that a Dalek would say (see "Asylum of the Daleks").

During this scene Clara is also heard saying ‘Affirmative’ when confirming that she is inside the Dalek. K9 always said this when in agreement as did Handles (in "The Time of The Doctor") and the Cyber-converted Danny Pink in "Dark Water/Death in Heaven".

Missy refers to the Cloister Wars and the President's wife. She also refers to selfies when threatening to kill a UNIT guard.

Missy claims that three bullets to each of a Time Lord's hearts and two bullets to their brain stem simultaneously could prevent regeneration.

The words Missy uses to announce that she is alive are similar to the words Sherlock uses to tell Watson he is alive in the BBC series Sherlock.

Missy treats her apparent resurrection as no big deal - having been shot by a Cyberman in full view of Clara and The Doctor on Earth at the end of "Dark Water/Death in Heaven". This is the latest of several instances where The Master has escaped from certain death with no explanation as to how he survived (see: "Castrovalva", "Planet of Fire" and "Survival").

Missy tells Clara to ‘say something nice’, or else she will kill all of the UNIT personnel accompanying her.

Clara refers to the fact that Missy constantly tries to kill The Doctor (see the 1971 Third Doctor story "Terror of the Autons").

Missy is seen using a Vortex manipulator. She describes vortex manipulator time travel as being ‘cheap and nasty’.

The Doctor reminds Clara that he and Missy have known each other a long time (see: "Terror of the Autons", "Utopia" and BBC Books' The Eighth Doctor Stories novel "The Eight Doctors" by Terrance Dicks and Virgin Books' The Missing Adventures novel "The Dark Path" by David A. McIntee.

Missy is heard asking Clara if Danny Pink is still dead (see "Dark Water/Death in Heaven").

Missy again points out that she'd rather be called a Time Lady than a Time Lord.

This is not the first time that The Master and the Daleks have worked together (see "Frontier in Space"). It is though The Master's first encounter with Davros.

Missy tells a Dalek to inform the Supreme Dalek that ‘the bitch is back’. This is an allusion to the Elton John song, The Bitch Is Back.

This is also a rare use of the mild expletive ‘bitch’ in the show. This is notable as this story premiered during pre-watershed hours on BBC One and Doctor Who is often considered to be a family-friendly television show. To further denote the rarity of this language on the show, this expletive was last heard (having been spoken by former companion Rose Tyler) in the 2005 Ninth Doctor story "The End of the World".

It is revealed that instead of dying Missy and Clara teleport out of the city using the energy emitted by the Daleks (through the use of a device to teleport them away nanoseconds before they are shot which made it appear that they had been disintegrated by the Daleks). In the scene that follows, at the beginning of the second episode, it is revealed this is how Missy survived after being shot by the cyber-converted Brigadier at the end of " Dark Water/Death in Heaven".

The Master was previously seemingly exterminated by the Daleks (see the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie").

Upon hearing The Doctor refer to Davros as his archenemy, a jealous Missy is heard to mutter that she would ‘scratch his eye out’. As a parting shot, after rescuing The Doctor, she is seen poking Davros in his eyestalk bulb.

This story has the first encounter between the Twelfth Doctor and Davros. This is the first televised encounter between the two of them since their meeting during the Tenth Doctor's incarnation. This story gives no explanation as to how Davros managed to survive after the events of the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End", nor when The Doctor discovered he had done so. Davros is also seen prior to his disfigurement for the first time on television.

This story explored several new narratives with Davros. It was the first time he was shown outside of his chair, and this revealed that he has no legs at all and both his spinal column and defunct left arm are a combination of robotic Dalek technology hooked into the machine. This story also shows Davros turn off his eyestalk bulb and open his own eyes for the first time in all his appearances, and toyed with the possibility of him dying an indisputable death as well as him possibly regretting his actions. This story was also the first to show Davros cry.

Davros plays excerpts from his prior conversations with The Doctor's earlier incarnations, ranging from "Genesis of the Daleks" to "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End". These include:

  • The Fourth Doctor ("Genesis of the Daleks")
  • The Fifth Doctor ("Resurrection of the Daleks")
  • The Sixth Doctor ("Revelation of the Daleks")
  • The Seventh Doctor ("Remembrance of the Daleks")
  • The Tenth Doctor ("The Stolen Earth/Journey's End")


A dying Davros telling The Doctor that he wants to look at him with his own eyes is very similar to a scene in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi when Anakin Skywalker says he wants to look at his son Luke with his own eyes as he is dying, and, like Davros, has been hooked up to mechanical apparatuses after suffering crippling injuries, including a mask over his face as part of his Sith identity as Darth Vader.

