IMDb >
Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death (1999) (TV)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at Blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsComic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death (1999) (TV) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Steven Moffat (writer)
Release Date:
12 March 1999 (UK)
more
Plot:
Before the Doctor can settle down to married life, he must face one last confrontation with his deadly enemy of certain death - the Master. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Time Machine
|
Time Travel
|
Charity
|
Satire
|
Regeneration
more
NewsDesk:
Richard Curtis ('Blackadder') writing 'Doctor Who' episode
(From Comicmix. 8 September 2009, 3:35 PM, PDT)
(From Comicmix. 8 September 2009, 3:35 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
"We'll explain later!"
more (16 total)
Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Rowan Atkinson | ... | The Doctor | |
| Richard E. Grant | ... | The Doctor | |
| Jim Broadbent | ... | The Doctor | |
| Hugh Grant | ... | The Doctor | |
| Joanna Lumley | ... | The Doctor | |
| Julia Sawalha | ... | Emma | |
| Jonathan Pryce | ... | The Master | |
| Roy Skelton | ... | Daleks (voice) | |
| Dave Chapman | ... | Daleks (voice) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death (UK) (video box title)
more
more
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
23 min (4 parts)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Certification:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The appearance of Joanna Lumley is a reference to an infamous mid-80s rumor that the Doctor would be played by Joanna Lumley.
more
Quotes:
The (Quite Handsome) 10th Doctor:
And, uh, you're my fiancée?
Emma, The Assistant: So you remember me then?
The (Quite Handsome) 10th Doctor: How could I possibly forget the only time-traveling companion I've ever had?
Emma, The Assistant: You've had lots of companions.
The (Quite Handsome) 10th Doctor: The only time-traveling companion I've ever... had.
more
Emma, The Assistant: So you remember me then?
The (Quite Handsome) 10th Doctor: How could I possibly forget the only time-traveling companion I've ever had?
Emma, The Assistant: You've had lots of companions.
The (Quite Handsome) 10th Doctor: The only time-traveling companion I've ever... had.
more
Movie Connections:
Features "The Lenny Henry Show" (1984)
more
FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (16 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Comic Relief: Doctor Who - The Curse of Fatal Death (1999) (TV)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| It -is- interesting... | IanDSmith |
| Podshock | kennyd4360 |
Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| Intergalactic Idol | Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death | Radioactive Dreams | Dead World | Spaceballs |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| News articles | IMDb Comedy section | IMDb UK section |
| Add this title to MyMovies |

Following the original series, which ran from 1963 to 1989, and Fox's unsuccessful attempt to Americanize Doctor Who in 1996, the closest we got to a revival of Britain's most celebrated TV show was this affectionate Comic Relief spoof from 1999, which pays homage to and lampoons the Time Lord's adventure.
Structured like a regular story from the classic show (i.e. divided in multiple parts), The Curse of Fatal Death stars Rowan Atkinson, once a candidate to play the role in the official series, as a mock-up version of the Ninth Doctor, who's traveling through time and space with a new female partner when he runs into the latest incarnation of the Master (Jonathan Pryce) and the Daleks.
At this point, any sign of actual plot evaporates, as Steven Moffat, who later went to write the new Doctor Who series, is more interested in making fun of two of the show's trademarks: time paradoxes and regeneration. The first aspect is handled through a classy battle of wits between Master and Doctor, based on an elementary pattern: the Master traveled back in time to set up a deadly trap, the Doctor anticipated the move and traveled further back in time to stop him, and so on. The second aspect, the fact that Time Lords can have thirteen different incarnations, constitutes the bulk of the episode's second half, as the Ninth Doctor is wounded and keeps regenerating, effectively using up all his lives. Then again, why complain when you transform into Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant and, um, Joanna Lumley?
It's all a bunch of nonsense, but delivered with that typical Britishness which makes it a must-see. The dialogue, no matter how stupid, manages to come off as extremely witty, and the actors are a joy to behold, especially Atkinson, the two Grants and Pryce, as they infuse their performances with the correct mix of seriousness and self-parody. And let's not forget the terrific idea of having everyone, including the Daleks, address possible continuity problems or plot holes with the deadpan "We'll explain later!".
Bottom line: fan of Doctor Who? You'll love this humorous take on the legend. To quote the "real" Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston): "Fantastic!".