Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor and Julia Sawalha as Emma.

Australian VHS cover.

Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death was a four-episode special of Doctor Who made for the Red Nose Day charity telethon in the United Kingdom (later edited to two episodes for video release), and broadcast on BBC One on 12 March 1999. It follows in a long tradition of popular British television programmes producing short, light-hearted specials for such telethon events. Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is a English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Richard E. Grant depicted as the unofficial Ninth Doctor. ... James Broadbent (born May 24, 1949) is an Academy Award-winning English theatre, film and television actor. ... Hugh John Mungo Grant[1] (born September 9, 1960) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor. ... Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as Sapphire & Steel. ... Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ... John Henderson British film & television director Johns first directing job was for Spitting Image on ITV which won him a BAFTA. Johns other TV credits include the multi award winning series, The Borrowers and the stylish comedy How Do You Want Me? starring Dylan Moran and BBCs... “Doctor who episodes” redirects here. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor and Julia Sawalha as Emma in the Doctor Who charity spoof The Curse of Fatal Death. ... Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor and Julia Sawalha as Emma in the Doctor Who charity spoof The Curse of Fatal Death. ... Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is a English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress who is best known for her roles of Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in the childrens drama series Press Gang, Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. ... Image File history File links DoctorWho-TheCurseofFatalDeath. ... Image File history File links DoctorWho-TheCurseofFatalDeath. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and... Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character or scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. ... The 2005 Telethon on Seven Perth. ... BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC, and the first in the United Kingdom. ... March 12 is the 71st day of the year (72nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

Synopsis

A parody of the original series, it starts off with the the Master gloating over his latest scheme to destroy his arch-nemesis. However, it turns out instead of simply spying on the Doctor and his assistant Emma, he is actually in communication with them. So they now know his plans. But the Doctor invites his old foe to meet him on the planet Tersurus. The planet is a ruin, the home of a now-vanished race of supremely enlightened beings shunned by all because of their method of communication: they farted at each other. They all died when someone discovered fire. The Master is a supporting character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... This is a list of fictional characters who were companions of the Doctor, in various spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. ...

The Master appears, again gloating because he travelled a century back in time and persuaded the architect of the building where they now stand to put in a secret death trap. However, the Doctor had anticipated this and travelled further back, persuading the same architect to sabotage the trap. Which, naturally, the Master had also anticipated and hence the presence of a second death-trap, with identical results (because, of course, the Doctor had likewise anticipated his move). It turns out the Doctor is now retiring, having found a Companion--Emma--with whom he has fallen in love. The Master springs yet another trap, this one resulting in a trap door where he himself is standing opening up (again, the Doctor anticipated this) and letting him fall into the vast sewers of Tersurus.

It takes the Master three centuries to crawl out, and he emerges as an old man covered in sewage. Using his TARDIS, he has brought allies - the Daleks (who alone will have anything to do with him, lacking noses). During this time The Master falls into the sewers two more times making him have to crawl through a sewer for 927 years and eventually is seen waddling through the scene with the aid of a walker, whispering, "Stop them!" The Daleks (pronounced DAH-lecks; IPA: ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ...

Soon Emma and the Doctor, rather than being exterminated immediately, are bound on chairs aboard the Dalek ship (although why the legless Daleks would have chairs is something they "will explain later"). The Master, rejuvenated via Dalek technology (two "dalek bumps" wired into his chest look much like a pair of breasts, giving The Doctor opportunity to make frequent comments that annoy The Master), and in return intends to give them in payment a weapon of vast power. The Doctor overhears the Daleks planning on killing the Master once he is through, so he uses the Tersuran language (farting) to warn his fellow Time Lord. At this, the Master helps them escape their bonds, but not before the Doctor is fatally injured. He tells Emma he loves her, then dies. He then regenerates into a Quite Handsome (and rather sexually eager) new Doctor. Forced to fix the Dalek weapon, he's electrocuted and becomes a Shy (as well as middle-aged and overweight) Doctor. Another accident in repair results in a very Handsome (as well as smooth) Doctor, but this Doctor is also accidentally killed. Doctor Who. ...

Time Lords can regenerate only twelve times, but circumstances have interfered with the Doctor's twelth regeneration, so this seems to be the end. The Master vows to live a life of heroism in honor of his fallen foe's memory. So too do the Daleks.

But then the Doctor regenerates yet again--only this time as a woman. Emma is deeply disappointed, pointing out the most literal use of this phrase ever: "You are not the man I fell in love with." The Master, however, is quite smitten with this new Doctor. The show ends with them walking off together.

