 "The Crimson Horror" is the 100th broadcast episode (not including the mini-episodes) since Doctor Who was revived in 2005.
This story is considered to be a Doctor-lite story. It sees the return of Madame Vastra, Jenny Flint, and Strax from "A Good Man Goes to War" and "The Snowmen". Executive producer Steven Moffat told Radio Times that the story would be from their point of view, for the audience to see them tackle a case of their own, and stumble across The Doctor's path, quite accidentally. Steven Moffat had planned to write this story himself, but he realised he would not be able to and so called on Mark Gatiss to write it instead.
Mark Gatiss previously wrote "The Unquiet Dead", "The Idiot's Lantern", "Victory of The Daleks", "Night Terrors" and "Cold War".
This story has been directed by Saul Metzstein who directed "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship", "A Town Called Mercy", and "The Snowmen".
Dame Diana Rigg plays Mrs Gillyflower and her real-life daughter, Rachael Stirling, plays her onscreen daughter, Ada. It has been revealed that this story was specially written for them both and is the first time the two have appeared together in a television production. Mark Gatiss had previously worked on a play with Rachael Stirling, who mentioned that she and Diana Rigg had never appeared in something together, and Mark Gatiss therefore offered to tailor them into this story, for which he had already devised the basic premise. Rachael Stirling has stated that Mark Gatiss had written an on-screen relationship between Ma and I that is truly delicious. We have never before worked together because the offers have not been tempting, but when such a funny and original script comes through you know the time has come. Mark Gatiss also stated that he wanted to write a properly northern Who and revealed that Diana Rigg was able to use her native Doncaster accent for the first time.
Diana Rigg has an enviable career as an actress. Best known for playing the dynamic Mrs Emma Peel in the quintessential 60s series, The Avengers, she starred opposite George Lazenby in his only outing as James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service - in which she played Bond's love interest, Tracy. Other roles have included Lady Holiday in The Great Muppet Caper, Lady Dedlock in Bleak House, Helena in Mother Love, Mrs Bradley in The Mrs Bradley Mysteries and the 2007 stage adaption of Pedro Almodovar's All About My Mother, which also starred Mark Gatiss.
Rachael Stirling also enjoys a successful acting career. She starred as Nan in the BBC adaptation of Tipping the Velvet, with other television appearances in Hotel Babylon, Boy Meets Girl and Women in Love. Her film work includes roles in The Young Victoria, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and Snow White and the Huntsman. She also guest-starred opposite Tom Baker and Louise Jameson in the Big Finish Productions' Fourth Doctor audio drama "Trail of the White Worm" that was also released in May 2013.
Diana Rigg is credited as Dame Diana Rigg, the first time such an honour has been included in a Doctor Who screen credit (by contrast, Sir Michael Gambon was not identified as such in the 2010 Christmas Special "A Christmas Carol").
This story is largely set in Yorkshire - the northern county where Diana Rigg was born. As with the first story written by Mark Gatiss, the 2005 Ninth Doctor story "The Unquiet Dead", the majority of the action takes place during the Victorian era, although in this story the TARDIS lands in 1893, about 25 years later than in "The Unquiet Dead".
The read through for this story took place in Cardiff on Thursday 28th June 2012. Filming began the following week on Monday 2nd July with Bute Town, in Rhymney near Cardiff, standing in for this story's Yorkshire setting, with further scenes being recorded in the BBC's Roath Lock Studios.
The apparently prim and perfect Sweetville were actually shot not far from the BBCs Cardiff studios in Wales. Production Designer Michael Pickwoad said the street had to look as though it was very prim and proper and almost too perfect
because something dreadfully wrong is going on inside!. Sweetville is based on the real-world model village of Saltaire in Yorkshire that was founded in 1851 by wool industrialist Titus Salt. Titus also had a daughter called Ada, after whom a street in the village is named.
Sweetville's name may also reflect the model village of Bournville whose name was later used for a brand of chocolate bar.
At one point, during a meal with Ada, Mrs Gillyflower is seen tossing salt to one side, apparently to keep the devil at bay. This refers to a superstition that suggests throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder brings good luck as it is said to be flung into the face of the devil. In the 1977 Fourth Doctor story "Image of the Fendahl" The Doctor notes that salt is deadly to the ancient and evil Fendahleen. He conjectures that this use of salt (against the Fendahleen) may be the origin of the salt-throwing superstition.
In the flashback sequence, The Doctor is heard to say Do you know the old Romany superstition, Clara? That the eye of a dead person retains an image of the last thing it sees
. This is similar to a version that the Fourth Doctor tells the crew of Nerva Beacon just before he connects his mind to the retina of the dead Wirrn in the 1975 story "The Ark in Space".
