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Eve of the Daleks

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298 – "Eve of the Daleks"
Doctor Who episode
A promotional poster for the episode featuring its primary protagonists and antagonists. At the top, text reads "BBC – Doctor Who – Eve of the Daleks" and along with the broadcast date at the bottom. Fireworks are seen in the background.
Promotional poster
Cast
Others
Production
Directed byAnnetta Laufer
Written byChris Chibnall
Script editor
  • Caroline Buckley
  • Rebecca Roughan
Produced bySheena Bucktowonsing
Executive producer(s)
Music bySegun Akinola
Series2022 specials
Running time58 minutes
First broadcast1 January 2022 (2022-01-01)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"The Vanquishers" 		Followed by →
"Legend of the Sea Devils"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"Eve of the Daleks" is the first of three special episodes that followed the thirteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2022 as Doctor Who's annual holiday special. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Annetta Laufer. It is the third and final part of a loose trilogy that developed in previous festive specials.

In the episode, the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her two companions, Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill) and Dan Lewis (John Bishop), get trapped in a time loop on New Year's Eve. Once there, they find Sarah and Nick (guest stars Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon) and the five are repeatedly chased by a Dalek.

"Eve of the Daleks" was filmed in Bristol in June 2021 and was impacted by COVID-19 in its production process. Described as a bottle episode and a romantic comedy, "Eve of the Daleks" received positive reviews and was viewed by 4.39 million. It was broadcast internationally.

Plot

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Shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve, Nick turns up at a storage facility in Manchester owned and operated by Sarah, on whom he has a crush. Meanwhile, the Doctor attempts to reset the TARDIS to remove the damage and anomalies caused by the Flux. Intending to spend time at a beach, she, Yaz, and Dan exit in the storage facility instead. Unbeknownst to the Doctor, the TARDIS' reset triggers a time loop.

Nick encounters an Executioner Dalek which kills him, and later the Doctor, Yaz, Dan, and Sarah. Time resets, with Sarah and Nick both trying to save the other, but failing and dying upon seeing the Dalek again. The Doctor realises that each reset shortens the time loop by one minute and speculates that the loop will collapse at midnight. The Daleks reveal they have detected the TARDIS' energy signature and have come to execute the Doctor for her actions in "The Vanquishers". Both the Doctor's group and the Daleks attempt to learn from the previous loops in order to anticipate their enemy's next moves. During the loops, Nick confesses returning each year to see Sarah while Dan points out to the Doctor that Yaz has romantic feelings for her.

Using illegal fireworks and other materials stored in the facility by another employee, the group decide to create a trap that will bring down the facility when fired upon. To prevent the Daleks from anticipating the move, they behave completely differently in the second-to-last loop, before dying again. At the last minute before midnight, they place the materials, along with Sarah's mobile phone, in the wrong place while escaping through the basement. Triggered by hearing Sarah's mother calling her phone, the Daleks shoot the trap and ignite the fireworks, which causes the facility to explode and bury the Daleks underneath.

The TARDIS finishes restructuring and the Doctor and her companions leave to find the lost treasure of the Flor de la Mar, while Sarah and Nick decide to travel the world together.

Production

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Development

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Chris Chibnall
The episode was written by Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.

"Eve of the Daleks" was produced as one of eight episodes ordered for the thirteenth series of Doctor Who. Despite this, it stands alone from the six-part series. Along with the subsequent eighth episode and an additional episode that was ordered later, it is the first episode in a trio of specials.[1] The episode was written by Chris Chibnall, the Doctor Who showrunner, as the annual Doctor Who holiday episode.[2] He wrote the episode in a little over two weeks[3] after his original plans for the episode had to be modified due to production concerns and budgetary issues caused by the impact of COVID-19 on television.[4] Described as a bottle episode,[5] Chibnall deemed the episode, which utilises a time loop format, a romantic comedy.[6]

It is only the second Doctor Who story to take place on New Year's Eve after the 1996 film.[7] A read-through occurred on Zoom.[8] The episode features the Daleks in the final part in a loosely connected trilogy of New Year's specials that began in "Resolution" and continued in "Revolution of the Daleks".[9] Introduced in the episode are a new version of the Daleks, referred to as "Executioner Daleks". Their design is a modified version of their 2005 appearance and features a new weapons arm that caused them to be described as "deadlier than standard Daleks."[10] At nine minutes and ten seconds long, the episode features the longest cold open of any Doctor Who episode, beating the previous longest cold open in "The Return of Doctor Mysterio" (2016).[11]

Casting

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Aisling Bea
Aisling Bea made a guest appearance in the special as Sarah.

