 This story has been written by Mike Bartlett - the creator of the BBC One series Doctor Foster. This is his first Doctor Who script.
Peter Capaldi claimed that this story would make us afraid of creaking floorboards hinting that this story was going to be a particularly creepy one.
This story guest stars award winning actor David Suchet who is best known for playing the detective Hercule Poirot in ITV's adaptation of Agatha Christie's Poirot novels.
David Suchet revealed in The Fan Show Aftershow that he used a real life experience of being covered in woodlice for the scene where the Dryads crawl all over The Landlord.
The read-through for the second production block for this season took place on the 18th July 2016, and filming began on the 1st August 2016, starting with the third story, "Thin Ice", and then this story.
The exterior scenes featuring The Landlord’s house were shot at Fields House in Newport, South Wales. This building was used for the Wester Drumlins house in the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Blink".
The Doctor reveals that he is a Time Lord. This was first revealed in the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games".
The Doctor mentions regeneration, but glosses over it, similar to how he did in the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Gridlock" with Martha Jones in regards to his race.
The Doctor remarks on the Time Lord's dress sense, having done so earlier in his life. (see "Time Crash", "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS", "Nightmare in Silver" and "Heaven Sent/Hell Bent").
The Doctor is heard to declare ‘Sleep is for tortoises!’ as he did in the 1977 Fourth Doctor story "The Talons of Weng-Chiang". He also reveals that he doesn't sleep much himself (see "Good Night", the second of five Night and The Doctor shorts produced exclusively for the Sixth Series DVD and Blu-ray box sets), usually only after regeneration (see "Spearhead From Space", "Robot", "Castrovalva", "Time and The Rani", "The Christmas Invasion", and "Deep Breath") or after a big lunch ("The Two Doctors").
The Doctor is heard saying that he loves Chinese food (see "The Power of Three").
Bill reveals that there are bits of her life that The Doctor is not part of. Previous companions Amy Pond and Rory Williams used to have a double-life, (see "The Power of Three") and so did Clara Oswald (see "The Day of The Doctor").
Bill introduces The Doctor as her grandfather. The Doctor once travelled with his granddaughter Susan Foreman, who called him grandfather (see "An Unearthly Child" to "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" and the 1983 Twentieth Anniversary Special "The Five Doctors").
The Doctor takes offence at being described as Bill's grandfather, suggesting that her father would be more accurate given his appearance.
Bill's sexuality is mentioned as she informs Paul, after he makes romantic overtures, that he isn't her type as she prefers girls.
In an interview for issue 512 of the Doctor Who Magazine, writer Mike Bartlett indicated that the character Harry was intended to be the grandson of the Fourth Doctor’s companion Harry Sullivan, but this reference was cut. A possible remnant of this has Harry recognising The Doctor's name and calling him a ‘legend’.
The Doctor has previously faced creatures who absorbed people into walls in the 2014 story "Flatline".
The Doctor has met people made of wood before (see "The End of the World" and "The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe").
The Doctor calls the ‘space lice’ Dryads, though he later reverts to just calling them lice. In Greek mythology Dryads were tree spirits, also known as ‘tree nymphs’. They were presented as shy and peaceful, never further than a few steps away from the tree they associated with.
The Doctor mentions the Deathtrees of Souta Four and the Carnivorous Forest on Enflusis when questioning as to where the Dryads might have originated from.
To help Bill move into her new home the TARDIS is seen materialising around her possessions. It has previously materialised around people in "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways", "Blink", "The Runaway Bride", "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship" and "Heaven Sent/Hell Bent".
There are several ‘pop culture’ references in this story. Indiana Jones and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! are both mentioned and Shireen calls the building, ‘This freaky Scooby Doo house!’. Interestingly this story was partly filmed at the same location used for Wester Drumlins (the site of the memorable Weeping Angels attack) in the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Blink" - in which a character called Larry also referred to the place as being ‘Scooby Doo's house’.