The Doctor is heard saying that Davros is a child of the Thousand Year War (see "Genesis of the Daleks").

The Doctor and Davros talk about the Last Great Time War ("Engines of War" and "The Day of The Doctor") and the arguments they have had about the Daleks since their first meeting in "Genesis of the Daleks" The Doctor claims that their argument ended in the War, but Davros believes it survived the War ("The Stolen Earth/Journey's End").

Davros reminds The Doctor that he doesn't control the Daleks ("Genesis of the Daleks").

In the fifth episode of "Genesis of the Daleks", Davros becomes enthused by a concept suggested by The Doctor. ‘To hold in my hand a capsule that contains such power, to know that life and death on such a scale was my choice. To know that the tiny pressure on my thumb, enough to break the glass, would end everything… Yes, I would do it! That power would set me up above the gods!’ This line is similar to a scene is this story When Davros tempts The Doctor with killing every Dalek on Skaro, knowingly committing genocide, he says, ‘Imagine… To hold in your hand the heartbeat of every Dalek on Skaro… They send me life. Is it beyond the wit of a Time Lord to send them death… Such slaughter… Are you ready to be a god?’ This scene also refers back to the climax of "Genesis of the Daleks", when The Doctor agonises over whether he has the moral right to destroy the newly-created Daleks, ultimately deciding against genocide.

When Davros asks, ‘Am I good man?’ he’s repeating the question The Doctor put to Clara in the previous season’s story "Into the Dalek". Davros also tells The Doctor that he's ‘not a good Doctor’.

The Doctor and Davros laughing over Davros' joke is similar to a scene in Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, with the Joker and Batman laughing together at one of the Joker's jokes.

Davros is heard to say that regeneration energy was the ancient magic of the Time Lords and the blood of Gallifrey.

The Doctor is seen donating some regenerative energy to heal an injured associate ("The Angels Take Manhattan"). However, it is unknown if an entire regeneration or more was used up like in "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End").

This is not the first time The Doctor is tricked into adding an attribute from another race to the Daleks, but at the same time knowing the trick all along (see "Evil of the Daleks").

Davros utters the phrase ‘No. This cannot be correct!’ upon learning that The Doctor has tricked him (see "Remembrance of the Daleks").

The Dalek’s home planet Skaro returns to the show after it was shown to be destroyed in "Remembrance of the Daleks", as the Daleks were said to have remade the planet anew.

The mechanics of a Dalek were given an in-depth look, showing how they control their casing functions, the weaponry and how their capacity for speech is filtered and conditions them so they must not utter anything which betrays their basic functions of hatred, as well as giving a rational explanation for why they repeatedly shout, ‘Exterminate!’ in the majority of their appearances.

Several different designs of the Daleks from across the show's history reappear in this story. These include:

  • The original silver and blue model used from "The Daleks" to "The Space Museum". This story marks this model's first colour appearance in the show proper.
  • The second silver and blue model used from "The Space Museum" to "The War Games". This story also marks this model's first colour appearance in the show proper.
  • The Emperor Dalek's personal guard from "The Evil of the Daleks". This story again marks this model's first colour appearance in the show proper.
  • The grey and black model used from "Day of the Daleks" to "Remembrance of the Daleks".
  • The Special Weapons Dalek from "Remembrance of the Daleks". This story reveals that the cage-like structure at the top of its dome functions identically to a standard Dalek's dome lights, illuminating with each spoken syllable.
  • A black Dalek resembling Dalek Sec, who appeared in the show from "Army of Ghosts/Doomsday" to "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks".
  • The Supreme Dalek model from "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End". This model's appearance as a commanding authority for the Daleks seems to designate it as the Supreme Dalek within the New Paradigm.
  • The incumbent bronze model that has been in use since "Dalek".


To provide the necessary Dalek props, some were taken from the nearby Doctor Who Experience exhibition.

This is the first time a Special Weapons Dalek has been shown to apparently talk on-screen, and also features the gold oblong windows encircling its dome lighting up. These traits were subject to debate and speculation ever since the Special Weapons Dalek model first appeared in the 1988 Seventh Doctor story "Remembrance of the Daleks", as the model featured was never shown speaking either in that story, or in the 2012 story "Asylum of the Daleks".

