The Impossible Astronaut

Episode aired Apr 23, 2011
99
44min

8.9/10

6.7K

S6.E1

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Adventure Drama Family

The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are reunited in the Utah desert.The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are reunited in the Utah desert.The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song are reunited in the Utah desert.

8.9/10

6.7K

Director
- Toby Haynes
Writers
- Steven Moffat(showrunner)
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
Stars

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

Alex Kingston and Matt Smith in Doctor Who (2005)

Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill in Doctor Who (2005)

Alex Kingston, Matt Smith, and Karen Gillan in Doctor Who (2005)

Alex Kingston, Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill in Doctor Who (2005)

Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and Arthur Darvill in Doctor Who (2005)

Director
- Toby Haynes
Writers
- Steven Moffat(showrunner)
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
All cast & crew

See production, box office, & company info

Four envelopes, numbered two, three and four - each containing a date, time and map reference, unsigned, but TARDIS blue - begin the latest series of the time-travelling adventures. Who sent them? And who received the missing number one? This strange summons reunites The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River Song in the middle of the Utah desert and unveils a terrible secret that The Doctor's friends must never reveal to him. Placing his life entirely in their hands, The Doctor agrees to search for the recipient of the fourth envelope. Just who is Canton Everett Delaware the Third? And what is the relevance of their only other clue: "Space 1969"? Their quest lands them in the Oval Office, where they are enlisted by President Nixon himself to assist enigmatic former FBI agent Canton in saving a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman. —BBC Press Release

eleventh doctor main character dies spacesuit cell phone photograph man wears a bow tie 40 more

Trivia
This episode is dedicated to Elisabeth Sladen (renowned Doctor Who companion Sarah Jane Smith), who died a few days before its original airing. The episode's broadcast on BBC One was immediately followed by the airing of My Sarah Jane: A Tribute to Elisabeth Sladen (2011) on CBBC (the home network of The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007)).

Goofs
The desk that President Nixon was sitting at, in the Oval Office, lacked the panel, with the Seal of the United States, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had installed on the front of the desk, to conceal his wheelchair.

Quotes
The Doctor: I am being extremely clever up here and there's no one to stand around looking impressed. What's the point in having you all?

Crazy credits
Following the death of former companion Elisabeth Sladen, The Impossible Astronaut opened with a dedication in her name.

Alternate versions
A scene which River Song appears naked and winks at an unknown man was filmed, but cut because Steven Moffat felt it was too naughty and the deleted scene can be glimpsed in the Series 6 trailer.

Connections
Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 23 April 2011 (2011)

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

Top review

7/10

A solid start to season 6

I quite like the opening episode to series 6 even though it has its fair share of flaws. It's a very visually appealing episode in terms of cinematography and the design of the monster. The opening segment in the desert is emotionally crushing - it feels like one of the biggest challenges the Doctor has had to deal with in a long time. The mysteries of River and the astronauts keep the story interesting and the Silence have a pretty unique mechanic as well. Unfortunately the first scene in which the audience were introduced to the Silence (set in the bathrooms of the white house) was the episode's biggest flaw as the scene was silly and could have been executed better. But this episode is still very enjoyable overall.

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