Father's Day (Doctor Who)

163 – "Father's Day"
Doctor Who episode
The terrifying reapers begin to emerge.
Cast
Doctor Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor)
Companion Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Others Camille Coduri – Jackie Tyler Shaun Dingwall – Pete Tyler Robert Barton – Registrar Julia Joyce – Young Rose Christopher Llewellyn – Stuart Frank Rozelaar-Green – Sonny Natalie Jones – Sarah Eirlys Bellin – Bev Rhian James – Suzie Casey Dyer – Young Mickey
Production
Writer	Paul Cornell
Director	Joe Ahearne
Script editor	Helen Raynor
Producer	Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s)	Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Mal Young
Production code	1.8
Series	Series 1
Length	45 minutes
Originally broadcast	14 May 2005
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → "The Long Game" "The Empty Child"

"Father's Day" is the eighth episode in series one of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode was first broadcast on 14 May 2005. The Doctor brings Rose to 1987 to comfort her father as he was dying, but when she prevents his death from happening, the monstrous Reapers are unleashed upon the Earth.

This episode marks the first appearance of Rose Tyler's father Pete Tyler, played by Shaun Dingwall, who would later reprise his role in the 2006 series as a Pete from a parallel universe.

Plot

The episode opens with a flashback of Jackie telling a younger Rose about her father Pete, who died in a hit-and-run accident on the way to a friend's wedding on 7 November 1987.

In the TARDIS, The Doctor agrees to take Rose to the day her father died so that she can be there when it happens. They witness the accident but Rose is unable to move when The Doctor tells her to go and be with her dying father. After Rose recovers, she asks The Doctor if she can try again. The Doctor allows it, but warns Rose to not run until their former selves have left to prevent a paradox. As the accident is about to happen, Rose runs out and pushes Pete aside, saving his life, but her former self and The Doctor vanish. The Doctor angrily warns Rose about the damage to the timeline but Rose dismisses it, believing Pete to just be an average person. While Rose goes with Pete to the wedding, The Doctor storms back to the TARDIS, only to find that it is now an empty shell, and thus realizes something is very wrong. Elsewhere, strange flying beasts appear and begin consuming people.

Rose and Pete drive to the wedding, but Rose is surprised at anachronistic elements playing over the radio and on her cell phone. At the church, the same car that was intended to kill Pete earlier appears and almost hits Pete's car, but he swerves out of the way when Rose shouts 'Dad'. They join the other guests, including Jackie Tyler with the infant Rose. Rose is surprised to see that her parents argue all the time and that her father seems to have cheated on Jackie. Jackie even accuses Rose as another one of Pete's women. Suddenly, Rose hears The Doctor shouting as he runs towards the group when one of the flying creatures (Reapers) appears above Rose and almost consumes her, but The Doctor arrives in time and pushes her out of the way. As he is gathering everyone into the church the creatures attack and eat the groom's father.

The Doctor explains to Rose that her actions have caused a paradox that normally the Time Lords would have prevented, but without them, the flying creatures are treating the wound in time by consuming everyone within it. The church is older and thus stronger against the creatures. As they seal up the church doors the couple-to-be asks The Doctor if he can save them, even though they don't find themselves to be special. He replies by explaining how he has seen and done marvelous things but will never have an ordinary life like them and that makes them special and that he will try to save them. Pete talks to Rose more, and learns she is his daughter from the future, but she cannot answer his questions on how good a father he was to her. The younger version of Mickey runs in and clings to Rose followed by Jackie who comments on how Pete clings to the youngest blonde, unaware that Rose is her daughter.

Rose talks to The Doctor again while he is watching the infant Rose. He states how ironic it is that Jackie gave her to him to watch and yells at Rose saying she "Can't do anything right". He also warns her not to touch the baby or she will cause another paradox, which could let the reapers in. After Rose apologizes The Doctor hugs her and they discover the TARDIS key is warming up-telling The Doctor it's still connected to the TARDIS. Using the key and a battery from an old cellphone The Doctor starts to summon the TARDIS so that he can stop the creatures. He tells Rose that this will not correct what she changed, and Pete interjects saying he was supposed to die and that is why this is happening.

Jackie overhears Pete calling Rose his daughter and is disgusted, thinking he had kids with other people which he all named Rose. To prove to Jackie she is the same Rose he puts that baby in her arms. As The Doctor warned, this allows one of the flying beasts to enter the church, and The Doctor throws himself in front of it, causing himself and the beast to disappear. This also breaks the TARDIS summoning process, and the key drops to the ground- cold.