We hear the distinctive Dalek ‘heartbeat’ sound several times in this story. It has featured in many previous stories including "Destiny of the Daleks" and "Victory of the Daleks" and was originally used in the very first Dalek adventure, the 1963 story "The Daleks". In fact we heard the Dalek ‘heartbeat’ before we heard their familiar battle cry of ‘Exterminate!

Another familiar Dalek line – ‘My vision is impaired! I cannot see!’ – makes a welcome return in this story. This Dalek squawk of distress was first heard in the 1973 Third Doctor story "Planet of the Daleks".

Davros informs The Doctor that he has been given ‘the only other chair on Skaro…’ This references the first Dalek story where The Doctor’s companion Barbara comments that on the Daleks’ world, ‘there wasn't any furniture, now I come to think about it…’.

Missy is heard to say that murdering Daleks is like golf to the Time Lords.

Missy states that the Cybermen suppress emotion whereas the Daleks channel it through their gun.

It would seem that the Daleks are unable to say anything that betrays their basic function of hatred.

The Daleks are shown to operate their casing using telepathy (see "Death to the Daleks").

Davros mentions a Gallifreyan prophecy about a hybrid creature that was half-Dalek half-Time Lord.

The Doctor is surprised to discover that the Daleks know the word ‘mercy’ (see "Genesis of the Daleks" and "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang"). He is though unaware that the Daleks do understand the concept of mercy as he was not present when a Dalek begged for mercy from River Song in "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang".

The Doctor previously had the chance to destroy all the Daleks, but refused to do so (see "Genesis of the Daleks", "Remembrance of the Daleks", "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways" and "The Day of The Doctor").

When Jac mentions ‘San Martino, Troy multiples for New York…’ this is a reference to several previous stories. The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith visited San Martino in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Masque of Mandragora" and the TARDIS landed in the Big Apple in "The Chase", "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks" and "The Angels Take Manhattan".

Jac’s allusion to ‘three possible versions of Atlantis’ is a reference to three previous stories. Atlantis was apparently destroyed when The Master unleashed the chronovore, Kronos, in the 1972 Third Doctor story "The Time Monster". We also saw a version of Atlantis in the 1967 Second Doctor story "The Underwater Menace" and then in the 1971 Third Doctor story "The Dæmons" Azal spoke of Atlantis but suggested he had caused its demise.

Colony Sarff is seen visiting the Maldovarium, a bar last seen in 2011 Eleventh Doctor story "A Good Man Goes to War". This short scene features several returning aliens: the Sycorax, the Hath, the Ood and a Tivolian.

Also seen at the beginning of this story is The Shadow Proclamation, an intergalactic police force last appearing in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End", featuring the Shadow Architect (from the same story) and a Judoon (see "Smith and Jones").

The Sisterhood of Karn, previously seen in the 2013 teaser "The Night of The Doctor", originally appeared in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Brain of Morbius".

The TARDIS defence mechanism, known as the Hostile Action Displacement System (or HADS for short), was first used in the 1968/69 Second Doctor story "The Krotons" and more recently in 2013 Eleventh Doctor story "Cold War". It is activated when the TARDIS is in danger and so moves it to a safer location. The mechanism that operates in this story is slightly different – the craft’s Hostile Action Dispersal System redistributes the TARDIS although The Doctor is easily able to reassemble it with ‘a quick blast’ of his sonic!

The scene at the beginning of this story, where we see a soldier armed with a bow and arrow, has a degree of irony. When the Fourth Doctor visited the war on Skaro during "Genesis of the Daleks" his companion, Harry Sullivan, was astonished by the weaponry used by the military in the fighting and reflected, ‘they're going to finish off with bows and arrows...’.

This story placed the Twelfth Doctor in a moral dilemma that he himself had brought up many years ago in his fourth incarnation in "Genesis of the Daleks": ‘If someone who knew the future pointed out a child to you and told you that that child would grow up totally evil, to be a ruthless dictator who would destroy millions of lives, could you then kill that child?’, with The Doctor coming face to face not only with Davros in the present, but also as a child in the past.

