Doctor Who: The Cancelled Years Wiki
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Forest of the Dead was the fourth serial of Season 33 of Doctor Who. It was written by Steven Moffat, directed by Brian Farnham and starred Hugh Bonneville as the Ninth Doctor, Lisa Bowerman as Bernice Summerfield & Robert Bathurst as Chris Hector.

Synopsis[]

The Doctor takes Bernice & Chris to a planet-sized library in the 51st century. They find it empty of human life, with countless other living beings. An information kiosk warns them to "count the shadows". An archaeological expedition arrives, who bring the cryptic last message sent from the library: "4022 saved, No survivors".

Plot[]

To be added.

Cast[]

Crew[]

To be added.

Worldbuilding[]

Cultural references from the real world[]

  • When he and Bernice arrive at the Library, the Doctor makes reference to author Jeffrey Archer, and Monty Python's Big Red Book.
  • A model of Robby the Robot is visible in the young girl's home.

Species[]

  • Vashta Nerada are said to exist on a billion worlds, including Earth, but in small numbers and mainly feeding on road-kill.

Technology[]

  • The Doctor receives a message from River on the TARDIS scanner.
  • The Doctor uses a teleport to attempt to send Bernice to the TARDIS, but mentions that he could only do this for Bernice as the TARDIS wouldn't recognise the others.
  • The Doctor recommends that a quarantine beacon be placed around the Library.
  • The Doctor suggests using a Code-Wall.

Notes[]

  • If one pays attention to Lux's explanation, the little girl is actually his aunt; if she was his grandfather's daughter, that would mean her sibling would have been Lux's parent.
  • CAL was also the name of the computer graphics company that created the title sequence used between 1987 and 1992 for the Seventh & Eighth Doctor's TV adventures. A result of this work was the creation of the first photo-realistic CGI TARDIS, featured in 1987's Time and the Rani.

Continuity[]

  • The Doctor would later encounter the Vashta Nerada during his fourteenth incarnation (TV: Night of the Vashta Nerada).
  • The Doctor says that the auto destruct in the Library could "crack the planet open like an egg". The Seventh Doctor said the same about what the Imperial Dalek mothership's weapons could do to the Earth. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
  • The Doctor says that having 4,022 minds talking inside one's mind (referring to CAL) is like being him. Time Lord minds were shown to be all interconnected through the Matrix. (TV: The Deadly Assassin)

Home video releases[]

VHS[]

  • This story was first released on VHS.

DVD[]

  • This story along with the other stories in Season 33 were released as Doctor Who: The Complete Thirty-Third Season in 2002.

Blu-ray[]

  • This story along with the other stories in Season 33 were upscaled in 1080i50 high definition and were released as Doctor Who: The Collection - Season 33 in the UK.
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