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Doctor Who
S1.E9
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IMDbPro

The Empty Child

  • Episode aired May 5, 2006
  • TV-PG
  • 45m
IMDb RATING
9.0/10
9.4K
YOUR RATING
Noah Johnson in Doctor Who (2005)
AdventureDramaSci-Fi

When a spaceship crashes in the middle of the London Blitz the Doctor, Rose and the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness find themselves investigating a plague of physical injuries and a little b... Read allWhen a spaceship crashes in the middle of the London Blitz the Doctor, Rose and the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness find themselves investigating a plague of physical injuries and a little boy in a gas mask.When a spaceship crashes in the middle of the London Blitz the Doctor, Rose and the enigmatic Captain Jack Harkness find themselves investigating a plague of physical injuries and a little boy in a gas mask.

  • Director
    • James Hawes
  • Writers
    • Steven Moffat
    • Sydney Newman
  • Stars
    • Christopher Eccleston
    • Billie Piper
    • Kate Harvey
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    9.0/10
    9.4K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • James Hawes
    • Writers
      • Steven Moffat
      • Sydney Newman
    • Stars
      • Christopher Eccleston
      • Billie Piper
      • Kate Harvey
    • 20User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos15

    Doctor Who (2005)
    Christopher Eccleston in Doctor Who (2005)
    Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper in Doctor Who (2005)
    Noah Johnson and Albert Valentine in Doctor Who (2005)
    Christopher Eccleston in Doctor Who (2005)
    Noah Johnson and Albert Valentine in Doctor Who (2005)
    Florence Hoath in Doctor Who (2005)
    John Barrowman and Billie Piper in Doctor Who (2005)
    Albert Valentine in Doctor Who (2005)
    Christopher Eccleston, John Barrowman, and Billie Piper in Doctor Who (2005)
    Richard Wilson in Doctor Who (2005)
    John Barrowman and Billie Piper in Doctor Who (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Christopher Eccleston
    Christopher Eccleston
    • Doctor Who
    Billie Piper
    Billie Piper
    • Rose Tyler
    Kate Harvey
    • Nightclub Singer
    Albert Valentine
    • The Child
    Florence Hoath
    • Nancy
    Cheryl Fergison
    • Mrs. Lloyd
    Damian Samuels
    Damian Samuels
    • Mr. Lloyd
    John Barrowman
    John Barrowman
    • Jack Harkness
    Robert Hands
    • Algy
    Joe Tremain
    Joe Tremain
    • Jim
    • (as Joseph Tremain)
    Jordan Murphy
    • Ernie
    Brandon Miller
    • Alf
    Richard Wilson
    Richard Wilson
    • Dr. Constantine
    Noah Johnson
    • The Empty Child
    • (voice)
    Dian Perry
    • Computer
    • (voice)
    Saul Murphy
    • Drinker
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • James Hawes
    • Writers
      • Steven Moffat
      • Sydney Newman(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Captain Jack mocks the Doctor and Rose for their out-of-place outfits ("Flag Girl was bad enough - but U-boat captain?"), he is actually spot on - the Doctor's leather jacket is in fact a vintage 1938 German U-boat commander's jacket.
    • Goofs
      Nancy seems to have the unique ability to whistle with her fingers in her mouth - even though she's wearing gloves.
    • Quotes

      [Captain Jack has just greeted the Doctor as "Mr. Spock"]

      The Doctor: Mister Spock?

      Rose Tyler: What was I supposed to say? You don't have a name! Don't you ever get tired of "Doctor"? Doctor Who?

      The Doctor: Nine centuries in, I'm coping.

    • Connections
      Featured in Doctor Who Confidential: Bringing Back the Doctor (2005)
    • Soundtracks
      In The Mood
      Written by Wingy Manone, Andy Razaf and Joe Garland

      Performed by Glenn Miller

    User reviews20

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Introducing Captain Jack
    After Paul Cornell's Father's Day, it's another great writer's turn to provide his spin on Doctor Who: one Steven Moffat, creator of Coupling, lifelong fan of the original Doc and author of the hilarious Comic Relief spoof version of the show produced in 1999 (you know, the one with Rowan Atkinson as the Ninth Doctor). With such credentials, greatness was to be expected, and The Empty Child is easily the first season's high point, besides the chilling Dalek.

    In fact, "chilling" is an adjective that applies quite well to this episode too: summoned by an emergency signal from a damaged time-ship, the Doctor and Rose land in 1914 London, where a mysterious, deformed child spreads terror with his gas mask-shaped face and constant cries for his absent mother. While the Doctor tries to get to the bottom of this spooky enigma, he and Rose also make a rather different acquaintance: that of Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), a stranded time traveler who loves to enjoy himself with just about anyone...

    Marking a distinct tonal shift that goes beyond even the more suspenseful bits of Dalek, The Empty Child is a pretty scary episode - some scenes had to be edited because of the time slot - that might alienate younger viewers, but will no doubt fascinate older ones thanks to its pitch-perfect writing, subtle atmosphere build-up and impeccable reconstruction of war-time London. Moffat also deserves kudos for the introduction of Captain Jack, a character that blatantly panders to a more adult audience (then again, this is Moffat, the king of awkward sexual tension on the small screen) while also providing the sense of fun and excitement that makes Doctor Who such a great ride. And this is just part one of the story...
    helpful•27
    4
    • MaxBorg89
    • Sep 18, 2010

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 5, 2006 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (United Kingdom)
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Barry Steam Railway, Plymouth Road, Barry Island, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, UK
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      45 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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