Hide (Doctor Who)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Hide" is the ninth episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
'', first broadcast on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
on 20 April 2013. It was written by
Neil Cross Neil Claude Cross (''né'' Gadd; born 9 February 1969) is a British novelist and scriptwriter, best known as the creator of the drama series '' Luther'' and ''Hard Sun''. He is also the showrunner for the TV adaptation of '' The Mosquito Coast ...
and directed by Jamie Payne. In the episode, alien time traveller
the Doctor The Doctor, sometimes known as Doctor Who, is the protagonist of the long-running BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. An extraterrestrial Time Lord, the Doctor travels the universe in a time travelling spaceship called th ...
(
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...
) and his
companion Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregive ...
Clara Oswald Clara Oswald is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. She was created by series producer Steven Moffat and portrayed by Jenna Coleman. Clara was introduced in the seventh series as a new travel ...
( Jenna-Louise Coleman) visit a mansion in 1974 owned by Professor Alec Palmer (
Dougray Scott Stephen Dougray Scott (born 26 November 1965) is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in the films '' Ever After'' (1998), '' Mission: Impossible 2'' (2000), '' Enigma'' (2001), '' Ripley's Game'' (2002), ''Hitman'' (2007), and '' My Week with Mar ...
), which appears to be haunted. Palmer's assistant, Emma Grayling (
Jessica Raine Jessica Raine (née Lloyd; born 20 May 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Jenny Lee in the television series ''Call the Midwife'' (2012–2014) and Verity Lambert in the television film ''An Adventure in Space and T ...
), is an empath who is able to connect to the ghost. The Doctor discovers that the ghost is really a time traveller from the future (Kemi-Bo Jacobs) who is trapped in a pocket universe, and he travels there to rescue her. There he discovers a bizarre "Crooked Man" (Aidan Cook), who also seeks to escape the pocket universe and be reunited with its mate in the mansion. "Hide" was the first contribution to ''Doctor Who'' of writer Neil Cross, who was a fan of the show but had never had the time to write an episode. Cross wanted to write a scary episode and was inspired by
Nigel Kneale Thomas Nigel Kneale (18 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter and author, whose career spanned more than 50 years, between 1946 and 1997. Predominantly a writer of thrillers that used science-fiction and horror elemen ...
's works ''
The Quatermass Experiment ''The Quatermass Experiment'' is a British science fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television during the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells th ...
'' and ''
The Stone Tape ''The Stone Tape'' is a 1972 British television horror drama film written by Nigel Kneale and directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Michael Bates and Iain Cuthbertson. It was broadcast on BBC Two as a Christmas ...
''. The storyline of "Hide" was kept to a restricted setting and characters, although it was expanded thematically to flesh out the monster with a love story that paralleled that of Professor Palmer and Emma. The first episode to be filmed for the second half of the series — and therefore Coleman's first as Clara — "Hide" began filming in late May 2012 at
Margam Country Park Margam Country Park is a country park estate in Wales, of around 850 acres (3.4 km2). It is situated in Margam, about 2 miles (3 km) from Port Talbot in south Wales. It was once owned by the Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Mansel Talbo ...
, Gethin Forest, and a National Trust property at
Tyntesfield Tyntesfield () is a Victorian Gothic Revival country house and estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England. The house is a Grade I listed building named after the Tynte baronets, who had owned estates in the area since about 1500. The locati ...
. The episode was watched by 6.61 million viewers in the UK and received generally positive reviews from critics.


