6.8. Let's Kill Hitler

Series 6 - 2011

Writer: Steven Moffat
Produced by: Marcus Wilson
Director: Richard Senior
Music: Murray Gold

Synopsis

In a corn field Amy and Rory, are following instructions and driving a small Mini through the corn. They come to a stop in a flattened circle where there is a familiar shape of the TARDIS. All the driving was a message to the Doctor. Amy

asks if the Doctor has found Melody, just before a sports car drives into the clearing. Amy's school friend Mels appears. Mels knows all about the TARDIS, and points a gun at the Doctor. The Doctor asks where she wants to go, and she says to kill Hitler.

Mels is an old school friend of Amy and Rory, and was there in Leadworth at school with Amy and Rory. Mels often got in to trouble, and often referred to the Doctor. All through her life Mels was getting into trouble, even stealing a bus. After hearing stories of the Doctor from Amy Mels is eager to meet him.

Berlin, 1938. In an office a man approaches a German officer - Eric Zimmerman. The man adjusts his height to match, and then changes to become an exact copy of Zimmerman. The man is in fact a Teselecta, and inside controlling it are miniaturised humans. The Teselecta shinks, and teleports, Zimmerman before assuming his identity. Inside the Teselecta Zimmerman is left to face the anti-bodies.

The Teselecta Zimmerman goes to Hitler's office. The Teselecta is about to hand out justice to Hitler before the crew realise they are too early, and need to go to later in his timestream. A few moments later the TARDIS crashes through the window and hits the Teselecta. Amy and Rory go to help Zimmerman, and the Doctor sees someone appear from behind a desk - Hitler. The Teselecta crew manage to get the Teselecta working, and Hitler shoots it. To protect Hitler Rory hides him in a cupboard.

During the shooting Mels is hit, and collapses. Rory goes to help. Mels tells the Doctor she always wanted to marry him, and the Doctor says if she stays alive he will marry her. When the Doctor asks if he needs to ask her parents permission Mels says he should ask them - as they are both there. The Doctor realises that Amy and Rory are Mels' parents, which means that Mels is actually their missing daughter Melody. Mels' body starts to glow and regenerate...

... into the familiar form of River Song.

Inside the Teselecta the crew are more interested in River Song than they are in Hitler. She is a much bigger prize for them.

After checking her new body Melody pulls a gun on the Doctor. A gun he has previously disarmed. There is a second gun in a bowl of fruit - which the Doctor has again disarmed. Amy wants to know why River is trying to kill the Doctor. Melody reveals she was born to kill the Doctor.

Melody escapes into Berlin, and as the Doctor tries to follow he stumbles. He realises that it was a kiss from Melody that has poisoned him. The Doctor tries to reassure Amy that he is not dying, but the Teselecta crew scan him and confirm that he is dying.

On the streets of Berlin Melody runs in to some soldiers. The soldiers shoot Melody, but she still is still regenerating, and uses residual energy against the soldiers. She takes their weapons and bike and heads in to Berlin. Another soldier on a bike appears. Rory punches the soldier and he and Amy steal the bike. The soldier is in fact the Teselecta. After a few moments it gets back up, and morphs into the same soldier with a bike and follows. The crew are curious about the Doctor. They know when he dies, and it is not in Berlin, 1938.

Inside the TARDIS the dying Doctor enables voice interface. After selecting a few different avatars he settles on Amelia Pond. The interface tells the Doctor he has been contaminated by the poison of the of the Judas tree. Regeneration has been disabled, and he has thirty-two minutes left. There is no cure to the poison.

Inside a restaurant machine gun fire frightens the patrons. Melody Pond appears and tells the people to take off their clothes. Amy and Rory, looking for Melody, see many scantily dressed people fleeing from a building. There is also another Amy on a bike... the Teselecta. It shrinks and teleports Amy and Rory inside, where they meet one of the anti-bodies. Behind them a crewmember arrives and attaches a device on their wrists which identifies them as not guilty.

Inside the building the Teselecta Amy finds Melody. The Teselecta asks Melody about her orders from the movement known as the Silence of the Academy of the Question. Melody says she doesn't really know and its all a bit of a jumble after her regeneration.

Behind them the TARDIS silently arrives, and the Doctor appears wearing a black suit with top hat and cane. Using the sonic screwdriver he examines the Teselecta. The Doctor asks the Teselecta crew what they want with Melody. They are revealed as a time travelling crew that travels through time to bring criminals - like Melody Pond/River Song, the killer of the Doctor, to justice. They have extensive records, and Amy, having priviliges being related to Melody, grants the Doctor access to the records. The Doctor asks who wants him dead. The Teselecta reveals that it is the Silence, a religious order not a species, that want him dead.