When the housemates are trying to scare each other about the strange noises in their new home, Paul is heard to remark ‘Maybe it’s a little doll that’s come to life’ and Shireen adds ‘Or a massive freaky spider!’ This evokes several scenes from 1970’s Doctor Who, such as the moment in the 1971 Third Doctor story "Terror of the Autons" when a plastic toy doll, activated by heat, seems to ‘come alive’ and attacks the unfortunate John Farrel. The arachnid allusion conjures up visions of the 1974 Third Doctor story "Planet of the Spiders" which featured a Spider Queen, known as ‘the Great One’, whose large size and who was desperate to rule the entire universe made her a massive, freaky spider!
The Great One could also recreate the voices of other beings. She put together a few lines of Pop Goes the Weasel, delivered as though sung by The Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith. At the end of this story we hear an instrumental version of the same ditty.
The remark that dolls could be creeping around upstairs could be a reference to The Doctor encountering a house of dolls in the 2011 Eleventh Doctor story "Night Terrors".
In an attempt to convince herself that there's nothing strange about the house, Bill remarks that ‘There's no living puddles or weird robots, big fish’. She is clearly talking about events seen in "The Pilot" and "Smile" with the ‘big fish’ almost certainly a reference to the Thames ‘snake’ that appeared in "Thin Ice".
Bill is heard to ask if there is a cat in the house. The Landlord denies this.
The Doctor is heard to comment ‘Reminds me of Quincy Jones. I stepped in for him once’. Quincy Delight Jones, Jr. is a celebrated American record producer, actor, conductor, arranger, composer, musician, and instrumentalist.
When The Doctor mentions a ‘Klarj neon death voc bot’ he is possibly discussing a version of the Voc robots who appeared in the 1977 Fourth Doctor story "The Robots of Death".
Fellow housemate, Harry, reveals ‘Mine went greypacking on the Great Wall of China with his boyfriend but they got arrested for trying to steal a bit’. This is not the first time the famous wall has been mentioned in Doctor Who. In the show’s Thirtieth Anniversary special, "Dimensions in Time", The Doctor is trying to take Ace to the Great Wall of China, but it is strongly hinted the TARDIS had been re-routed to London by The Rani.
Bill is heard asking The Doctor ‘do you wear robes and big hats’ to which The Doctor respond with ‘No. Big collars mostly’. This is a reference to where the Time Lords are seen with big collars which were introduced as part of their ceremonial outfits in the 1976 Fourth Doctor story "The Deadly Assassin".
The Doctor is heard to ask The Landlord ‘who's the Prime Minster’. He then lists a few candidates for The Landlord to choose from: ‘Margaret Thatcher, Harriet Jones, Wilson, Eden?’. Margret Thatcher, Harold Wilson and Anthony Eden were all actual British Prime Ministers, but Harriet Jones was a fictional Prime Minister during Season Twenty Eight (New Series 2).
Harriet Jones became a fictional Prime Minister after aiding the Ninth Doctor in defeating the Slitheen in the 2005 story "Aliens of London/World War Three". The Tenth Doctor however, would set in motion her deposition after she ordered the destruction of the retreating Sycorax in the 2005 Christmas special "The Christmas Invasion". Harriet Jones would help save the world one final time against the Daleks in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Stolen Earth/Journey's End".
Bill has a whole playlist for Little Mix on her phone. The Little Mix songs Black Magic and Weird People are played within this story. Weird People is heard playing in the scenes where Bill and her friends are looking for a new house.
One of the tenants from 1977 owned the David Bowie album Heroes.
When Felicity bemoans the lack of a phone reception, Shireen is heard to say that she needs a landline and Felicity jokingly asks ‘What! Is this Scotland?’.
When Bill says they should get The Doctor, Shireen asks if ‘he's gonna give a lecture’.
Bill is seen hanging a picture of her mother, which was taken by The Doctor, on her bedroom wall (see "The Pilot").
The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver as a light source.
Whoever or whatever is in the Vault apparently shares The Doctor’s penchant for Beethoven. At the end of this story the music we initially hear being played on the piano is his Bagatelle No. 25, better known as Für Elise.
This story is the first Doctor Who adventure to be available with a binaural, 3D soundscape. This version was released on the BBC iPlayer shortly after the ‘standard’ version of this story finished airing on BBC One.
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The Firsts:
The first Doctor Who story to be written by Mike Bartlett.
The first Doctor Who adventure to be made available with a binaural, 3D soundscape.
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(Position = 6 out of 12)
