Doctor Who - The Television Stories

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The Long Game

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Appreciation

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Notes

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Story Images

Quote of
the Story

Release
Information

In Print

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On This Day 19 Years Ago...
"The Long Game" was broadcast (7th May 2005)

Synopsis

The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe

In the far future, Satellite 5 broadcasts to the entire Earth Empire. Nothing escapes the eye of the sinister Editor and The Doctor suspects mankind is being manipulated.

But just who is the Editor working for? And does Adam have what it takes to become the Time Lord’s companion?

Source: BBC DVD

General Information

Season:	Twenty Seven (New Series 1)
Production Code:	1-7
Story Number:	162 (New Series: 6)
Episode Number:	703 (New Series: 7)
Number of Episodes:	1
Percentage of Episodes Held:	100%
Working Titles:	"The Companion Who Couldn't"
Production Dates:	November - December 2004
Broadcast Date:	07 May 2005
Colour Status:	Colour
Studio:	BBC Wales (Unit Q2, Newport)
Location:	None

Writer:

Russell T Davies

Director:

Brian Grant

Producer:

Phil Collinson

Executive Producers:

Julie Gardner, Mal Young and Russell T Davies

Associate Producer:

Helen Vallis

Script Editor:

Elwen Rowlands

Editor:

John Richards

Production Manager:

Tracie Simpson

Production Designer:

Edward Thomas

Director of Photography:

Ernie Vincze BSC

Casting Director:

Andy Pryor CDG

Costume Designer:

Lucinda Wright

Make-Up Designer:

Davy Jones

Cameraman:

Martin Stephens (Operator)

Visual Effects:

The Mill

Special Effects:

Any Effects

Prosthetics:

Millennium Effects

Stunt Co-ordinator:

Lee Sheward

Incidental Music:

Murray Gold

Special Sounds (SFX Editor):

Paul Jefferies

Sound Recordist:

Ian Richardson

Title Music:

Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold

Number of Doctors:

The Doctor:

Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor)

Number of Companions: 2The Companions: Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) and Bruno Langley (Adam Mitchell) (Departs) Guest Cast: Simon Pegg (The Editor) Additional Cast: Colin Prockter (Head Chef), Christine Adams (Cathica), Anna Maxwell Martin (Suki), Tamsin Greig (The Nurse) and Judy Holt (Adam's Mum)Setting: Satellite 5, Earth orbit (200,000) Villain:The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe

The Episodes

No.	Episodes	Broadcast (UK)	Duration	Viewers (Millions)	In Archive
703	The Long Game	07 May 2005	44'25"	8.0	Yes

Total Duration

44 Minutes

Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions)

8.0

Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2005)	61.10% (Position = 10 out of 10)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2009)	58.05% (Position = 165 out of 200)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)	59.08% (Position = 205 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023)	Position = 10 out of 10

Archives

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

Notes

This story is an updated version of an idea Russell T Davies originally submitted to the Doctor Who production office way back in the early 1980s.

This story features special guest Simon Pegg - who has been narrating the BBC3 documentary Doctor Who Confidential.

This story also sees the sudden departure of Adam Mitchell who joined The Doctor and Rose Tyler at the end of the previous story "Dalek".

While this is not the first time that a companion has tried to change history (that distinction belongs to Barbara Wright in "The Aztecs"), Adam is the first to try and exploit the future for personal gain. Adam is also the first on-screen companion in Doctor Who history to be evicted from the TARDIS for bad behaviour.

The working title for this story was "The Companion Who Couldn't" - referring to the story arc that led to Adam's swift departure from the TARDIS.

The full name of the monster in this story is 'The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe'. This has been shortened to just 'The Jagrafess' or just 'Max'.

It is revealed that this story is set during the 'Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire'. The First Earth Empire featured in several Third Doctor stories, including the 1972 story "The Mutants" and the 1973 story "Frontier in Space".

Following the "Bad Wolf" theme begun in earlier stories of this season, one of the broadcast channels featuring the Face of Boe (from "The End of the World") is named "BAD WOLF TV".

Established as the home of a news network, Satellite 5 eventually became a 'studio' for television game shows. By the time The Doctor returned to it 100 years later in "Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways", it was producing versions of shows such as Big Brother and The Weakest Link as part of the Daleks's plan to harvest humans.

