Doomsday (Doctor Who)

177b – "Doomsday"
Doctor Who episode
A three-way fight between Humanity, Cybermen and Daleks.
Cast
Others
Production
Directed byGraeme Harper
Written byRussell T Davies
Script editorHelen Raynor
Produced byPhil Collinson
Executive producer(s)Russell T Davies
Julie Gardner
Music byMurray Gold
SeriesSeries 2
Running time2nd of 2-part story, 45 minutes
First broadcast8 July 2006 (2006-07-08)
Chronology
← Preceded by
"Army of Ghosts"
Followed by →
"The Runaway Bride"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"Doomsday" is the thirteenth and final episode in the second series of the revival of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 8 July 2006 and is the conclusion of a two-part story; the first part, "Army of Ghosts", was broadcast on 1 July 2006. The two-part story features the Daleks, presumed extinct after the events of the 2005 series' finale, and the Cybermen, who appeared in a parallel universe in the 2006 episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel". Both species unexpectedly arrive on Earth at the conclusion of "Army of Ghosts".

The episode marks the first conflict between the Daleks and the Cybermen in Doctor Who's 43-year history; the concept of the two species appearing on-screen together was first proposed in 1967, but was vetoed by Terry Nation, the creator of the Daleks. The episode also features Billie Piper's last appearance in the lead companion role as Rose Tyler; the final regular appearance of Noel Clarke as Rose's ex-boyfriend and previous companion Mickey Smith; and the first appearance of Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, the companion in the following episode, the fourth series and the sixtieth anniversary specials. The episode and its predecessor were filmed between November 2005 and January 2006, alongside the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen" and "The Age of Steel".

Set mainly in the One Canada Square skyscraper in Canary Wharf, the episode's plot consists mostly of the Daleks and Cybermen waging a global war, with humanity on the verge of extinction in the cataclysm. The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant), the Tyler family, and Mickey Smith fight for their lives trying to reverse the situation. They are successful, but at an emotional cost to the Doctor and Rose, as they are left in separate universes.

The episode is one of the most popular Doctor Who episodes since the show's revival. It was nominated, along with "Army of Ghosts", for the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the award was won by the fourth episode in the series, "The Girl in the Fireplace". It shared the revived series' highest Audience Appreciation rating of 89 with "The Parting of the Ways", "Silence in the Library", and "Forest of the Dead" until 28 June 2008—"The Stolen Earth" gained an AI rating of 91[1]—and is favoured by most critics for both the Dalek–Cyberman conflict and the farewell scene between the Doctor and Rose.

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