November 23, 2024
First-look into the making of Season 1 in celebration of Doctor Who Day
To celebrate sixty-one years of Doctor Who, we’re bringing you a little bit extra from the latest era of the series! Over on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel, you can watch deleted scenes from Season 1 and the third 60th Anniversary special, The Giggle.
There are many reasons why not everything in a script makes it into the final broadcast episode: runtime, pacing, or even just a change in artistic direction. And, as an extra treat, each deleted scene comes with a note from showrunner Russell T Davies explaining the decision not to include it in the final cut.
Read on for the full list of deleted scenes below.
THE GIGGLE
Scenes 9-10a: As UNIT welcomes the Doctor and Donna to their new HQ, Donna ensures that her family are protected from the dangers of the Giggle on the outside world.
Russell T Davies’ Note: “Cut because it spoils that sweeping entrance, to stop and have a chat. And get to Mel faster!”
Scene 27: Doors, doors and more doors! The Doctor and Donna attempt to negotiate their way through the Toymaker’s infinite and tricksome domain.
RTD Note: “Cut for time.”
SPACE BABIES
Scene 16: Ruby shares her experience as an orphan with the Space Babies before being interrupted by an excitable Doctor on his way to Portal 357.
RTD Note: “Cut for time, which is a shame, Millie's wonderful here.”
Scenes 40/42: “Into the belly of the beast...” The Doctor and Ruby navigate some daunting and increasingly bogey-filled corridors as they approach the Bogeyman’s lair.
RTD Note: “Cut to get to the Bogeyman faster.”
Scene 63: The Doctor and the Bogeyman recover from their airlock encounter, and the Doctor even checks on the Bogeyman’s wellbeing – carefully, of course!
RTD Note: “Not needed, though a wide shot of this scene plays on the screens behind Jocelyn.”
THE DEVIL’S CHORD
Scene 9a: After witnessing a miserable performance of ‘Three Blind Mice’, the Doctor declares, “Someone has stolen music!”
RTD Note: “Felt a bit psychic of the Doctor, how does he know it’s stolen?”
Scene 23: Maestro, having just popped out of a rooftop piano, uses their cosmic tuning fork to track the location of the retreating Doctor and Ruby.
RTD Note: “Cut for time, get on with it!”
Scene 72: The Doctor and Ruby run back up the rooftop stairwell as music returns to the world.
RTD Note: “Cut because this explains what’s about to happen. Just let it happen instead!”
Scene 74: A montage through some Londoners’ windows as they rediscover music in their hearts.
RTD Note: “Nice idea, but not really needed.”
73 YARDS
Scenes 3-4: With the Doctor suddenly missing, Ruby waits outside the TARDIS alone, with the mysterious Woman standing nearby...
RTD Note: “It’s already a long, slow opening, get on with it!”
Scenes 53-54: The morning after her victory against Roger ap Gwilliam, 40 year-old Ruby runs to her window to find, sadly, that the Woman is still outside.
RTD Note: “Much more effective to cut on the earlier scene, as Ruby asks the Woman, ‘Can you leave me alone now?’”
THE LEGEND OF RUBY SUNDAY
Scenes 41-44: An alternative sequence of the moment Harriet Arbinger heralds the return of Sutekh.
RTD Note: “All tightened, sharpened and pulled up.”
EMPIRE OF DEATH
Scene 35: The Doctor, Ruby and Mel arrive in 2046. Shortly after they exit the Remembered TARDIS, it fades away; its purpose fulfilled.
RTD Note: “We lost this because I didn’t want the Remembered TARDIS to die, I like the thought of it still out there somewhere.”
Scenes 59-63: Ever wondered where the Doctor’s TARDIS-controlling whistle came from? This timey-wimey sequence shows the Doctor programming the TARDIS to respond to the whistle’s pitch, then using a hatch to pass the whistle back to his past self. Bit of a cheat, but as the Doctor says, “We’re fighting a god – we get one trick once!”
RTD Note: “This seemed terribly complicated. But watching it again now, it’s great, maybe we shouldn't have cut it. Though I don't think anyone wondered where he got his whistle from...?”
WANT MORE SEASON 1 EXTRAS?
Would you like to see these deleted scenes in their original context? In honour of Doctor Who Day, the BBC Writers’ Room has released the scripts from Season 1 on their website here.