Plot


Synopsis

In November 1974, Professor Alec Palmer and his assistant Emma Grayling collect photographic evidence of a ghost in Caliburn House. Professor Palmer is using Emma's strong psychic powers to create a connection that appears to summon the ghost. They are surprised by the arrival of the
Eleventh Doctor The Eleventh Doctor is an incarnation (otherwise known as regeneration) of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He is played by Matt Smith in three series as well as five specials. As wi ...
and
Clara Clara may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Clara'' (2018 film), a Canadian sci-fi drama * ''Clara'' (2019 film), a Ukrainian animated fantasy film * ''Clara'' (TV series), a German TV series * Clara the Cow, mascot of the Greek TV show '' P ...
, who claim to be from military intelligence. The Doctor shows interest in the investigation and Clara points out that the ghost appears in the same position within each photograph. The Doctor takes Clara in the
TARDIS The TARDIS (; acronym for "Time And Relative Dimension(s) In Space") is a fictional hybrid of a time machine and spacecraft that appears in the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' and its various spin-offs. While a TARDI ...
to examine their specific location at various points during Earth's history and repeatedly takes photographs of the same area. From his pictures the Doctor comes to the conclusion that the "Caliburn Ghast" is actually a pioneer time traveler named Hila Tacorian. Hila was trapped in a pocket universe where time moves more slowly. The Doctor prepares a device to stimulate Emma's psychic abilities to open a gateway to this pocket universe. Once opened, the Doctor will travel across and rescue Hila with a harness anchored in the normal world. The Doctor finds Hila in the pocket universe, and the two are followed and chased by a creature in the forest. Hila returns to Caliburn House, but the gateway closes before the Doctor can return. Clara pleads with the TARDIS via its holographic voice interface to help her save the Doctor, and after initially refusing the TARDIS finally opens up and allows Clara in. As Emma reopens the gateway again with Palmer's encouragement, the TARDIS briefly flies into the pocket universe and moves close to the ground, allowing the Doctor to jump and hang on before the creature can grab him. Before leaving the next morning, the Doctor stops to ask Emma if she could sense anything unusual about Clara, but Emma reveals that Clara seems normal to her. The Doctor concludes that Hila is a direct descendant of Emma and Palmer. He reasons that their relation resulted in a blood connection that helped Emma open the gateway to rescue Hila. The Doctor suddenly realises that there is another creature within Caliburn House, and the creature chasing the Doctor and Hila in the pocket universe is its mate which was trying to reunite with the creature. The Doctor asks Emma for a favour and they use Emma and the TARDIS to retrieve the other creature from the pocket universe and reunite them.


Continuity

In the episode, the Doctor uses a blue crystal from Metebelis III. Metebelis III has featured before when the
Third Doctor The Third Doctor is an incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor, the protagonist of the British Science fiction on television, science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor Jon Pertwee. Within the series' ...
(
Jon Pertwee John Devon Roland Pertwee (; 7 July 1919 – 20 May 1996), known professionally as Jon Pertwee, was an English actor. Born into a theatrical family, he became known as a comedy actor, playing Chief Petty Officer Pertwee (and three other roles) in ...
) took a blue crystal from the planet in ''
The Green Death ''The Green Death'' is the fifth and final serial of the Doctor Who (season 10), tenth season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC One, BBC1 from 19 May to 23 June 19 ...
'' (1973) and returned it in ''
Planet of the Spiders ''Planet of the Spiders'' is the fifth and final serial of the 11th season of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in six weekly parts on BBC1 from 4 May to 8 June 1974. It was Jon Pertwee's fina ...
'' (1974), although it was pronounced differently. The Doctor mentions the Eye of Harmony, which was introduced in ''
The Deadly Assassin ''The Deadly Assassin'' is the third serial of the Doctor Who (season 14), 14th season of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast in four weekly parts on BBC1 from 30 October to 20 November 197 ...
'' (1976). The Doctor puts on the orange spacesuit he wore originally in "
The Impossible Planet "The Impossible Planet" is the eighth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on BBC One on 3 June 2006. It is the first part of a two-part story. The second part, ...
" / "
The Satan Pit "The Satan Pit" is the ninth episode of the second series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', which was first broadcast on 10 June 2006. It is the second part of a two-part story. The first part, " The Impossible Plane ...
" (2006) and wore on a number of occasions up to "
The Waters of Mars "The Waters of Mars" is the second of four hour-long specials of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', all serving as David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. As with the previous special, " Planet of the Dead ...
" (2009) when taking the photos.


