Utopia (16 Jun. 2007)

Soon after bumping into old friend Jack Harkness, Martha and The Doctor head off to Malcassairo, a distant planet where an old professor will do anything he can to keep his people alive...

Director:

Graeme Harper

Writer:

Russell T. Davies

Stars:

David Tennant, Freema Agyeman, John Barrowman

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
David Tennant	...	The Doctor
Freema Agyeman	...	Martha Jones
John Barrowman	...	Captain Jack Harkness
Derek Jacobi	...	Professor Yana
Chipo Chung	...	Chantho
René Zagger	...	Padra (as Rene Zagger)
Neil Reidman	...	Lieutenant Atillo
Paul Marc Davis	...	Chieftain (as Paul Marc Davies)
Robert Forknall	...	Guard
John Bell	...	Creet
Deborah MacLaren	...	Kistane
Abigail Canton	...	Wiry Woman
John Simm	...	The Master

Storyline

The Doctor and Martha arrive in present day Cardiff to refuel the TARDIS and are inexplicably thrust to a distant planet 100 trillion years into the future. When they arrive they realize they have an unexpected passenger in Captain Jack Harkness who has been patiently waiting for the Doctor's return since the mid-19th century. On the planet they eventually meet Professor Yana who is running the 1000-year old Utopia project, the aim of which is to relocate the human-like creatures to a new planet, away from the outsiders who they fear they will become if they don't leave. When Prof. Yana has need of someone to make repairs in a room in which no one can survive, the Doctor has the perfect candidate. The Professor is not what he seems to be however and Martha notices he has a fob watch much like one the Doctor recently made use of.

---

Plot Keywords:

end of the universe | arch villain | dying repeatedly | severed hand | resurrection | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 2007 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Wales, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

45 min 45 min (50 episodes)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Professor Yana examines his fob watch, voices of Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley taken from footage of Doctor Who are heard. Both actors portrayed the Master in the original series.

---

Goofs

Jack takes of his coat and shirt before going into the radiation room to connect the switches. He is dressed in a white T shirt... and comments that he looks great! Then he comes out, still wearing his white T Shirt while helping the Doctor start takeoff... until the scene when Martha runs to find Jack and the Doctor... now he is wearing his black shirt again UNDER his braces.

---

Quotes

Martha Jones: [about Jack] It's a bit odd though, not very hundred trillion. That coat looks more like World War two.
The Doctor: I think he came with us.
Martha Jones: How d'you mean? From Earth?
The Doctor: Must have been clinging to the outside of the TARDIS. All the way through the Vortex. Well, that's very him.
Martha Jones: What, do you know him?
The Doctor: Friend of mine. Used to travel with me. Back in the old days.
Martha Jones: But he's... I'm sorry, there's no heartbeat. There's nothing. He's dead.
[...]

---

Connections

Features Doctor Who: Gridlock (2007)

---

Soundtracks

"Doctor Who Theme"
(uncredited)
Written by Ron Grainer
Arranged by Murray Gold
Performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales

User Reviews

A very important episode of the series with Graeme Harper on excellent form

From the exciting beginning on modern-day Earth (Cardiff to be exact) to the exhilaratingly dark scenes at the very end of the universe itself, this is a cracking ride that grips the viewer from the onset and doesn't let go.

Jack's back and it's a genuine pleasure to see John Barrowman's character weave his sexual magnetism on man, woman and bug-person alike. The chemistry between Barrowman and Tennant is marvellous and the conversation between the two men as Jack works in the radiation chamber is one of my favourites of the season.

The legendary Derek Jacobi is perfect as the lovely Professor, striving to save mankind from extinction by launching the rocket to a mysterious far-off Utopia, and Chipo Chung is a delight as his blue-skinned, insectoid companion.

No spoilers here but this episode ties up plot points in a beautiful fashion. While I've been critical of some of Russel T. Davies' scripts in the past, this one is faultless. It's just a shame that the big surprise was leaked / speculated over even before this series began - always the danger thesedays, I guess. Still, "Utopia" remains a very clever piece of television and one that will have the forums buzzing for some time.

As always in recent weeks, as the end credits roll, I'm left genuinely gob-smacked. It's great to know you're watching something that will one day be regarded as a classic. The series has matured over the last three years and it's entered a zone where the team are pushing everything as far as they can and leaving no creative opportunities unexplored. This is thoroughly exciting, innovative television that will be influencing future generations of writers, producers and directors. Television today really doesn't get any better than this.

Full marks, 10 out of 10.