Cast

• The Doctor — Rowan Atkinson
• The Quite Handsome Doctor — Richard E. Grant
• The Shy Doctor — Jim Broadbent
• The Handsome Doctor — Hugh Grant
• The Female Doctor — Joanna Lumley
• Emma — Julia Sawalha
• The Master — Jonathan Pryce
• Dalek voices — Roy Skelton

Doctor Who or, see History of Doctor Who. ... Rowan Sebastian Atkinson (born 6 January 1955) is a English comedian, actor and writer, famous for his title roles in the British television comedies Blackadder and Mr. ... Richard E. Grant depicted as the unofficial Ninth Doctor. ... James Broadbent (born May 24, 1949) is an Academy Award-winning English theatre, film and television actor. ... Hugh John Mungo Grant[1] (born September 9, 1960) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor. ... Joanna Lumley and David McCallum as Sapphire & Steel. ... This is a list of fictional characters who were companions of the Doctor, in various spin-off media based on the long-running British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. ... Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress who is best known for her roles of Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in the childrens drama series Press Gang, Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. ... The Master is a supporting character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Pryce as Sam Lowry in Brazil Jonathan Pryce (born June 1, 1947) is a Welsh actor who was born in Holywell, Flintshire, Wales. ... The Daleks (pronounced DAH-lecks; IPA: ) are a fictional extraterrestrial race of mutants from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Roy Skelton is a British actor and voice artist, whose work may be more familiar than his name. ...

Cast notes

• Richard E. Grant was later cast as the Doctor in the animated 40th anniversary adventure Scream of the Shalka, though his Ninth Doctor was relegated to unofficial status following the announcement of a new series in September 2003.
• Jim Broadbent had previously played a spoof Doctor in a sketch on Victoria Wood, mocking the series' perceived sexism, cheapness and use of technobabble.
• Julia Sawalha's first major role was Lynda Day, editor of youth newspaper The Junior Gazette in the series Press Gang, created by Steven Moffat. According to several crew members who worked on the twenty-sixth and final season of the original series, she was being considered for the role of a new companion, a "cat burglar" who would have been introduced in the twenty-seventh season. Building on this, a "what if" article in Doctor Who Magazine #255 featured her in this role along with a hypothetical Eighth Doctor, played by Richard Griffiths, who was at one time considered for the role of the Fifth Doctor ^[1]
• Hugh Grant was offered the role of the Doctor again ahead of Christopher Eccleston, and later said publicly that he regretted dismissing it without much thought when he saw how good the series was – and that he was hoping to play a villain in the ongoing programme instead.^[2]

Richard E. Grant depicted as the unofficial Ninth Doctor. ... Scream of the Shalka was a flash-animated serial based on the British science fiction television series, Doctor Who. ... The Shalka Doctor (or the REG Doctor) is the name given to the character that appeared as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... James Broadbent (born May 24, 1949) is an Academy Award-winning English theatre, film and television actor. ... Victoria Wood OBE is a BAFTA award winning English comedian, actor, singer and writer born 19 May 1953 in Prestwich Village, Greater Manchester . ... Julia Sawalha (born 9 September 1968) is an English actress who is best known for her roles of Lynda Day, editor of The Junior Gazette in the childrens drama series Press Gang, Saffron Monsoon in Absolutely Fabulous and Lydia Bennet in the 1995 miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. ... Press Gang was a British childrens television comedy-drama, which ran for forty-three episodes in five series from 1989 to 1993. ... Burglary is a crime related to United States burglary is a felony and involves trespassing, or entering a building with intent to commit any crime, not necessarily a felony or theft. ... Doctor Who Magazine (abbreviated as DWM) is a magazine devoted to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Richard Griffiths (born 31 July 1947 in Thornaby-on-Tees, Yorkshire, England) is a Tony-award winning English actor who has appeared on stage, film and television. ... Hugh John Mungo Grant[1] (born September 9, 1960) is a Golden Globe-winning English actor. ... Christopher Eccleston (born 16 February 1964) is an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who and for other television roles, as well as for his roles in several high-profile low-budget films. ...

Continuity

• The planet Tersurus was first mentioned in The Deadly Assassin, where a severely deteriorated Master, at the end of his last regeneration, was found. The spin-off novel Legacy of the Daleks by John Peel relates the events leading up to the Master's arrival there.
• The final Eighth Doctor Adventures novel, The Gallifrey Chronicles, suggests that the Doctor has three different ninth incarnations. These are generally understood^{[citation needed]} to refer to the canonical television Ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston), the Shalka Doctor (Richard E. Grant) and the Ninth Doctor portrayed by Rowan Atkinson in this story.
• The opening image of the TARDIS flying through space as the Master watches was taken from the beginning of the Doctor Who TV movie.
• The music as the Atkinson Doctor regenerates was taken from the regeneration scene of Logopolis.

