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Learn about the 2017 Christmas special of Doctor Who, featuring the final appearance of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and the introduction of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. The episode involves the First Doctor, a World War I captain, a Dalek, and a glass avatar of Bill Potts.
Dec 25, 2017 · Twice Upon a Time: Directed by Rachel Talalay. With Peter Capaldi, David Bradley, Pearl Mackie, Mark Gatiss. The Twelfth Doctor, still refusing to change, goes on a last adventure with the First Doctor.
- (8K)
- Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
- Rachel Talalay
- 2017-12-25
- Overview
- Synopsis
- Plot
- Cast
- Crew
- Worldbuilding
- Story notes
- Continuity
- Home video releases
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
was the 2017 Christmas Special of Doctor Who. It was the show's thirteenth Christmas special since its revival and the fourth starring Capaldi as the Doctor. It was also the final chronological appearance of Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor and introduced Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in its closing moments.
After a surprise appearance at the end of The Doctor Falls [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 10 (BBC One, 2017)., the First Doctor was an integral part of the special's narrative. Here, he was portrayed by David Bradley, who had previously played the original actor William Hartnell in An Adventure in Space and Time. Archival footage from The Tenth Planet [+]Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, Doctor Who season 4 (BBC1, 1966). was used to bookmark the First Doctor's place in this story, with Twice Upon a Time retroactively inserting one final adventure for the First Doctor before his regeneration, as well as explaining his absence after leaving Ben and Polly during the last episode of The Tenth Planet.
Speaking of which, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright made a brief re-reappearance in the programme for the first time since their exit in 1967's The Faceless Ones. Bill Potts joined the two Doctors as a Testimony glass avatar. Past companions Nardole and Clara Oswald made similar brief appearances. Rusty, from Capaldi's second episode, Into the Dalek [+]Phil Ford and Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 8 (BBC One, 2014)., made his second appearance in Villengard, a location mentioned only once before on television, in Steven Moffat's second television story, 2005's The Doctor Dances [+]Steven Moffat, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005)..
It's also worth noting that Twice Upon a Time marks the first time two different incarnations of the Doctor were seen regenerating in the same episode; with the First Doctor's regeneration into the Second Doctor shown briefly before the special ends with the Twelfth Doctor regenerating.
In early 2018, Murray Gold announced his departure from Doctor Who after twelve years at the Gallifrey One convention, confirming that Twice Upon a Time was his last episode. It was also the final story with Steven Moffat as head writer and the first to include any part written and overseen by incoming lead writer, Chris Chibnall.
While not known at the time, this would also turn out to be the last consecutive Christmas special of the revived series, breaking the streak that began with The Christmas Invasion [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas special (BBC One, 2005). in 2005. The show would forgo its usual Christmas special in 2018 in favour of a New Year Special at the beginning of 2019. The New Year's Day broadcasts continued from 2019 to 2022, before Christmas specials returned with The Church on Ruby Road [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023 (BBC One and Disney+, 2023)., which aired on 25 December 2023.
As the Doctor nears regeneration, he stumbles on his original self, also refusing to change. It takes a captain, a glass avatar and a familiar face to convince the Doctors the universe still needs them.
The First Doctor nears his end after an encounter with Mondasian Cybermen. He is freed from his restraints by his companions Ben and Polly, now that the threat is over. However, he is weak, his body beginning to regenerate. Refusing to give in, the Doctor leaves and wanders the South Pole, mumbling to himself that he will not change out of cowardice. Nearing his TARDIS, he hears a voice in the distance yelling in defiance. Seeing a figure kneeling outside his TARDIS, the Doctor asks who the man is. The man claims to be the Doctor. With a smug sense of superiority, the First Doctor tells the man that's not true; "you may be a doctor, but I am the Doctor. The original, you might say."
