Russell T. Davies Confirms Connection From “Doctor Who” 60th Anniversary Special To Previous 10th Doctor Episode

TV & Film

Dec 29

Russell T Davies, showrunner for Doctor Who confirms that a key element of the third 60th-anniversary special is a direct callback to the most unsettling of the Tenth Doctor’s adventures. During “The Giggle”, the Galvanic Beam weapon of UNIT is commandeered by The Toymaker and fired upon The Doctor. The source of that beam is the same radiation that can be found on a planet called Midnight.

During the commentary for “The Giggle” on the BBC iPlayer, Davies revealed to Tenth Doctor David Tennant and producer Phil Collinson that fact. “On the planet Midnight,” he stated, having asked Tennant if he remembered when it had last appeared. “That was Galvanic.” Both Davies and Collinson then joked about how that radiation arrived on Earth. “Obviously, a little piece of galvanised doodah fell to Earth in the Great Time War, and then…” Davies started. Collinson interjected with, “In Donna’s boot. Came back in Donna’s Wellington boot.”

Of course, “Wild Blue Yonder”, the second of those 60th-anniversary specials, also shares something in common with the 4th season adventure to the planet Midnight. Both are very unsettling affairs with few characters, a singular enclosed location, and an alien that learns through mimicry. Though “Midnight” might still win in terms of most unsettling, because the alien is never seen. There was no interaction with it directly, with its intentions going unknown even at the end.

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