Like the previous stories the ending contains a trailer for the next story. In this case "Father's Day".

Following on immediately after this story, on BBC3, was the seventh chapter of Doctor Who Confidential "The Dark Side" looking into evil genii and sudden death.

First and Last

The Firsts:

The first trip in the TARDIS for new companion Adam Mitchell played by Bruno Langley.

The first story, of the revived television series, not to have any location filming.

The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Brian Grant.

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

Bruno Langley' last story as companion Adam Mitchell.

Story Images

Show Text

Satellite Five

Rose, Adam and The Doctor

Rose Tyler

Adam Mitchell

Suki and Cathica

The Editor

The Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe

Information Overload

Rose and The Doctor Chained

Cathica Takes Control

Adam Arrives Home

The Doctor Clicks his Fingers

Quote of the Story

'But you two... don’t exist. Not a trace. No birth, no job, not the slightest kiss. How can you walk through the world without leaving a single footprint?'

The Editor

Release Information

Format	Title	Release Date (UK)	Code Number	Cover Art	Remarks
DVD	The Long Game - Father's Day - The Empty Child - The Doctor Dances	August 2005	BBCDVD 1757	Photo-montage
DVD	The Complete First Series	November 2005	BBCDVD 1770	Photo-montage	TARDIS Boxed Set containing all 10 stories
CD	Original Television Soundtrack - Series 1 and 2	2007		Photo-montage	Music by Murray Gold
DVD	Series 1 - 4 Box Set	October 2009	BBCDVD 3058		Boxed set containing all 43 stories on 23 Discs
Blu-Ray	The Complete Series 1-7 Box Set (Limited Edition)	December 2013	BBCBD 0242	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray boxed set containing all Series 1-7 stories at full 1080p high definition
DVD	The Complete First Series (2014 Re-release)	August 2014	BBCDVD 3965	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all 10 stories
Blu-Ray	The Complete First Series Box Set	August 2015	BBCBD 0261	Photo-montage	Blu-Ray boxed set containing 10 stories
LP	Original Television Soundtrack - Series 1 and 2	2016		Photo-montage	Music by Murray Gold
DVD	The Complete First Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)	March 2017		Photo-montage	Limited Edition DVD Steelbook boxed set containing 10 stories (Amazon Exclusive)
Blu-Ray	The Complete First Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)	March 2017	BBCBD 0343	Photo-montage	Limited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 10 stories (Amazon Exclusive)
Blu-Ray	Series 1 - 4 & Specials Blu-Ray Collection	November 2023	BBCBD 0582	Photo-montage	Boxed set containing all Ninth and Tenth Doctor stories upscaled to high definition

In Print

No Book Release

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview	Issue 356 (Released: May 2005)
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image	Issue 358 (Released: July 2005)
Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team	Issue 436 (Released: July 2011)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction	Issue 539 (Released: July 2019)
Doctor Who DVD Files	Volume 4 (Released: February 2009)

Photo Gallery

The Doctor and Companions

The Ninth Doctor

Rose Tyler

Adam Mitchell

On Release

DVD Cover

VIDEO

Complete Series DVD Box Set

VIDEO

Original Television Soundtrack Silva Screen CD Cover

AUDIO

Series 1-4 DVD Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series 1-7 Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series DVD Box Set<BR>(2014 Re-release)

Complete Series DVD Box Set
(2014 Re-release)

VIDEO

Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set

VIDEO

Original Television Soundtrack Vinyl Cover

AUDIO

Complete Series DVD Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

VIDEO

Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

VIDEO

Series 1 - 4 & Specials Blu-Ray Collection Cover

VIDEO

Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 356

Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 358

Doctor Who Magazine - Time Team: Issue 436

Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 539

Doctor Who DVD Files: Volume 4

Who's Who

Who Me

Episodes of the
Ninth Doctor

Season 27 (New Series 1)

References

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On This Day 19 Years Ago..."The Long Game" was broadcast (7th May 2005)

The Firsts:

The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

The Doctor and Companions

On Release

Magazines

On This Day 19 Years Ago...
"The Long Game" was broadcast (7th May 2005)