The scene transitions to the Twelfth Doctor as he gets to his feet, shocked to see his past self. The Doctor is at first delighted at meeting his first incarnation, until he realises something isn't right and where the TARDIS has actually landed: the TARDIS has taken him back to the moment of his first regeneration, however, like the Twelfth Doctor, the First Doctor is refusing to regenerate; this causes panic in the Doctor as he doesn't remember refusing to regenerate the first time or remember meeting himself in his current incarnation. The First Doctor is confused and dismisses his future self as just another Time Lord; he asks if he has come to take back "the ship". The Twelfth Doctor laughs in amusement that his original incarnation still calls the TARDIS "the ship".
The First Doctor then asks what the Twelfth has done to the TARDIS, as it's bigger than it used to be. The Twelfth Doctor tells him its from "all those years of being bigger on the inside. You try sucking your tummy in that long", defending his beloved vessel. The Twelfth Doctor questions why his younger self is refusing to regenerate, with the First Doctor lying, claiming he has the courage, and more importantly the right to live and die as he is now. The Twelfth Doctor tells him it's already too late, explaining to the First Doctor that moments ago he was weak but is now suddenly fine, the First as well as the Twelfth Doctor are currently in a "state of grace" but that it won't last forever as both Doctors need to make a choice: choose to regenerate and continue with their lives, or die as they are now. A dreadful realisation suddenly hits the Twelfth Doctor: if his first incarnation refuses to regenerate and dies instead of continuing to live, then all of the things he would do in the future would never happen. However, as the Twelfth Doctor tries explaining this realisation to the First Doctor, as he fears what consequences this decision might cause, the snow around them suddenly freezes in mid-air, capturing the pair's attention, as a man dressed in World War I attire approaches them. He seems disorientated and asks the pair if either of them are a doctor. Exchanging a glance with the First Doctor, the Twelfth asks if the man is making some sort of joke.
On Christmas Day 1914, the soldier, a captain in the British Expeditionary Force, lies in a shell hole on the battlefield in Ypres. His revolver is aimed at a German soldier, who also has his sidearm trained on the Captain. Both men realise they will kill each other in self-defence, their respective troops far away in their trenches, unable to assist either of them. Just as the Captain prepares to accept his fate and fire, a wave of energy flows through the field, freezing everything around him. As he exits the hole, he sees a humanoid figure who looks like clear glass standing in front of him. The figure turns to him and a bright light suddenly flashes, encapsulating him. He collapses to the ground in the Antarctic and hearing the two Doctors discussing the static snow, he approaches them.
The scene once more shifts back to the Twelfth Doctor's perspective. A portal of light opens in the distance, and the two Doctors approach it. The First Doctor orders the portal to reveal itself, while the Twelfth Doctor declares that the planet is protected, to the confusion of his first incarnation. However, the light quickly vanishes, surprising the Twelfth Doctor as "that almost never works." The First Doctor returns to the Captain, telling him to enter his TARDIS, and the Twelfth Doctor coaxes him to follow. As they enter, the First Doctor is shocked by the changes to the TARDIS interior, while the Captain is shocked by the room's size. The Twelfth Doctor pulls the monitor over to the First Doctor, telling him his TARDIS is 70 feet away; he then tells him to always remember where he parks as it gets important later. The Captain is taken aback and astonished by the TARDIS.
The First Doctor demands his identity, to which the Twelfth says not to be an idiot as they always know when they meet each other. However, the First Doctor states he does not know, prompting the Twelfth Doctor to show him his hand glowing with regeneration energy. The First Doctor finally realises and accepts that the Time Lord in front of him is indeed the Doctor, his future self, and asks if the Twelfth is his next incarnation, to which the Twelfth says is not the case; he'll become him eventually, "after a few false starts" the Twelfth says with a grin. The First Doctor is confused however, as he thought he would get younger when he regenerated, to which the Twelfth snaps that he is younger than the First Doctor. The Captain interrupts, stating he does not understand what's happening, while examining a VHS tape. The Twelfth Doctor says that's understandable for a soldier from World War I being chased through frozen time by an unknown force. The Captain is at first confused, the Doctor first believes it's because he was able to correctly assume which World War the Captain fought in by looking at his uniform, until the Captain corrects the Doctor, becoming disturbed upon hearing the Doctor refer to the Great War as the first world war rather than just the Great War, the Captain asks the Doctor what he meant by that; the Doctor, realising what he said apologises and simply tells him "spoilers".