Production

Writer
Neil Cross Neil Claude Cross (''né'' Gadd; born 9 February 1969) is a British novelist and scriptwriter, best known as the creator of the drama series '' Luther'' and ''Hard Sun''. He is also the showrunner for the TV adaptation of '' The Mosquito Coast ...
was a ''Doctor Who'' fan, but had never had the time to write an episode. Executive producer Caroline Skinner, who was new with the seventh series, knew him and offered to work his schedule around writing an episode; he was willing to do it. Executive producer and lead writer
Steven Moffat Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television ser ...
was pleased to have Cross join, as he was a showrunner in his own right with '' Luther''. Cross also wrote the seventh episode of the series, "
The Rings of Akhaten "The Rings of Akhaten" is the seventh episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 6 April 2013. It was written by Neil Cross and directed by Farren Blackburn. ...
", which he was invited to do after the producers enjoyed "Hide". The script process of "Hide" involved no face-to-face meeting, as Cross lives in
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. However, he flew in with his family to watch the filming. Cross wanted to write "a really old-fashioned scary episode of ''Doctor Who''" targeted especially at children nine to twelve, which was how he remembered ''Doctor Who'' at that age. He stated that "time travel and ghosts are echoes of one another. What is a ghost, if not a fragment caught in time?" He aimed to show suspense and tension, as he felt it was more terrifying than "full-on shock horror blood and gore". Cross was inspired by ''
The Quatermass Experiment ''The Quatermass Experiment'' is a British science fiction serial broadcast by BBC Television during the summer of 1953 and re-staged by BBC Four in 2005. Set in the near future against the background of a British space programme, it tells th ...
'' and its sequels, and originally intended to have the Doctor meet
Bernard Quatermass Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional scientist originally created by writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television. An intelligent and highly moral British scientist, Quatermass is a pioneer of the British space programme, heading the British ...
, though this was not possible, for copyright reasons. Cross was also inspired by ''Quatermass'' writer
Nigel Kneale Thomas Nigel Kneale (18 April 1922 – 29 October 2006) was a Manx screenwriter and author, whose career spanned more than 50 years, between 1946 and 1997. Predominantly a writer of thrillers that used science-fiction and horror elemen ...
's ''
The Stone Tape ''The Stone Tape'' is a 1972 British television horror drama film written by Nigel Kneale and directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Michael Bates and Iain Cuthbertson. It was broadcast on BBC Two as a Christmas ...
'', which was why he set the story in the 1970s. "Hide" was intended to be a "very small, very restricted ghost story", but he was asked to make it bigger in the end. The different universe was present, but it was "smoke and mirrors" and the climax originally took place in the house, just in daylight and in the alternate world. The idea of the Crooked Man was something Cross said lurked in his imagination. The love story twist was added in later, because Moffat felt the monster should be more fleshed out, and Cross chose to mirror the love plot between Emma and the Professor. Cross wanted to tell the story with "a small cast and as few locations as possible".
Jessica Raine Jessica Raine (née Lloyd; born 20 May 1982) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles as Jenny Lee in the television series ''Call the Midwife'' (2012–2014) and Verity Lambert in the television film ''An Adventure in Space and T ...
was offered the part of Emma Grayling, and later said that she had not realised "what an institution ''Doctor Who'' is" until she arrived on set. She said it was produced very differently from her series ''
Call the Midwife ''Call the Midwife'' is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, ...
''. Raine had also worked with
Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is known for playing the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Prince Philip in Netflix's historical series ''The Crown ( ...
before on a play. Cross said that Raine and co-guest star
Dougray Scott Stephen Dougray Scott (born 26 November 1965) is a Scottish actor. He has appeared in the films '' Ever After'' (1998), '' Mission: Impossible 2'' (2000), '' Enigma'' (2001), '' Ripley's Game'' (2002), ''Hitman'' (2007), and '' My Week with Mar ...
were good at filling out their characters, as he found it difficult to fully "evoke the history of a quite complex relationship" between their characters with just the script. Subsequent to filming her appearance in this episode, Raine was cast as ''Doctor Whos original producer,
Verity Lambert Verity Ann Lambert (27 November 1935 – 22 November 2007) was an English television and film producer. Lambert began working in television in the 1950s. She began her career as a producer at the BBC by becoming the founding producer of t ...
, in a docudrama made for the show's 50th anniversary, ''
An Adventure in Space and Time ''An Adventure in Space and Time'' is a 2013 British Biographical film, biographical television film, starring David Bradley (English actor), David Bradley, Brian Cox (actor), Brian Cox, Jessica Raine and Sacha Dhawan. Directed by Terry McDono ...
''. "Hide" was the first episode Jenna-Louise Coleman filmed as Clara. Cross only had Coleman's five-minute audition for "
Asylum of the Daleks "Asylum of the Daleks" is the first episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who'', broadcast on BBC One on 1 September 2012. It was written by executive producer Steven Moffat and directed by N ...
", in which she played a different but mysteriously linked character to work from, and some editing was done to her lines to make her sound less "bitchy". Otherwise, the scripting process was "smooth". The read-through for "Hide" took place on 21 May 2012; filming began three days later, on the 24th. Scenes for the mansion were filmed at
Margam Country Park Margam Country Park is a country park estate in Wales, of around 850 acres (3.4 km2). It is situated in Margam, about 2 miles (3 km) from Port Talbot in south Wales. It was once owned by the Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, Mansel Talbo ...
in June.
Tyntesfield Tyntesfield () is a Victorian Gothic Revival country house and estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England. The house is a Grade I listed building named after the Tynte baronets, who had owned estates in the area since about 1500. The locati ...
, a National Trust property near Bristol, was used as the mansion. The scenes in the forest were filmed in the Gethin Forest in Wales, with artificial mist. The Crooked Man's movements were done in reverse and then played forward, to give it an unnatural movement. Director Jamie Payne had Cross's children be "monster consultants" during filming and evaluate if it was scary enough.


