Series 3, Episode 8 | 2 parts | First broadcast: 26 May 2007 | Writer: Paul Cornell | Director: Charles Palmer
Cast
- David Tennant as John Smith / the Doctor
- Freema Agyeman as Martha Jones
- Jessica Hynes as Joan Redfern
- Harry Lloyd as Baines
Summary
Fleeing from a relentless alien hunting party called the Family of Blood, the Doctor hides by transforming himself into an ordinary human schoolteacher named John Smith in 1913 England, sealing away his true memories and identity, with only Martha aware of his real nature. As the Family closes in and John Smith develops genuine feelings for fellow teacher Joan Redfern, the Doctor’s human disguise begins to threaten both their safety and his own eventual, painful return to himself.
Interesting Facts
- This story adapts Paul Cornell’s own 1995 New Adventures novel of the same name, originally featuring the Seventh Doctor.
- David Tennant plays the ordinary human John Smith for much of the story, a rare extended performance without the Doctor’s usual persona.
- The story is set just before the outbreak of the First World War, using the looming conflict as a poignant backdrop.
- This episode marks one of Martha Jones’s most demanding roles, forced to protect the human, memory-less Doctor while facing racial prejudice of the era.
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