 This story has been written by Toby Whithouse who is the creator and writer of the BBC Three smash-hit supernatural thriller Being Human. He has though worked on Doctor Who twice before: in 2006, he scripted Sarah Jane Smith's return to the show in the 2006 Tenth Doctor story "School Reunion" and last year he wrote his first story for the Eleventh Doctor, "The Vampires of Venice".
This story was originally intended to be part of Season Thirty One (New Series 5) - the Eleventh Doctor's first series. His initial idea was of a hotel with shifting rooms. Executive Produce and Showrunner Steven Moffat thought that there were too many instances in which the characters were running through corridors in that season and so Toby Whithouse contributed "The Vampires of Venice" instead. The idea to have a Minotaur as the monster came from Toby Whithouse’s love for Greek mythology.
The director for this story is a Nick Hurran - a newcomer to Doctor Who but his second story of this season (his first being "The Girl Who Waited") - so making this his second story in a row. Nick Hurran has plenty of experience working on fantasy series, however, having directed five episodes of ITV’s 2009 remake of The Prisoner, as well as dramas such as Bonekickers, Outside Edge and Boon.
Guest starring in this story, as the alien Gibbis, is actor and comedian David Walliams who is a star of the internationally-successful sketch shows Little Britain and Come Fly With Me. Although this will be David Walliams' first appearance in Doctor Who proper, he memorably appeared with Mark Gatiss in three Doctor Who-themed sketches in BBC Two's Doctor Who Night back in 1999. David Walliams also previously appeared in the 1999 Big Finish Productions audio story "Phantasmagoria" where he played two separate characters - Quincy Flowers and Ned Cotton.
It has been revealed that David Walliams is a massive fan of Doctor Who and has stated he got Tom Baker to work on Little Britain because he was such a devotee of the Fourth Doctor!
This story again features Karen Gillan's cousin Caitlin Blackwood as Amelia Pond (the younger version of Amy). We last saw her in "Let's Kill Hitler" and here she recreates her waiting posture - seated on a small suitcase waiting for her ‘raggedy Doctor’ - as seen in the 2010 Eleventh Doctor story "The Eleventh Hour" - her debut story.
At the time of the script read-through, Lucy Hayward's name was ‘Lucy Miller’. It was changed so as to avoid conflict with Lucie Miller, the long-term Big Finish Productions audio companion of the Eighth Doctor.
The framed photograph of Gold that Amy checks out in the opening minutes of this story is that of Doctor Who producer, Marcus Wilson.
A Sontaran, a Silurian, a Tritovore, a Hoix, a Catkind and a Judoon also appear in photographs. (see "The Time Warrior", "Doctor Who and the Silurians", "Planet of the Dead", "Love and Monsters", "New Earth" and "Smith and Jones").
The Doctor has previously been made to view images of that which he most fears due to the Master's Keller Machine (see the 1971 Third Doctor story "The Mind of Evil") In that case, he saw images of many of his enemies and a world consumed by fire.
The Doctor identifies the creature in this story as being from a species who are close relatives to the Nimon - a technologically advanced race that resembled Minotaurs. The Nimon were defeated by The Doctor in the 1979/90 Fourth Doctor story "The Horns of Nimon" and who also appeared in the Big Finish Productions audio story "Seasons of Fear".
The Doctor fought a version of the Minotaur in the 1972 Third Doctor story "The Time Monster". The 1968 Second Doctor story "The Mind Robber" also featured a form of the Minotaur along with several other mythical creatures including a unicorn.
The Minotaur is a creature from Greek myth. Part man, part bull, the being was kept in a Cretan Labyrinth.
Also making an appearance in this story are The Weeping Angels. These are Gibbis' biggest fear, and Amy mentions having encountered them. (see the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Blink" and the 2010 story "The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone").
The Daleks are also mentioned. This occurred when one of the photographs show that Lady Silver-Tear's fear was Daleks.