Cultural references

The episode also contains several cultural references. Clara introduces herself and the Doctor as "Ghostbusters", a reference to the film of the same name which would not be made for another nine years from the time at which the episode is set. The Doctor recites in his dialogue the lyrics "Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it" from "
Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love" is a popular song written in 1928 by Cole Porter. It was introduced in Porter's first Broadway theater, Broadway success, the musical ''Paris (1928 musical), Paris'' (1928) by French chanteuse Irène Bordoni, for ...
" by
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...
as he realises that the Crooked Man is just a lost lover. The Doctor also mentions the
Baker Street Irregulars The Baker Street Irregulars are fictional characters who appear in three Sherlock Holmes stories, specifically two novels and one short story, by Arthur Conan Doyle. They are street boys who are employed by Holmes as intelligence agents. The na ...
, who assisted
Sherlock Holmes Sherlock Holmes () is a Detective fiction, fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "Private investigator, consulting detective" in his stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with obser ...
in several of
Arthur Conan Doyle Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Hol ...
's stories. However, the Doctor is in fact alluding to the
Special Operations Executive Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British organisation formed in 1940 to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and to aid local Resistance during World War II, resistance movements during World War II. ...
, a British
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
organisation that Professor Palmer was a part of.


Broadcast and reception

"Hide" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
on 20 April 2013. Overnight ratings showed that the episode was watched by 5 million viewers live. When time-shifted viewers were calculated, the figure rose to 6.61 million viewers, making it the sixth most-watched programme of the week on BBC One. In addition, "Hide" received 1.53 million requests on the online
BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...
for April, placing sixth for the month on the service. It also received an
Appreciation Index The Audience Appreciation Index (AI) is an indicator measured from 0 to 100 of the public's appreciation for a television or radio programme, or broadcast service, in the United Kingdom. Until 2002, the AI of a programme was calculated by the B ...
of 85.


Critical reception

The episode received generally positive reviews. Neela Debnath of ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' praised how the episode blended a haunted house story with a science fiction tale, highlighting the twist at the end of "ugly aliens have feelings too". ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' online reviewer Dan Martin said that it had "the hallmarks of an episode that will be discussed for years to come", including the guest stars and atmosphere. He praised the direction, but criticised some of the dialogue. Daisy Bowie-Sall of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' gave "Hide" four out of five stars. ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' reviewer Patrick Mulkern gave "Hide" a positive review, highlighting Smith's performance and the spookiness. While he praised Raine and Scott, he felt that Hila was "shortchanged", and also criticised the "love story" ending. ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' Alasdair Wilkins gave the episode an A−, praising the way it changed direction and the subtle hints about the Doctor. Morgan Jeffery of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
awarded the story four out of five stars, writing that it flowed better than Cross' last episode, "
The Rings of Akhaten "The Rings of Akhaten" is the seventh episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 6 April 2013. It was written by Neil Cross and directed by Farren Blackburn. ...
", and allowed for the exploration of several themes. While he was positive towards the way the story was tied back to a time traveller, he felt that the ending was "perhaps less interesting than what's come before, simply because it feels more familiar", though it was still "solid".
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
's Mark Snow gave the episode a score of 8.4 out of 10. He praised the smaller scope and focus on character, but wrote "the left-field genre detour didn't completely convince, and felt jarringly underwhelming considering the spooky set-up, but at least it tried something unique". Jordan Farley of '' SFX'' gave "Hide" four out of five stars. Farley felt that the science fiction element left too many answers, but said that it excelled as a love story. In ''
Doctor Who Magazine ''Doctor Who Magazine'' (abbreviated as ''DWM'') is a magazine devoted to the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Launched in 1979 as ''Doctor Who Weekly'', the magazine became a monthly publication the following year. In ...
'', Graham Kibble-White gave "Hide" a positive review, describing it as "simply terrific." He said that it was the first "out-and-out ghost story" in the series, which he deemed "wonderful." Also, he described the story as "fascinating in the way it portrays the ghosts of the living," and said it "transcends Neil Cross' other story, ''The Rings of Akhaten'', and even rises above the unfortunate mispronunciation of Metebelis Three."


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hide (Doctor Who) Eleventh Doctor episodes 2013 British television episodes Television episodes written by Neil Cross Doctor Who pseudohistorical serials Doctor Who stories set on Earth Fiction set in 1974 Television episodes set in the future Television episodes set in the 1970s