 This story is the first story of Season Thirty Seven (New Series 11). It was written by new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall and directed by Jamie Childs.
This story was widely marketed as a landmark Doctor Who story because it was the first to star a female Doctor. It was further notable for introducing an all-new regular cast - the largest since the 1983 Fifth Doctor story "Terminus" - and a new production team under show runner Chris Chibnall. As a result, this story had the biggest crew shift since the 2010 Eleventh Doctor story "The Eleventh Hour".
This story premiered without traditional opening credits, as had occurred before with "The Day of The Doctor" in 2013 and "Sleep No More" in 2015. The title of this story along with credits for Writer, Series Producer and Director were shown at the end just before the main credits. Viewers also had to wait until the end of this story to hear the new arrangement of the Doctor Who theme by incoming composer Segun Akinola. This new arrangement though is partially played in the scene in which we are introduced to The Doctor.
The end credits are followed by a Coming Soon trailer of clips featuring a preview of the remainder of the season, similar to the Eleventh Doctor story "The Eleventh Hour" and the Twelfth Doctor story "The Pilot". This includes the names of the upcoming guest stars - including Mark Addy, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Shane Zaza, Shobna Gulati, Shaun Dooley, Brett Goldstein, Josh Bowman, Siobhan Finneran, Lee Mack, Lois Chimimba, Susan Lynch, Hamza Jeetoa, Art Malik, Suzanne Packer, Vinette Robinson, Amita Suman, Ben Bailey Smith, Phyllis Logan, Alan Cumming and Chris Noth.
The closing credits have returned to a scrolling sequence, not seen since the 2013 Eleventh Doctor story "The Time of The Doctor".
The initial two broadcasts on BBC America did not feature the end credits. Viewers in America had to wait until this story was available on demand to hear the full, new theme arrangement. Instead, BBC America ran a live after party celebrity analysis of this story beginning immediately after the final scene.
The title of this story while at first glance appears to reference The Doctor's fall from her TARDIS, it is also potentially a reference to Grace's death since it is framed as a story that Ryan Sinclair is telling about the greatest woman he ever knew, his grandmother Grace.
This story is the first to be led by Chris Chibnall, alongside Executive Producer Matt Strevens and Co-Executive Producer Sam Hoyle, after Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin stepped down at the conclusion of the previous season. This marked the third era of production in the revived series, following Russell T. Davies' run from 2005–2010, and Steven Moffat's run from 2010–2017.
This is the first Doctor Who story not to be scored by Murray Gold since the start of the revived era in 2005.
This is the first full story to star Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, and introduces her new companions – Bradley Walsh as Graham O'Brien, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair, and Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan. This story also guest stars Sharon D. Clarke, Johnny Dixon and Samuel Oatley. Actress Sharon D. Clarke appears as Ryan's grandmother and Graham's wife, Grace.
At the premiere of this story, in Sheffield on the 24th September 2018, Jodie Whittaker revealed that for this story only, she did all of her own stunts. Tosin Cole additionally added that he acted being bad at riding a bike. This would prove to be because the character of Ryan has dyspraxia. At the same event, Bradley Walsh revealed that he's wearing a wig for the entire season, due to his character's requirement to look older and because Bradley Walsh is still hosting the ITV game show The Chase at the same time as the filming for this season.
The Doctor makes her entrance by crashing through the ceiling of the stopped train, after having been ejected from the TARDIS in the previous story "Twice Upon a Time".
The Doctor's scream, as she falls through the roof of the train, is reused from the previous story "Twice Upon a Time" in the scene where The Doctor falls out of the TARDIS straight after she regenerates.
The Doctor has previously fallen from a great height and survived (see "The End of Time") albeit once by regenerating ("Logopolis").
The Doctor once again suffers from post-regenerative memory loss (see the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie" and "The Time of The Doctor") and loses consciousness because of the process (see "The Christmas Invasion" and "Deep Breath").
The Doctor recalls having just been a ‘white-haired Scotsman’ and that her TARDIS is now missing.
The Doctor spends almost the entire story wearing her predecessor's clothes, as the Eleventh Doctor had previously done in the "The Eleventh Hour".