•The Doctor - Peter Capaldi
•The Doctor - David Bradley
•Bill - Pearl Mackie
•The Captain - Mark Gatiss
•Clara - Jenna Coleman
•Nardole - Matt Lucas
Uncredited crew
•Writer - Chris Chibnall •VFX Supervisor - Murray Barber •CG Supervisor - Dominic Alderson •VFX Producer - Louise Hastings
Culture
•British soldiers are fighting German soldiers.
Technology
•The soldiers in World War I uses guns and rifles. •The Captain finds a VHS cassette inside the Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS. •The First Doctor finds the Twelfth Doctor's electric guitar. •The Testimony Foundation owns a spaceship which they used to capture the Twelfth Doctor's TARDIS. •The Twelfth Doctor says that Bill Potts was turned into a Cyberman. •The First Doctor is confused about the sonic screwdriver. •The First Doctor doesn't approve of the sonic sunglasses. •The First Doctor doesn't know what browser history is. •The Twelfth Doctor attempts to connect the glass woman via the sonic sunglasses and TARDIS scanner to the TARDIS databanks. He, however, finds that due to it being the First Doctor's TARDIS, there's hardly anything there, and needs a bigger one, and suggests the Matrix on Gallifrey. •The First Doctor picks up a Dalek eyestalk. •Rusty "gets naked" for the Twelfth Doctor by ejecting his gunstick. •The Twelfth Doctor mentions the Dalek hive mind. •The glass woman says that a perception filter will render her and the Doctors invisible to the soldiers on the battlefield.
Biology
•When the First and Twelfth Doctors shake hands, regeneration energy glows intensely from them.
•Though brief, this was the debut performance for Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Her scene was written by the incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall.
•The cinematic, DVD and Blu-ray releases featured two documentaries: The End of an Era, a retrospective and behind-the-scenes look, before the showing, and Twice Upon a Time at the end, an in-depth look into the making of the Christmas special.
•Twice Upon a Time features a "Previously on Doctor Who..." sequence saying "709 Episodes ago" and showing footage from The Tenth Planet with William Hartnell, Anneke Wills and Michael Craze as the First Doctor, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson respectively. This scene makes use of two aspect ratios. The footage reframes from 4:3 black-and-white to 16:9 colour, slowly morphing Hartnell into David Bradley, and Lily Travers and Jared Garfield then appear as Polly and Ben, re-enacting missing segments on Snowcap from said episode. Following the First Doctor's return to his TARDIS, the episode briefly goes back to 4:3 black-and-white after Bradley's Doctor is seen lying on the floor unconscious, cutting to the original regeneration from Hartnell into Troughton, and visually bookending the First Doctor's involvement in the narrative.
•This story features a rare instance in which actors that only appeared through use of archive footage were also credited. Another notable instance of this happening is The Day of the Doctor. William Hartnell's credit has been changed from "Dr. Who" to "The Doctor."
•Rachel Talalay had actually shot a number of scenes from The Tenth Planet, with a complete set reconstruction, recast characters, and the series 10 Mondasian Cybermen. She said in an interview that she tried to make both the set, and the cinematography, as accurate to the original scenes, and original production values, as much as possible. She did admit to having fun with some parts of the set in particular, and embellishing with a "60s feel", and noted that some details of the action had to be invented. These scene recreations were not used in the final edit of Twice Upon a Time; the original footage was used in its place. However, these specially shot re-tellings were shown in the cinema feature Twice Upon a Time.