Jodie Whittaker stars in the episode as the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor. Mandip Gill and John Bishop play her companions Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis.[12] Whittaker stated that when she first read the opening lines of the script, in which she gets exterminated in a Dalek, she thought she was being killed off earlier than she had expected.[8] In November 2021, it was reported that Aisling Bea and Pauline McLynn would appear in the special.[13]

The following month, the BBC announced that Bea would portray Sarah, the owner-operator of ELF, a self storage unit. Adjani Salmon appeared as Nick, a regular customer at ELF Storage.[14] Chibnall later revealed that the role of Sarah role was specifically created for Bea while casting Salmon was the idea of Rebecca Roughan, a script editor on the programme.[12]

Nicholas Briggs voiced the Daleks,[15] the props of which were operated by Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg, and Jon Davey.[9] Jonny Dixon reprised his role as Karl Wright from "The Woman Who Fell To Earth" (2018) in a brief cameo near the end of the episode.[16]

Filming

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"Eve of the Daleks" was directed by Anetta Laufer.[17] She was hired by producer Sheena Bucktowonsing who was impressed by a short film of Laufer's.[12] Filming on the episode occurred in Bristol in June 2021.[18][19] Robin Whenary was the episodes cinematographer. Laufer and Whenary collaborated on creative ways of framing the Daleks, using cinematic techniques to make them appear more intimidating. They utilised long shots, haze and smoke machines, and creative lighting methods to achieve this.[8]

Release and reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer)83%[20]
Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score)7.20/10[20]
Metacritic76/100[21]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubA−[22]
Radio Times[23]
The Independent[24]
The Telegraph[25]
Evening Standard[26]

Broadcast and home media

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Further information: List of Doctor Who home video releases and Doctor Who: Series 13 – The Specials (soundtrack)

When planning Doctor Who's thirteenth series, two specials were set to be held for 2022.[27] It was later reported that "Eve of the Daleks" would air on BBC One on 1 January 2022 as a New Year's Day special.[28] The episode was simulcast on BBC America in the United States with an additional broadcast later in the day.[29][30] It also aired on CTV Sci-Fi Channel in Canada on 1 January as well as on ABC Television and ABC TV Plus in Australia on 2 January.[31]

"Eve of the Daleks" and "Legend of the Sea Devils" received a joint DVD and Blu-ray release in Region 2/B on 23 May 2022,[32] in Region 1/A on 28 June 2022,[33] and in Region 4/B on 13 July 2022.[34] The episode was included in the home media set for the 2022 specials, released in Region 2/B on 7 November 2022.[35]

On 18 November 2022, composer Segun Akinola announced that selected pieces of the score from this special would be digitally released on 2 December 2022. A physical CD release containing all 3 soundtracks of the 2022 specials was released on 13 January 2023.[36]

Ratings

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The episode was watched by 3.21 million viewers overnight, becoming the sixth most-watched programme of the day.[37] The episode received an Audience Appreciation Index score of 77.[38] Within seven days the total number of viewers rose to 4.40 million, ranking as the 27th most viewed programme for the week.[39] In the United States, the simulcast was seen by 422,000, while the later broadcast was viewed by 251,000.[40]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The website's consensus reads: "Doctor Who scales back and is all the better for it with a New Year's special that finds fresh notes within a self-contained yarn."[20] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[21] Reviewing the episode for The A.V. Club, Caroline Siede opined that "Eve of the Daleks" was one of the best episodes under Chibnall, particularly praising the guest cast and use of storytelling.[22] Patrick Mulkern from Radio Times wrote that the romance tones were far better than the comedy ones, despite the strong comedy backgrounds of Bea and Salmon.[23]

