7. The Long Game

Series 1 - 2005

Writer: Russell T. Davies
Produced By: Phil Collinson
Director: Brian Grant

Synopsis

The TARDIS materialises on floor 139 of Satellite Five, in the year 200,000. The Doctor tells Rose to make her lok like a Knowledgeable time traveller when Adam emerges. When shown Earth from an observation deck, the Doctor tells Rose and Adam that this is the Fourth Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Adam struggles to take this is, and faints.

They go back to where the TARDIS has materialised, and find that expectations of a fantastic period of art and culture fall short of reality. Despite the heat, Rose and Adam try the local cuisine. Adam is feeling disorientated, and Rose lends him her mobile phone to leave a message at home.

The Doctor is investigating, and goes to see the ambitious Cathica Santini Khadeni. A click of her fingers allows a port to open in her forehead which allows her to stream countless news items through her head for packaging and transmission into 600 new channels via an info spike.

The 'Editor' is watching, and notices a security breach. Suki Macrae Cantrell, who works in Cathica's team, is given the coveted promotion to floor 500, where rumour has it the walls are made of gold. Instead of golden walls Suki finds cold and ice, and frozen bodies, and the 'Editor', who operates a room full of zombies. The Editor knows Suki is really Eva Saint Juliene, the sole survivor of the Freedom Fifteen anarchists.

The Doctor is concerned that the Human Emipre has been set back by around ninety uears; the station has been in operation for 91 years. Rose gives Adam her TARDIS key, and he goes off whilst the Doctor and Rose hack into the satellite systems. They find that the temperature if high because a vast amount of heat is being driven down from floor 500. They manage to get the lift open and make their way to floor 500.

Adam, meanwhile, find the medical floor. After talking to a nurse he finds that a credit chip the Doctor gave him has unlimited credit, and decides to get a implant like Cathica's. Using the mobile phone, he manages to stream information into his brain, and record the signal on his answer machine.

On floor 500, the Doctor and Rose find the Editor, and Suki, who is now one the Editor's zombies. The Editor explains that his control room controls all the news sent to the humans, and that the control centre is really controlled bya ceiling dwelling creature known as the Mighty Jagrafess of the Holy Hadrojassic Maxarodenfoe (called Max by the Editor).

The Editor is intrigued by the Doctor and Rose. Everyone has a chip identifying them - except for them. They are both manacled and interrogated; when Adam taps into the info spike, the Editor is able to find out that the Doctor is a Time Lord.

Cathica, uncharacteristically for humans, has been curious about floor 500, and followed the Doctor and Rose and saw what was going on. Using a derelict info-spike she is able to redirect Adam's spike to herself, and reverses the heating so the heat is drawn upwards. The Jagrafess generates a lot of heat, and needs to be kept cool. WHen the heat rises, the Jagrafess explodes.

The Doctor is furious with Adam, and takes him home. After destroying the answer machine, the Doctor tells Adam he must lead a quiet life. Telling anyone about the chip would have people disecting his head. Adam asks the Doctor to take him with them. The Doctor says he only takes the best - he has Rose.

Regular Cast

  • Rose Tyler: Billie Piper
  • Adam Mitchell: Bruno Langley

Guest Cast

  • Head Chef: Colin Prockter
  • Cathica: Christine Adams
  • Suki: Anna Maxwell-Martin
  • The Editor: Simon Pegg
  • Nurse: Tamsin Geig
  • Adam's Mum: Judy Holt
Uncredited:
  • Maintenance: Gavin Schanz, Andrew Wyn Davies, Dia Murphy
  • Kitchen Hand: Laurence Mann
  • Workers: David Mark Thomas, Patrick Edwards, Dave Evans, Paul Navin, James Cook, Ioan Mansery, Ben Gould, Philip Myles, Simon Warlow, Jason Jones, Lucas Hughes, Derek Davey, Michael Den, Pete Coggins, Mark Chappel, Alan Peter Brown, Kwesi Gepi Attee, toby Sperring, Gareth Thomas, Darren Clarke, Denzi Phipps, Gary Devonish, Felicity Boylett, Grainne Joughin, Kelly James, Jamila Akhtar, Merlene Walker, Hannah Davey, Lisa Ostrand, Jo Osmond, Joelle Rumberlow, Hayly Ann Davies, Coral Chapman, Detinder Regazzoni, Sabrina Morris, Chloe Swift, Alison Felton, Lelila Parsons, Bryn Griffiths, Andrew Wyn Davies, Portia Nicholson, Euneta Waithe, Rebecca Orchard, Mohinder Ayres, Ben McClean, Sjid Din
  • Couries: Russell Davies
  • Drones: Andrew Whitlock, David Harling, John Griffiths, Samantha Varne, Chantelle Johnson, Ian Griffiths
  • Spike Room Journalists: Grainne Joughin, Chloe Swift, Jamila Akhtar, Toby Sperring, Phillip Myles, Darren Clarke
  • Monk: Anthony Asis
  • Cleaner: Peter Small
  • Waterboy: Matthew Gardner
  • Grimy Assistant: Lloyd Tram
  • Security: Emyr Williams
  • Additional dialogue recording: Vernon Keeble Watson, Paula Keough, Paul Ganney, Alison Goldsmith, Megan Brooks, Hannah Welch

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 7. The Long Game Friday, May 6, 2005 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM 8.0M

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Unit Q2, Newport

Outside Locations

  • Old BT Building, Pendwyllt Road, Coryton