•The First and Twelfth Doctors meeting also features the scene acted out differently in TV: The Doctor Falls and Twice Upon a Time, similar to how episodes in the 60s reshooting the prior scene's cliffhanger, often resulting in little differences. The same situation also occurred when TV: The Runaway Bride followed the Doomsday cliffhanger 11 years prior.
•The Twelfth Doctor mentions Bill's Cyber-conversion, (TV: World Enough and Time) and Bill explains how Heather saved her, though she has difficulty remembering the details. (TV: The Doctor Falls) Bill has to remind the Twelfth Doctor about Heather and the sentient oil. (TV: The Pilot)
•When time freezes following the meeting of the Twelfth and First Doctors, the Twelfth theorises that it is their temporally-paradoxical meeting which has caused this effect — much as when time was similarly frozen when the Eighth Doctor encountered the First Doctor. (PROSE: The Eight Doctors)
•The Twelfth Doctor declares everyone is important. The Eleventh Doctor thought so too. (TV: A Christmas Carol) The Ninth Doctor previously claimed an "ordinary man" was the most important thing in creation, and expressed shock when someone said they weren't important. (TV: Father's Day) The Tenth Doctor told John Lumic in his Cybus Cyber Controller form how people are important, (TV: The Age of Steel) and also told Lazarus how there's no such thing as an ordinary being. (TV: The Lazarus Experiment)
•The Twelfth Doctor nearly encountered his first incarnation when the TARDIS was accidentally transported to the barn on Gallifrey where his first incarnation was hiding as a child. However, the Twelfth Doctor was unconscious at the time and left without going outside to meet his younger self. (TV: Listen)
•The Twelfth Doctor informs the First Doctor he must remember where he parked, having got in the wrong TARDIS. The Eleventh Doctor would later repeat this sentiment to himself when on a date with River Song. (HOMEVID: Last Night)
•The Twelfth Doctor visits the South Pole as he nears regeneration. He was there, also near regeneration, in his first incarnation. (TV: The Tenth Planet)
DVD releases
A stand-alone DVD was released in region 1 on 13th February, 2018, in region 2 on January 22nd, 2018 and in region 4 on February 7th, 2018.
Blu-ray releases
A stand-alone Blu-ray was released on the same dates in all markets as the DVD. The Blu-ray has special features including a recording of the Doctor Who panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2017.
4K Ultra HD Blu-ray releases
This story was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK on September 24th, 2018, in Australia on September 25th, 2018 and in North America on October 17th, 2018. It is the first Doctor Who story to be released on the format. The story was not shot in 4K and so was upscaled, however this release makes use of HDR colour depth not available on the DVD and Blu-ray releases. It contains the same special features as the standard Blu-ray release, which is also included as a separate second disc. The US release came on October 2nd, 2018. It is notable for using the 2018 version of the logo on the cover art rather than the version used during Capaldi's tenure as the Doctor. The disc contents are identical to the UK release (including an FBI warning, included on the UK pressing of the disc).
The Twelfth Doctor meets his First incarnation and a glass avatar in Antarctica, while the Thirteenth Doctor watches from the future. This is the final story for Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and the first to feature Jodie Whittaker.
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Twice Upon a Time. In the final chapter of the Twelfth Doctor's adventure, he must face his past to decide his future, discovering hope in his darkest moment. More. 60 mins.
Dec 30, 2017 · Twice Upon a Time. In the final chapter of the Twelfth Doctor's adventure, he must face his past to decide his future, discovering hope in his darkest moment. Show more. Available now. 1 hour.
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Jun 24, 2018 · A long time ago, at the South Pole the Doctor refused to regenerate. Twice. Subscribe: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToDoctorWho Taken from the 2017 Christmas Speci...
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Learn about the history and references of the 2017 Christmas special that features the First and Twelfth Doctors. Discover the connections to The Tenth Planet, The Web of Fear, An Adventure in Space and Time and more.