The Doctor's exclamation 'Oh, look at you... you are beautiful!', when he sees the Minotaur, echoes his comment, 'Oh, you are beautiful!' when he saw the werewolf in the 2006 Tenth Doctor story "Tooth and Claw" and again whilst addressing the Clockwork Robot in the 2006 story "The Girl in the Fireplace".
Two Myths existed before this story was broadcast: It was thought that the Face of Boe would appear. This could be because to the trailer included a close-up of a Boe-like eye. This eye ended up being the minotaur creature. The second Myth was that The Weeping Angels would be the main villains. They did make a cameo, but they are not the villains.
The Doctor is again seen with a Rubik's Cube. In "Night Terrors" The Doctor is seen playing with one, when talking to George, and then throwing it away in disgust. In this story the puzzle is seen completed.
The Doctor now appears to enjoy apples – despite hating them in "The Eleventh Hour".
This is the second story in a row where one of the female characters voices a belief that she's in hell.
One of the girls from Howie's room mentions the Klingons, suggesting that Howie may have been a fan of Star Trek.
Rita becomes the latest in a line of characters who are invited to become companions by The Doctor, only to die soon after. The list includes Astrid Peth ("Voyage of the Damned") and Lynda Moss ("Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways").
Joe's verse ' Here comes a candle to light you to bed, here comes a chopper to chop off your head' is from the centuries-old children's rhyme "Oranges and Lemons".
Amy's room number was 7. Amy first met The Doctor in "The Eleventh Hour" when she was 7 years old. Karen Gillan is also the seventh multi-story companion since the show was revived in 2005.
The Doctor's room was number 11 - reflecting the fact that he is the Eleventh Doctor. This story’s episode is also the eleventh in this season.
We don't see what The Doctor’s fear is inside his room but the Cloister Bell is heard. This is part of the warning system in the TARDIS that was first heard in the 1981 Fourth Doctor story "Logopolis". His exclamation of ‘Of course it's you’ could insinuate that he saw a person in the room or he may be referring to the TARDIS itself.
The hotel setting in this story has been compared to Stanley Kubrick's film "The Shining", using similar composition such as long corridor shots.
A shapeshifting prison plucking individuals out of their lives is a similar premise to that of Cube.
The Doctor had previously visited a strange realm which was a prison for a single individual in the Big Finish Productions audio story "The Holy Terror".
The Minotaur's final words were ‘An ancient creature drenched in the blood of the innocent, drifting in space through an endless shifting maze. Such a creature, death would be a gift and accepted’. This is a prophetic statement delivered both to and about a long-lived traveller, similar to the last words of the Face of Boe in the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Gridlock". It also foreshadows The Doctor's final death (see "The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon").
The Doctor is forced once again to break a companion’s faith in him. This repeats a previous event in 1989 Seventh Doctor story "The Curse of Fenric" when The Doctor is forced to break Ace's faith in him.
The Doctor is heard saying to Amy at the end of "The Eleventh Hour" that he is definitely a ‘Mad Man with a box’ and that understanding this could save her life. These are the exact words he uses to save her from the Minotaur.
This story is the third time in the show where The Doctor has forced his companions to leave the TARDIS. Previous occurrences being: Susan, in the 1964 First Doctor story "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", and Sarah Jane Smith in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Hand of Fear".
This story contains an error. This occurs when The Doctor enters the room, containing the ventriloquist dummies, a boom microphone is visible in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar.
Following on after this story, on BBC3, was the eleventh chapter of the sixth series of Doctor Who Confidential. Titled "Heartbreak Hotel" it was presented by Russell Tovey and looked into the making of this story.
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The Firsts:
The first mention of The Nimon in the revived television series and the first for 31years - since the 1979/80 Fourth Doctor story "The Horns of Nimon".
Elaine Matthews' first involvement in the show as Script Editor.
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(Position = 6 out of 13)
(Position = 118 out of 241)