UNIT is seen seeking The Doctor using a computer algorithm, plotting on a map the locations of various crises at which he has been rumoured to have appeared. These correspond with the locations for many of The Doctor's past adventures: San Martino ("The Masque of Mandragora"); Troy ("The Myth Makers"); New York City ("The Chase, "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks", and "The Angels Take Manhattan") and three possible appearances in Atlantis ("The Time Monster", "The Underwater Menace" and "The Dæmons").

The tank that The Doctor rides in on appears to be a Challenger 2 currently used by the British Army.

Colony Sarff is heard telling Ohila that ‘The Doctor is required’. This echoes WOTAN's controversial line ‘Doctor Who is required’ in "The War Machines".

The title sequence was slightly modified starting with this story; the clock gears, gas and the first Roman numeral clock face tunnel now have a purple hue.

The first episode of this story begins with a flashback, following on from the prequel "The Doctor's Meditation".

A cinema screening of "The Magician's Apprentice" was held on the 27th August 2015 in Edinburgh as part of The Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. It was also screened along with "The Witch's Familiar" on the 10th September 2015 in Cardiff by BAFTA Cymru.

The first episode premiered on television on the 19th September 2015 - exactly 52 years earlier the first filming session for the very first Doctor Who story, "An Unearthly Child", took place in Ealing Studios!

A trailer for the first part of this story was released on the 5th September 2015.

A prequel to the first episode, entitled "The Doctor's Meditation", was released in Russia, Canada, the USA and Denmark on the 15th and 16th September 2015, alongside a 3D cinematic release of "Dark Water/Death in Heaven". On the 18th September, this prequel was released on Facebook in the United Kingdom, and also made available through other online channels. In this prequel, The Doctor appears in medieval times alongside Bors, who appears to be a loyal friend, and in the 6 minute clip, questions who he must face, asking whether he faces an old friend or a foe. The Doctor replies that he must meditate, but has trouble doing so.

On 27th September, the day after the broadcast of the second episode, both parts were broadcast on BBC One and BBC One HD as a single feature-length episode.

A ‘Previously…’ caption and sequence was shown at the beginning of the second episode.

The first episode was watched by 6.54 million viewers, the lowest consolidated rating for the programme since the 2013 Eleventh Doctor story "The Crimson Horror".

The second episode was watched by 5.71 million viewers - the lowest of any episode of Doctor Who since the show was revived in 2005. The lower-than-expected ratings were likely due in part to competition from the England-Wales match in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which aired the same evening.

This story received highly positive reviews from critics, in particular Michelle Gomez's performance as Missy and the interaction between The Doctor and Davros.


Show Only the First 50 Story Notes >>>>



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first story of Season Thirty Five (New Series 9).

 The first encounter between the Twelfth Doctor and Davros.

 The Master's first encounter with Davros.

 The first Doctor Who story where Davros is seen prior to his disfigurement.

 This Doctor Who story shows Davros turn off his eyestalk bulb and open his own eyes for the first time.

 The first time a Special Weapons Dalek has been shown to apparently talk on-screen.

 The Skullions' first in the show, having previously appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures.

 The first season opener, since the show returned in 2005, to be directed by a woman.


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The Plot

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The Doctor
The Doctor

In an unknown time period, a war is taking place on an alien planet, fought with a mixture of primitive and advanced technologies. While running across a muddy war zone, a young boy finds himself trapped in a field of 'handmines'. The Doctor then arrives and tries to save the boy, tossing him his sonic screwdriver so that they can communicate. However, when The Doctor asks the boy his name, he is shocked and horrified when the boy answers with the name Davros - so revealing that he will become the future creator of the Daleks.

Centuries later, a creature named Colony Sarff, an agent of Davros, visits several worlds in search of The Doctor. His message for The Doctor is that Davros is dying and that ‘Davros knows, Davros remembers’. He reports to an ailing Davros that The Doctor cannot be located. Davros, still in possession of The Doctor's screwdriver, advises Sarff to seek The Doctor's friends, as they will be able to locate him.

On present day Earth, Clara is summoned by UNIT, to help them contact The Doctor, when every plane that is currently airborne has frozen. While trying to determine what is causing this and why, UNIT receives a message on a channel specifically created for The Doctor, should he ever need to contact them. The message's sender turns out to be Missy (aka The Master), who arranges to meet with Clara in an open-air café. Missy confirms that she froze the planes because she also needs Clara's help in finding The Doctor, as she thinks that The Doctor believes he has only one more day to live, and so is concerned for him.