The Doctor exhibits a northern English accent. The Eighth Doctor and the Ninth Doctor also previously had one (see the 1996 Eighth Doctor film "Doctor Who: The Movie" and the 2005 story "Rose").
The Doctor emits regeneration energy while resting. We previously witnessed this in the Tenth Doctor story "The Christmas Invasion" and the Eleventh Doctor story "The Eleventh Hour".
The Doctor admits to craving for a fried egg sandwich. The Eleventh Doctor also experienced cravings after regenerating in "The Eleventh Hour".
The Doctor makes her own sonic screwdriver. Amy Pond once similarly created a sonic probe in the 2011 Eleventh Doctor story "The Girl Who Waited".
While making her sonic screwdriver, The Doctor holds up a spoon excitedly, as the Twelfth Doctor had done in the 2014 story "Robot of Sherwood" and the 2015 story "Heaven Sent/Hell Bent". The Doctor wears similar safety goggles to the ones the Eleventh Doctor once used in the 2011 story "The Doctor's Wife".
The Doctor confronts Tzim-Sha (called Tim Shaw in the closing credits) on a rooftop with her companions. He also mentions that she is not human. The Eleventh Doctor had a similar confrontation with the Atraxi immediately after his regeneration in "The Eleventh Hour".
This is the third post-regeneration story to feature no scenes inside the TARDIS, following the Third Doctor story "Spearhead From Space" and the Fourth Doctor story "Robot". It is also the first post-regeneration story in which the TARDIS does not appear at all and is the tenth television story overall in which the TARDIS does not appear at all, following "Mission to the Unknown", "Doctor Who and the Silurians", "The Mind of Evil", "The Dæmons", "The Sea Devils", "The Sontaran Experiment", "Genesis of the Daleks", "Midnight" and "The Lie of the Land".
Earth has been used as a hunting ground before (see the Big Finish Productions Torchwood audio story "Moving Target").
Before jumping from the crane The Doctor is heard to say ‘If you want something done’ without finishing the sentence (see also "The Time of The Doctor").
This story was the first to be broadcast on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, as it had been since Doctor Who was revived in 2005.
This story was simulcast in the United States on BBC America. Unusually, this story had a global premiere, with many markets around the world having at least the same start time. Oddly, though, it was initially broadcast in an altered visual form in some markets. Although it was the first story of the programme filmed in a 2:1 aspect ratio, its global premiere on networks like BBC America and Space was actually in the previous standard of 16:9. This had the effect of truncating some of the frame.
The premiere of the new series was held at the Light Cinema in Sheffield on the 24th September 2018, as part of a red carpet event for the story and Season Thirty Seven (New Series 11). This story was released in the Brazilian cinemas on the 7 October 2018, in selected Australian cinemas on the 8th October, and in the United States of America on the 10th and 11th October 2018.
This story earned the highest ratings since the 2013 Eleventh Doctor story "The Time of The Doctor" and was the most-watched debut for a new incarnation of The Doctor since the Ninth Doctor's initial story "Rose" when the show was revived in 2005.
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The Firsts:
The first story of Season Thirty Seven (New Series 11).
Jodie Whittaker's first full appearance as the Thirteenth Doctor.
Bradley Walsh's first story as companion Graham O'Brien.
Tosin Cole's first story as companion Ryan Sinclair.
Mandip Gill's first story as companion Yasmin Khan.
Chris Chibnall's and Matt Strevens' first involvement in the show as Executive Producers.
The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Jamie Childs.
The first Doctor Who story to be produced by Alex Mercer.
The first Doctor Who story for Nikki Wilson as Series Producer.
Arwel Wyn Jones' first involvement in the show as Production Designer.
Hannah Mason's first involvement in the show as Script Editor.
Nina Metivier's first involvement in the show as Script Editor.
First time Segun Akinola's version of the signature tune, sound and music is heard in the show.
DNEG TV's first involvement in the show providing the visual effects.
The first Doctor Who story to be broadcast on a Sunday instead of a Saturday, as it had been since Doctor Who was revived in 2005.
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