As the Doctor is dying the Teselecta crew start torturing Melody. The Doctor urges Amy to stop them. She uses a sonic screwdriver to turn off all the wrist bracelets, meaning the anti-bodies can attack the crew. The Teselecta stops hurting Melody. Amy and Rory are trapped, and Amy starts calling for help. OUtside the Teselecta the dying Doctor tries to make his way to the TARDIS. Melody wants to know more about River Song.

Inside the Teselecta the TARDIS materialises just in time to save Amy and Rory, but it is being flown by Melody. The TARDIS remateriliases outside just before the Doctor dies. The Doctor gives Melody one final message, and Melody offers her remaining regenerations to the Doctor.

The Doctor says Melody needs to find her own way, and she enrols at a University to study archeology... as River Song.

Regular Cast

  • Amy Pond: Karen Gillan
  • Rory Williams: Arthur Darvill

Guest Cast

  • River Song: Alex Kingston
  • Mels / Melody Pond: Nina Toussaint-White
  • Amelia Pond: Caitlin Blackwood
  • Youg Mels / Young Melody Pond: Maya Glace-Green
  • Young Rory: Ezekiel Wigglesworth
  • Zimmerman: Philip Rham
  • Carter: Richard Dillane
  • Anita: Amy Cudden
  • Jim: Davood Ghadami
  • Harriet: Ella Kenion
  • Adolf Hitler: Albert Welling
  • German Officer: Mark Killeen
  • Professor Candy: Paul Bentley
  • Nurse: Eve Alexander
  • Female Teacher: Tor Clark
Uncredited:
  • Stunt Driver Double for Rory: Andy Smart
  • Stunt Dpuble for the Doctor: Gordon Seed
  • Head Master: Andrew Marchant
  • Teacher: Channon Jacobs
  • Dinner Lady: Tracy Williams
  • Male Teacher: Ian Darlington Roberts
  • Head Mistress: Pina Harrington
  • Custody Sergeant: Garry Lloyd George
  • Chancellery Guards: James Harris, Dominic Kynaston
  • Janitor: John Jenner
  • Teselecta Officers: Rachel Bond, Luke Grahame, Darius Walker
  • Double for Zimmerman: Howell Jones
  • Male Teselecta Workers: Kristian Arthur, Jon Davey, Dennis Gregory, Richard Knott
  • Female Teselecta Worker: Victoria Thomas
  • German Soldiers: Dean Anderson, Matthew Doman, Steve Roberts, Sam Steeper, Jonathan Thomas
  • Teselecta German Stunt Rider: Andy Smart
  • Stunt Double for Rory: Gary Hoptrough
  • Stunt Double for River Song: Jo McLaren
  • Stunt Double for Amy Pond: Stephanie Carey
  • Double for the Doctor: Matthew Humpheries
  • Female Diners: Jill Alexandria, Helen Ayre, Louise Bowen, Kathryn Edwards, Vicky Frampton, Nicola Griffiths, Milly Jayne, Lynette Kay, Kathy Peat, Amanda Tyre, Claudine Cassidy, Korine Colbourne, Kate Davies
  • Female Violinist: Kate Davies
  • Female Cellist: Claudine Cassidy
  • Male Violinist: Tony Was
  • Female Violist: Korine Colbourne
  • Waiters: Harry Burt, Kane Power
  • Soldiers: Jon Bentley, Robert Brown, Nicholas Dunwell, Ben Perkins, David Stock, Lewis Till
  • Male Diners: John Cecil,. David Handford, Richard Randall, Jeremy Reece, Chris Richards, Pip Royall, Mark Stadden, Christopher Stanton, Ian Wiltshire, John Bentley, Harry Burt, Tony Was
  • Female Passer-by: Rosie Cripps
  • Male Passer-by: Mark Whately
  • Doorman: Mark Andrews
  • Bell Boy: Craig Rigby
  • Doubles for Amy Pond: Rhiannon Ward, Libby Lawes
  • Doubles for River Song: Claire Skelcey, Joanna Bluett
  • Teselecta Workers: Matthew Doman, Claudio Laurini, three crew
  • Voice of the Anti-Bodies: Jonathan Hart

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 (HD) 8. Let's Kill Hitler Saturday, August 27, 2011 7:10 PM - 8:00 PM 8.10M 85

Click here to show repeat broadcasts on the BBC

Studios

  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 1
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 5
  • Upper Boat Studios: Studio 6

Outside Locations

  • Brangwyn Hall, The Guildhall, Guildhall Road, Swansea
  • Cyfartha Castle High School, Cyfartha Castle Park, Merthyr Tydfil
  • Penmark Place, Penmark, near Barry
  • Temple Of Peace, College Road, Cardiff