Clara
Clara

Clara and Missy, with the help of UNIT, manage to track The Doctor to Essex in the year 1138, where he has spent three weeks partying. The trio's reunion though is cut short when Colony Sarff appears, having followed the two women to The Doctor's location. He reveals himself to be not a single entity but rather a colony of vipers composed of one large snake and several smaller serpents, filling out a monk-style robe to appear humanoid. He threatens everyone in the arena, but The Doctor rebuffs him. Colony Sarff then relays Davros's message for The Doctor and presents The Doctor's screwdriver. Shame overwhelms The Doctor – it is revealed (in flashback) that he didn't save the boy Davros, but instead, had abandoned him – and he agrees to be taken prisoner. Clara and Missy, over The Doctor's objections, insist on coming along as fellow prisoners, and Colony Sarff agrees. In the meantime, Bors, The Doctor's medieval friend – in actuality, a Dalek puppet – procures The Doctor's TARDIS for the Daleks.

Sarff takes the three to what appears to be a space station. The Doctor is brought to Davros, who tells The Doctor that he remembers what he did to him. Meanwhile, in another part of the space station, Missy notices that the gravity doesn't feel artificial, as would be expected on a space station. She opens an air lock and the pair step out apparently into outer space, until Missy realises that they are actually standing on a planet. As the illusion of outer space vanishes a city in the middle of a wasteland is revealed. Missy reacts with horror and disbelief, while Clara is left confused. At the same time, The Doctor is shown the truth by Davros – they are on Skaro, the Daleks' home world.

Missy
Missy

Sighted by a Dalek, Clara and Missy are taken to see the Supreme Dalek, who has a large weapon aimed at the TARDIS. Missy attempts to reason with the Daleks - if they don't destroy the TARDIS, she can help them fly it, allowing them to conquer the universe. However, the Supreme Dalek demands Missy's total extermination, and she vanishes in the blast. Realising that the Daleks are about to do the same to Clara, The Doctor begs Davros to save her, but Davros claims that he cannot control the Daleks. Clara, shocked by the death of Missy, does not know if to run or stay still. Davros observes the Daleks' choice to wait for Clara to run. When she eventually does try to escape, the Daleks exterminate her, causing her to vanish. The Daleks then use a laser on the TARDIS which also vanishes leaving The Doctor alone and powerless. Davros reasons with The Doctor that this happened because The Doctor showed him compassion as a child, despite knowing his destiny. Back on the battlefield the young Davros pleads with The Doctor not to leave asking if The Doctor has come to save him. The Doctor explains he's come from the future and that he has come to save his friend in the only way he can. Brandishing a severed Dalek gunstick The Doctor glares towards the child, shouting in anger ‘Exterminate!

Clara, after being seemingly killed by the Daleks, finds herself outside the Dalek city with Missy. Missy explains to Clara that they both managed to escape by using the energy fired from the Daleks' weapons to teleport themselves away via their vortex manipulators. Meanwhile, The Doctor, not believing that Clara has been killed, forces Davros out of his life-support wheelchair and uses it to confront the Supreme Dalek. Safe from Dalek firepower, due to the wheelchair's force-field, The Doctor attempts to force the Daleks to find and return Clara to him, but they insist that she's dead. Then, without any warning, Colony Sarff appears in snake form from Davros' chair and forces The Doctor into unconsciousness.

Back inside the Daleks' city, Missy and Clara enter a Dalek 'sewer' - a graveyard for decaying, insane, and undying Dalek mutants. Missy uses Clara to lure and destroy a Dalek for its casing. She then forces Clara into the telepathically controlled Dalek casing in order to trick their way back into the main city. Missy directs Clara to make various statements and finds that if Clara attempts to say her name, the Dalek system translates it to ‘I am a Dalek’, and other attempts by Clara to express herself are translated as ‘Exterminate’.

Colony Sarff
Colony Sarff

The Doctor wakes up back in the infirmary with Davros revealing that the life-support cables surrounding him are connected to every Dalek on Skaro, which also keeps him alive. He tries to tempt The Doctor into destroying every Dalek using the cables, but The Doctor refuses. The Doctor reveals he came to Davros, not out of shame, but out of compassion for his sickness. Davros then opens his natural eyes and seeks The Doctor’s help to fulfil his wish to see Skaro's sun rise one last time. The Doctor agrees and so rewires Davros’ life-support system. But in doing so he realises that not even every Dalek in the city is enough to keep Davros alive for much longer. He then releases a small amount of Time Lord regeneration power into the cables to restore some of Davros' health. However, he has fallen victim to Davros' real plan: The Doctor’s regeneration energy is instead transmitted into every Dalek on Skaro. This increases their power and begins creating hybrid creatures. After breaking back into the city and abandoning Clara, Missy appears and saves The Doctor from the life-support system, killing Colony Sarff in the process.