The Daily Telegraph's Michael Hogan wrote about the change in format from a normal time loop, stating that the loop getting shorter each time "cleverly cranked up the jeopardy as proceedings built to a combustible climax."[25] Writing for The Independent, Isobel Lewis said the bottle episode format allowed for better character development with both the main and guest characters, mentioning that such development was absent from the thirteenth series.[24] Tom Nicholson's review for The Evening Standard criticised the pacing of the episode, with Nicholson stating "after a tight first half hour, the show loses a little urgency for a while until the finale clicks into place".[26]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Cremona, Patrick (29 July 2021). "Doctor Who series 13 will be six episodes long – with trilogy of specials in 2022". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  2. ^ Blair, Andrew (26 October 2022). "Doctor Who's Best Episodes: The Chris Chibnall Era". Den of Geek. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  3. ^ Laford, Andrea (22 December 2021). "Doctor Who New Year special 'Eve of the Daleks' was written "in a little over a fortnight"". CultBox. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  4. ^ Davies, Caroline (11 April 2022). "Pandemic nearly made me quit Doctor Who, says showrunner Chris Chibnall". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  5. ^ Elvy, Craig (4 January 2022). "Doctor Who's 2022 Specials Are Avoiding The Mistakes That Killed Flux". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  6. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (25 December 2021). "Doctor Who's New Year's special is the "funniest episode" yet". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  7. ^ Cremona, Patrick (9 December 2021). "Doctor Who boss says New Year's special is an "intimate, standalone, time-loop romantic comedy"". Radio Times. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c The Dalek Execution | Behind the Scenes | Doctor Who (Behind the scenes featurette). BBC Studios. 2 January 2022. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b Mellor, Louisa (5 December 2021). "Doctor Who: It's Dalek Déjà Vu in 2022 with New Year Special 'Eve of the Daleks'". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  10. ^ Fullerton, Huw (9 December 2021). "Doctor Who: Chris Chibnall unveils new Executioner Daleks for New Year's Special". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 9 December 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  11. ^ McAlpine, Fraser (25 March 2022). "'Doctor Who': 10 Things You May Not Know About 'Eve of the Daleks'". BBC America. Archived from the original on 21 April 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Doctor Who's Eve Of The Daleks cast and creators tease drama, romance and terrifying Daleks in New Year's Day special". BBC Media Centre. 23 December 2021. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  13. ^ Jasper, Matthew (16 November 2021). "Doctor Who New Year's Special Casts Living With Yourself's Aisling Bea". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 24 November 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon join Doctor Who for a time loop action adventure this New Year's Day in Eve Of The Daleks". BBC Media Centre. 5 December 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  15. ^ Bacon, Thomas (4 January 2022). "Doctor Who's Holiday Special Featured The Best Dalek Joke". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  16. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who brings back surprise character from Jodie Whittaker's debut". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  17. ^ Laford, Andrea (23 December 2021). "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks – urgency increases with compressing time loops". CultBox. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  18. ^ Laford, Andrea (4 June 2021). "Doctor Who Series 13: Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and John Bishop filming in Bristol". CultBox. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  19. ^ Laford, Andrea (9 August 2021). "Doctor Who Series 13 and 2022 specials: directors and casting news". CultBox. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  20. ^ a b c "Doctor Who – Eve of the Daleks: Season 13.1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks – TV Show Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  22. ^ a b Siede, Caroline (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who kicks off 2022 with a stellar time loop episode". The AV Club. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  23. ^ a b Mulkern, Patrick (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks review – A creepy if repetitive thriller". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  24. ^ a b Lewis, Isobel (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who review, Eve of the Daleks: Stripped back New Year's special shows series at its most tender". The Independent. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  25. ^ a b Hogan, Michael (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks, review: funny, scary, inventive and the best episode in years". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  26. ^ a b Nicholson, Tom (1 January 2022). "Doctor Who The Eve of the Daleks Festive 2021 special review: satisfying and self-contained". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 3 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  27. ^ Jeffery, Morgan (29 July 2021). "Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall confirmed to leave Doctor Who in 2022". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  28. ^ Cremona, Patrick (9 December 2021). "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks reveals air time on BBC One". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  29. ^ Collis, Clark (31 December 2021). "Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker teases 'high energy, high comedy' New Year's Day special 'Eve of the Daleks'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  30. ^ Laford, Andrea (19 March 2022). "Doctor Who: 'Legend of the Sea Devils' — Easter air date and time". CultBox. Archived from the original on 3 March 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  31. ^ Pateman, Daniel (2 January 2022). "How to watch Doctor Who New Year's Day Special 2022 online in UK and abroad". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks and Legend of the Sea Devils". Amazon. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  33. ^ "Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks and Legend of the Sea Devils". Amazon. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  34. ^ "Doctor Who – Eve Of The Daleks & Legend Of The Sea Devils". Sanity. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  35. ^ "Doctor Who: The Series 13 Specials Steelbook". Amazon. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  36. ^ Akinola, Segun [@segunakinola] (18 November 2022). "#DoctorWho fans I have one more release for you: Series 13 – The Specials" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 November 2022 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ Marcus (2 January 2022). "Eve of the Daleks – Overnight Viewing Figures". Doctor Who News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  38. ^ Foster, Chuck (4 January 2022). "Eve of the Daleks – Appreciation Index". Doctor Who News. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  39. ^ "Most viewed programmes Barb". Broadcasters Audience Research Board. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  40. ^ Salem, Mitch (5 January 2022). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Saturday 1.1.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals UPDATED". ShowBuzzDaily. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
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