Doctor Who: The Parting of the Ways

Written by: Russell T Davies
Directed by: Joe Ahearne
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper and John Barrowman
Duration: 45'30m
Broadcast Date: 18/6/2005
Ratings/Chart Pos: 6.91m/No.17
DVD Availability: Try sendit.com (region 2 only)
Images: See the Doctor Who: Bad Wolf Image Page

Cast (credits order): Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who), Billie Piper (Rose Tyler), John Barrowman (Captain Jack), Jo Joyner (Lynda), Jamie Bradley (Strood), Abi Eniola (Crosbie), Davina McCall (Voice of Davinadroid), Paterson Joseph (Rodrick), Jenna Russell (Floor Manager), Anne Robinson (Voice of Anne Droid), Trinny Woodhall (Voice of Trine-E), Susannah Constantine (Voice of Zu-Zana), Jo Stone Fewings (Male Programmer), Nisah Nayar (Female Programmer), Dominic Burgess (Agorax), Karren Winchester (Fitch), Kate Loustau (Colleen), Sebastian Armesto (Broff), Martha Cope (Controller), Sam Callis (Security Guard), Alan Ruscoe/Paul Kasey (Androids), Barnaby Edwards/Nicholas Pegg/David Hankinson (Dalek Operators) and Nicholas Pegg (Dalek Voice).

Crew & Credits: Jon Older (1st Assistant Director), Steffan Morris (2nd Assistant Director), Dan Mumford (3rd Assistant Director), Llyr Morus (Location Manager), Justin Gyphion (Unit Manager), Jess van Niekerk (Production Co-ordinator), Debi Griffiths/Kath Blackman (A/Production Accountants), Non Eleri Hughes (Continuity), Helen Raynor (Script Editor), Martin Stephens (Camera Operator), Mark Isaac (Focus Puller), John Robinson (Grip), Damian Richardson (Boom Operator), Mark Hutchings (Gaffer), Peter Chester (Best Boy), Lee Sheward (Stunt Co-ordinator), Kim McGarrity (Stunt Performer), Gwenllian Llwyd (Art Dept Co-ordinator), Bryan Hitch (Concept Artist), Catherine Samuel (Production Buyer), Liz Griffiths (Set Decorator), Stephen Nicholas (Supervising Art Director), Arwel Jones (Standby Art Director), Adrian Anscombe (Property Master), Andrew Smith (Construction Manager), Phill Shellard/Trystan Howell (Standby Props), Jenny Bowers (Graphic Artist), Yolanda Peart-Smith (Wardrobe Supervisor), Linda Davie (Make-Up Supervisor), Claire Pritchard/Steve Williams (Make-Up Artists), Kirsty Robertson (Casting Associate), Ceres Doyle/Jamie Adams (Assistant Editors), Marie Brown (Post Production Supervisor), David Bowman/Alberto Montanes/Astrid Busser-Casas/Jennifer Herbert/Simon C Holden/Sara Bennett/Michael Harrison (2D VFX Artists), Andy Howell/Matt McKinney/Jean-Claude Deguara/Paul Burton/Chris Petts/Nicolas Hernandez/Nick Webber (3D VFX Artists), Alexander Fort (Digital Matte Painter), Matthew Clarke/Zoe Cassey (On line Editors), Jamie Wilkinson (Colourist), Tim Ricketts (Dubbing Mixer), Paul McFadden (Dialogue Editor), Paul Jeffries (Sound FX Editor), Richard Pugsley (Finance Manager), Ron Grainer (Original Theme Music), Andy Pryor CDG (Casting Director), Endaf Emyr Williams (Production Accountant), Ian Richardson (Sound Recordist), Lucinda Wright (Costume Designer), Davy Jones (Make Up Designer), Murray Gold (Music), Any Effects (Special Effects), The Mill (Visual Effects), Millennium Effects (Prosthetics), Will Cohen (Visual FX Producer), Dave Houghton (Visual FX Supervisor), Liana Del Giudice (Editor), Edward Thomas (Production Designer), Ernie Vincze BSC (Director of Photography), Tracie Simpson (Production Manager), Helen Vallis (Associate Producer), Russell T Davies/Julie Gardner/Mal Young (Executive Producers), Phil Collinson (Producer) and Joe Ahearne (Director). BBC Wales. c. BBC MMV.


Story: Rose and Jack join the Doctor in the final battle with the Daleks... but who gets out alive?

Trivia: As well as a 36 second recap of the previous episode at the beginning, The Parting of the Ways ends with a James Bond-style credit: "Doctor Who will return in THE CHRISTMAS INVASION".

The longest episode of Doctor Who (2005).

Viewpoint:
"You’ve got the entire vortex runnin’ through your head. You’re gonna buuuurn!"

Sadly, Christopher Eccleston's final story as the Doctor is a below par effort. His portrayal of the Doctor as a man prepared to see the entire universe enslaved by the Daleks and a man who no longer cares if he lives or dies is interesting. Yet the overblown, unnaturalistic dialogue and mawkish, somewhat crass, incidental music house one of the weak points of his time on the programme.

Beginning with a shamelessly populist, toothless satire of reality TV (where television quiz shows of the year 200100AD are exactly the same as they are today... except presented by robots), it's dumbed down TV that ends with an appalling deux et machina ending (the first of four times Davies would end a Doctor Who season this way) and a regeneration scene for Chris that sees him gurning and making jokes about noseless dogs. Sparkily directed by Joe Aherne, it's passable entertainment for the masses, but Chris's desire to make something of quality for the younger generation isn't served by this noisy finale.