The Doctor then reveals to Davros that he knew all along about his plan and allowed it to take place, as he also realised that Davros had not foreseen the full consequences. In reaching every Dalek on the planet, the regeneration energy simultaneously revitalises the decaying Daleks in the sewers, who break through the city's surface and attack the functional Daleks in revenge.

Upon fleeing, The Doctor and Missy run into Clara, still inside the Dalek casing. Missy lies to The Doctor, telling him that Clara was murdered by the Dalek in front of him and insists that he kill the Dalek in retaliation. Realising that The Doctor is about to shoot her Clara attempts to tell The Doctor who she is, but the Dalek’s speech system still translates her words into ‘I am a Dalek’ instead of ‘I am Clara’. But, when the Dalek/Clara pleads for mercy, The Doctor becomes puzzled as Daleks should not have a concept of mercy. He directs the Dalek to open its casing, and Clara is released. The Doctor simply orders Missy to run - which she does when she realises that The Doctor is likely to kill her for misleading him about Clara being in the Dalek casing.

After summoning the TARDIS back to them - which had avoided destruction through its Hostile Action Dispersal System (HADS) - with his new 'sonic sunglasses', The Doctor and Clara watch from afar as the Dalek’s city is destroyed. The Doctor wonders again why the Dalek (which Clara was trapped inside) asked for mercy. He then realises what he has to do. Using the TARDIS, The Doctor returns to the young Davros stranded in the battlefield and shoots the 'handmines' surrounding him using a Dalek gun. When the boy asks him which side he's fighting for, The Doctor takes him away from the battlefield, declaring that it doesn't matter what side he's on, so long as there is always mercy.

 
Missy and Clara Captured by the Daleks
Missy and Clara Captured by the Daleks
Davros is Dying
Davros is Dying
Exterminate the TARDIS
Exterminate the TARDIS
The Doctor's Revenge
The Doctor's Revenge
 
Forced Regeneration
Forced Regeneration
A Rejuvenated Davros
A Rejuvenated Davros
I Am A Dalek
I Am A Dalek
Showing Mercy
Showing Mercy




Quote of the Story


 'Don't be disgusting. We're Time Lords, not animals! Try, nano-brain, to rise above the reproductive frenzy of your noisy little food chain, and contemplate friendship. A friendship older than your civilisation and infinitely more complex.'

Missy (to Clara)



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Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
Doctor Who Series 9 Part 1 Box SetNovember 2015BBCDVD 4083Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing 4 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
Doctor Who Series 9 Part 1 Box SetNovember 2015BBCBD 0330Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing 4 stories
Video
DVD
The Complete Ninth Series Box SetMarch 2016BBCDVD 4066Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing 8 stories plus the 2014 & 2015 Christmas Specials
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Ninth Series Box SetMarch 2016BBCBD 0327Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing 8 stories plus the 2014 & 2015 Christmas Specials
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Ninth Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)March 2016BBCBD 0357Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 8 stories plus the 2014 & 2015 Christmas Specials
Audio
CD
Original Television Soundtrack - Series 9April 2018Photo-montageMusic by Murray Gold


In Print

No Book Release
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 491 (Released: November 2015)
Doctor Who Magazine - ReviewIssue 492 (Released: December 2015)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of FictionIssue 607 (Released: September 2024)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of FictionIssue 608 (Released: October 2024)

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Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companion

 
Peter Capaldi
The Twelfth Doctor

   

 
Jenna-Louise Coleman
Clara Oswald
 
   




On Release

DVD Part 1 Box Set
DVD Part 1 Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Blu-Ray Part 1 Box Set
Blu-Ray Part 1 Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series DVD Box Set
Complete Series DVD Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
   
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Original Television Soundtrack Cover
Original Television Soundtrack Cover

BBC
AUDIO
   


Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 491
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 491

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 492
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 492

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 607
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 607

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 608
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 608

Marvel Comics
   


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