When they arrive The Doctor mentions that the TARDIS used to be worse about landing at its intended destination, saying that he once spent a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport - a reference to his fifth incarnation's companion Tegan Jovanka. She called herself a mouth on legs and continually hassled the Fifth Doctor, hectoring him to take her to Heathrow Airport as she wanted to be an air-hostess. She joined the Fourth Doctor by accident in the 1981 story "Logopolis" and eventually made it to the airport in the 1982 Fifth Doctor story "Time-Flight". Tegan has been referred to previously in the revived era in both the 2007 Children in Need special scene "Time Crash" and The Sarah Jane Adventures story "Death of The Doctor".
Another reference to Tegan is made when The Doctor tells Clara Brave heart, Clara!. The Fifth Doctor often encouraged Tegan with the words, Brave heart, Tegan!.
A penny dreadful was a type of British fiction publication that emerged in the nineteenth century, typically featuring lurid and improbable stories. Due to increased mechanisation within the publishing industry of that era, each edition cost only one penny - an affordable sum that added to their widespread appeal.
In the line
this shining city on the ill! Mrs Gillyflower is misquoting John Winthrop (c. 1587-1649), a British Puritan who settled in New England in the 17th Century. In 1630 he delivered a sermon that contained the words
we shall be as a City upon a Hill in reference to the founding of America. Many US politicians have quoted the line with several of them - most notably Ronald Reagan in his farewell speech of 1989 - adding the adjective shining.
Mrs Gillyflower is heard to say Pretty maids all in a row. She is quoting the old nursery rhyme that begins, Mary, Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow?.
The Urchin Boy, who gives assistance to Strax, is called Thomas Thomas. He is heard using the language of a modern GPS and is an obvious reference to the popular TomTom real-world GPS service.
Strax chants the Sontaran battle cry, Sontar-ha! when he attacks the brainwashed humans surrounding The Doctor and Jenny (see "The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky").
Strax refers to Jenny as a fleshy boy, showing he still has issues with differentiating genders (see "The Snowmen").
Jenny is seen wearing her leather suit again as she did in "The Snowmen".
Madame Vastra's client continually faints when exposed to any unexpected or shocking events. This is a satire of how women were culturally perceived to act in the Victorian era.
Real northern locations are mentioned, including Bradford and Buckden Pike.
The Doctor does a northern accent again, joined by Clara this time. He briefly put on a northern accent in the 2011 story "The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People". The Ninth Doctor also naturally spoke with a northern accent.
The Doctor again uses the pseudonym Doctor Smith in this story. He has given this alias many times in the past and in the 2010 story "The Vampires of Venice", when we glimpse his library card, we see this ID has an image of the First Doctor and identifies him as Dr. J. Smith.
The monster in this story bares a slight resemblance to the Goa'uld from Stargate SG-1. They are quite defenceless when by themselves however when combined with a human are a lot more powerful.
The Repulsive Case of the Red Leech is an unrecorded Sherlock Holmes adventure, mentioned in "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez".
Several foods that were available in the 19th century are mentioned, including: Amontillado, Pontefract cakes, tea and seed cakes.
Although Madame Vastra and Jenny both question The Doctor concerning how Clara is alive, he refuses to explain anything to them, nor is she ever present for these questions. Thus despite having met, Madame Vastra and Jenny do not know that this is a different person and not the same one revived in some manner, and Clara gains no knowledge of her past life from the pair.
Upon returning from her adventure, Clara picks up a toy robot from the Transformers line, specifically a Galvatron action figure.
This story marks the first time, since the show was revived in 2005, that a companion's associates have successfully deduced the person's time-travelling affairs with The Doctor on their own, along with The Doctor's ability to time-travel, without questioning The Doctor directly or getting a firsthand experience of the TARDIS. This occurs when, upon arriving home, Clara discovers that her young charges, Artie and Angie Maitland, have discovered historical photographs of her on the Internet which exposed her secret. The photos show Clara in 1974 with Alec and Emma ("Hide") and in 1983 with The Doctor, Captain Zhukov and Professor Grisenko ("Cold War" - another story written by Mark Gatiss). There is also a 1892 photo of Clara Oswald ("The Snowmen") whom they assume is also their Clara. Artie and Angie are also the first people in the revived series to blackmail a companion in order to time-travel with The Doctor.
Apparently seeing herself in Victorian London (which she does not recall) gives Clara the thought that she really has lived more than one life, which The Doctor confronted her over in their last adventure "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS".
This story contains a number of errors. Namely: Madame Vastra's veil is far more transparent than it was apparently meant to be, especially given the reactions to the revelation of her non-human appearance; We hear the crowd at the meeting singing the poem (sometimes referred to as a hymn) Jerusalem. Although William Blake wrote the poem around 1804, Hubert Parry's melody was not composed until 1916, 23 years after this story was set; Immediately after Winifred forces Ada through the door and slams it, (at the scene change), you can clearly hear the director yell And Cut!.
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The Firsts:
The first Doctor Who story where a cast member has received an onscreen credit that includes an honour.
The first time, since the show was revived in 2005, that a companion's associates have successfully deduced the person's time-travelling affairs with The Doctor on their own.
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(Position = 3 out of 9)
(Position = 83 out of 241)