As the other guests start to panic, Pete continues to observe the same car appearing and disappearing outside the church. He has an emotional goodbye to Jackie and Rose, and then runs out of the church and onto the street the next time the car appears. As Pete is struck by the car, the timeline is repaired, and those previously consumed by the beasts, including The Doctor, reappear. The Doctor sends Rose off to be with her dad as he dies and she hold his hand until he is gone. Rose returns to The Doctor, and the two walk hand-in-hand back to the restored TARDIS.

The episode ends on a similar flashback as the opener, as Jackie explains to a young Rose that Pete didn't die alone — a young woman stayed with him until he died, leading the adult Rose to eulogise about Pete Tyler, her father, "the most wonderful man in the world".

Continuity

• Continuing the "Bad Wolf" arc of the series, a poster advertising a rave on a wall near where Pete was supposed to die in the beginning has the words "BAD WOLF" defacing it.
• Although never named in the programme, the creatures were called the Reapers in publicity material. They bear a strong resemblance to the Chronovores (first featured in The Time Monster) as portrayed in Paul Cornell's Doctor Who New Adventures novel No Future, the Vortisaurs in the Eighth Doctor's first series of audio adventures for Big Finish Productions, and the Hunters in the New Adventures novel The Pit by Neil Penswick.
• Rose refers to the ending of this episode in "The Parting of the Ways", telling Jackie that she met her father and was the girl who held Pete's hand as he died.
• Although he dies in this episode, Pete Tyler returns (in a parallel universe form) in the second-series episode "Rise of the Cybermen" / "Age of Steel" and again in the same series "Army of Ghosts" / "Doomsday".

Production

Working titles for the episode included "Wounded Time" and "Wound In Time". Showrunner Russell T Davis came up with the final title of "Father's Day" in February 2005, shortly before the series began airing. In the DVD commentary for this episode, writer Paul Cornell and producer Phil Collinson mention that in the original script, in the scene where the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors and discovers only a police box interior, the police box fell apart. This was changed for reasons of cost, and Cornell said on the commentary that he thinks the change is an improvement. Cornell also states that the character of Pete Tyler is based on his own father, who attempted many different jobs and schemes (including, like Pete, selling health drinks) before eventually finding success running a betting shop. Pete's line "I'm your dad, it's my job for it to be my fault" is taken from something Cornell's father once said to him. Billie Piper says on the commentary that this was her favourite episode of the first series, and the most emotionally taxing for her to perform. Christopher Eccleston has also stated that this was his favourite episode, due to its many emotional layers.^{[citation needed]}

Outside references

• Posters seen advertising the Socialist Worker read 'No Third Term For Thatcher', serving to campaign against re-electing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the General Election in June 1987.
• "The Lamb and Flag", a pub from the sitcom Bottom, is referenced in the episode.
• When time is damaged, one of the effects is that mobile telephones all begin to repeat the message, "Watson, come here, I need you," purportedly Alexander Graham Bell's first words ever spoken over a telephone. However, according to a recording by Watson reminiscing about the event, the words were "Watson, come here, I want you." The error was not present in Paul Cornell's original script, but crept in at some point during production.
• The episode features two of the biggest hits from 1987, "Never Gonna Give You Up" performed by Rick Astley and "Never Can Say Goodbye" performed by The Communards, both of which have some relevance to the basic themes of the story. It also features the 2002 song "Don't Mug Yourself" by The Streets, indicating the damage to the timeline.
• Rose believes Pete to be "a bit of a Del Boy", referring to the character from Only Fools and Horses, which was airing around the time this episode is set. Humorously, Shawn Dingwall later went on to play Del Boy's father Reg Trotter in the Only Fools and Horses prequel Rock and Chips first aired in 2010.

Awards

The episode was nominated for the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form; the episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" won. "Father's Day" topped the third place category in terms of votes.

External links

• Father's Day on TARDIS Index File, an external wiki
• "Father's Day" at the BBC Doctor Who homepage
• "Father's Day" at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
• "Father's Day" at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• "Father's Day" at Outpost Gallifrey
• "Father's Day" at TV.com
• Doctor Who Confidential — Episode 8: Time Trouble
• "Be careful what you wish for." — Episode trailer for "Father's Day"
• "Father's Day" at the Internet Movie Database

Reviews

• "Father's Day" reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
• "Father's Day" reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide