202 – "The End of Time" | |||
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Doctor Who episodes | |||
![]() The return of the Time Lords | |||
Cast | |||
Guest
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Production | |||
Directed by | Euros Lyn | ||
Written by | Russell T Davies[b] | ||
Script editor | Gary Russell | ||
Produced by | Tracie Simpson | ||
Executive producer(s) | Russell T Davies Julie Gardner | ||
Music by | Murray Gold | ||
Production code | 4.17 and 4.18 | ||
Series | 2008–2010 specials | ||
Running time | 2 episodes, 60 and 75 minutes | ||
First broadcast | 25 December 2009 | ||
Last broadcast | 1 January 2010 | ||
Chronology | |||
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"The End of Time" is a two-part story of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 25 December 2009 (Part 1) and 1 January 2010 (Part 2). It is the fifth Doctor Who Christmas special and the last entry in a series of specials aired from 2008 to 2010. It marks the final regular appearance of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and introduces Matt Smith[1] as the Eleventh Doctor. At the time, it was the last Doctor Who story written and produced by Russell T Davies,[2] who shepherded the series' return to British television in 2005 and served as the series's executive producer and chief writer, until he returned to the position in 2022 for the 60th anniversary specials onwards.[1][3][4]
Bernard Cribbins, who appeared in the story "Voyage of the Damned" and throughout Series 4 as Wilfred Mott, grandfather of Donna Noble, acts as the companion to the Doctor in this two-part story.[5] The special also features the return of many other actors to the show, including Catherine Tate, John Simm, Jacqueline King, Alexandra Moen, Billie Piper, Camille Coduri, Freema Agyeman, Noel Clarke, John Barrowman, Elisabeth Sladen, Tommy Knight, Jessica Hynes and Russell Tovey.
The story features the Tenth Doctor (Tennant), who has been running from a prophecy of his impending demise, as he is drawn into a scheme by his old nemesis, the Master (Simm). The Master brings the human race under his control as part of an elaborate plan to restore the world of his and the Doctor's own people, the Time Lords, from their demise in the Time War referred to in the series. The Doctor is able to avert this, but incurs fatal injuries, and as has happened before, regenerates and becomes a new man with a new personality and physical traits, setting up the show's following series with Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Steven Moffat as executive producer.
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