This is a list of planets, fictional or otherwise, that are mentioned in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... John Peel (born 1954) is a British writer, best known for his books connected to several television series. ... The Eight Doctors was the first novel in the Eighth Doctor Adventures range. ... The Gallifrey Chronicles is the title of two books related to the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... The Ninth Doctor refers to the ninth official incarnation of the fictional character known as the Doctor, in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Christopher Eccleston (born 16 February 1964) is an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who and for other television roles, as well as for his roles in several high-profile low-budget films. ... The Shalka Doctor (or the REG Doctor) is the name given to the character that appeared as the ninth incarnation of the Doctor in the flash-animated serial Scream of the Shalka in 2003 and the later short story The Feast of the Stone which were based on the British... Richard E. Grant depicted as the unofficial Ninth Doctor. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Logopolis is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from February 28 to March 21, 1981. ...

Production

• Steven Moffat is a famous fan of Doctor Who, and included many small continuity references in the script. He has subsequently written several highly praised episodes for the series proper following its 2005 revival.
• The title "Curse of Fatal Death" is a tautology (it being impossible to have a death that is not fatal), which parodies the sometimes melodramatic and tautological titles of the original series (an example being the 1976 serial The Deadly Assassin).
• The TARDIS set and three of the Daleks used in the production were sourced from the people who made the Doctor Who fan production Devious. The console motor performed perfectly during rehearsal but gave a few problems during the final takes. A copy of the Doctor's 500-Year Diary was placed on the console and red or green lights were used to illuminate the walls when the set was used for, respectively, the Doctor or the Master.^{[citation needed]}
• Other specially made episodes of Doctor Who include Dimensions in Time (1993) and the 2005 special mini-episode, both produced for Children in Need.

Steven Moffat (born 1961 in Paisley, Scotland) is a British comedy/drama writer who has contributed to television series since the late 1980s. ... Doctor Who is a long-running British science fiction television programme (and a 1996 television movie) produced by the BBC. The programme shows the adventures of a mysterious time-traveller known as the Doctor, who explores time and space in his TARDIS time ship with his companions, solving problems and... In rhetoric, a tautology is a use of redundant language in speech or writing, or, put simply, saying the same thing twice. // Tautology, often regarded as a fault of style, was defined by Fowler as saying the same thing twice. In fact, it is not necessary for the entire meaning... The Deadly Assassin is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from October 30 to November 20, 1976. ... The current TARDIS prop as seen at BBC Wales reception in 2005 The TARDIS[1][2] is a time machine and spacecraft in the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. ... Dimensions in Time was a charity special crossover between the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and the soap opera EastEnders that ran in two parts on November 26 and 27, 1993. ... Pudsey is the teddy bear logo of Children in Need, created by designer Joanna Ball and named after Balls home town, Pudsey, in West Yorkshire, England. ...

Outside references

• All the actors playing the Doctor in the special had been previously rumoured to have been up for the regular role at some point or another, including Lumley. Atkinson was one of many actors considered for the role of the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 Doctor Who television movie.
• As the Twelfth (Handsome) Doctor dies, he is described post-mortem by Emma as being "too nice", "too brave", "too kind" and "far, far too silly." She then compares him to "Father Christmas", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Scooby Doo" (the former two being characters to whom First Doctor actor William Hartnell famously compared the role).

The Eighth Doctor is the name given to the eighth incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... Doctor Who is a television movie based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Excerpt from Josiah Kings The Examination and Tryal of Father Christmas (1686), published shortly after Christmas was reinstated as a holy day in England Father Christmas is the name used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and several other Commonwealth countries, for the gift-bringing figure of Christmas... The Wizard of Oz (or simply The Wizard) is a fictional character in the Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum and further popularized by the classic 1939 movie. ... Scooby-Doo IS THE SHIT is a short ass-running American animated television series produced for your mom Saturday morning television in several different versions from 1969 to the present. ... The First Doctor is the name given to the first incarnation of the Doctor seen on screen in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. ... For the Californio, see William Edward Petty Hartnell. ...

Broadcast and releases

• When originally broadcast, the title of the story was Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death. The four episodes were later re-edited into a two-part story that was released to home video a few months following broadcast, with the proceeds again donated to Comic Relief. In the VHS release, the title was simply reduced to The Curse of Fatal Death.
• The Curse of Fatal Death was also available worldwide via the Internet in four episodes.

References

1. ^ BBC - Drama Faces - Richard Griffiths. Retrieved on 2007-04-05.
2. ^ Hugh Grant to appear in 'Doctor Who'?. Retrieved on 2007-05-10.

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... April 5 is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... May 10 is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Details of the sound effects for "The Curse of Fatal Death"

• Doctor Who and the Curse of Fatal Death at the Internet Movie Database