Father's Day (Doctor Who)

{{Italic disambiguation}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use British English|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox Doctor Who episode | number = 163 | serial_name = Father's Day | show = DW | type = episode | image = | caption = | doctor = [[Christopher Eccleston]] – [[Ninth Doctor]] | companion = [[Billie Piper]] – [[Rose Tyler]] | guests = * [[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 Smith|Mickey]] | director = [[Joe Ahearne]] | writer = [[Paul Cornell]] | producer = [[Phil Collinson]] | executive_producer = {{plainlist| * [[Russell T Davies]] * [[Julie Gardner]] * [[Mal Young]]}} | composer = [[Murray Gold]] | production_code = 1.8 | series = [[Doctor Who (series 1)|Series 1]] | length = 45 minutes | date = {{Start date|2005|5|14|df=y}} | preceding = "[[The Long Game]]" | following = "[[The Empty Child]]" }} "'''Father's Day'''" is the eighth episode of the [[Doctor Who (series 1)|first series]] of the British [[science fiction on television|science fiction television]] programme ''[[Doctor Who]]'', first broadcast on 14 May 2005 on [[BBC One]]. It was written by [[Paul Cornell]] and directed by [[Joe Ahearne]].

In this episode, alien time traveller [[Ninth Doctor|the Doctor]] ([[Christopher Eccleston]]) agrees to take his [[Companion (Doctor Who)|companion]] [[Rose Tyler]] ([[Billie Piper]]) back to the day her father Pete ([[Shaun Dingwall]]) died in 1987. When Rose intervenes and pulls her father out of the path of a car, time is wounded and dangerous Reapers attack, threatening to erase history. Pete eventually realises that to get rid of the Reapers, he must throw himself under the car that was originally meant to kill him.

Lead writer and executive producer [[Russell T Davies]] conceived "Father's Day" as an emotionally driven time travel story to explore Rose's character. He chose Cornell to write the episode; Cornell had written spin-off material during the years the programme was on hiatus. The monster element of the story was expanded based on suggestions from Cornell and BBC Head of Drama [[Jane Tranter]], and the Reapers went through many designs. The episode was filmed in November 2004 at St Paul's Church and streets in Cardiff. "Father's Day" was watched by 8.06 million viewers in the United Kingdom and received generally positive reviews. Critics praised the focus on character and emotion. It was one of three ''Doctor Who'' episodes that year to be nominated for the 2006 [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]].<ref name=hugo/>

==Plot==  The [[Ninth Doctor]] takes [[Rose Tyler|Rose]] to the day her father Pete died so that he is not alone when he dies. Upon their arrival in London in 1987, they witness the accident, but Rose is unable to go to comfort Pete. Going back to try again, Rose suddenly runs out and pushes Pete aside, saving his life.

The younger versions of the Doctor and Rose vanish. The Doctor and Rose argue about her actions, with the Doctor rebuking Rose for potentially damaging the timeline. Rose decides to go with Pete to his friend's wedding, while the Doctor returns to the [[TARDIS]] only to find that it is now an empty shell. Strange flying beasts called Reapers{{refn|group=N|The name Reaper does not appear on screen or in the credits list. It comes from the episode's script.}} appear and begin consuming people.

Rose and Pete drive to the wedding together, and the car that was meant to kill Pete appears and nearly collides with their car. A Reaper attacks the wedding guests, including Rose's mother [[Jackie Tyler|Jackie]] and an infant Rose. The Doctor runs to the church and directs everyone inside, noting that the age of the church will protect them against the Reapers. The Doctor explains to Rose that "time has been damaged," and the Reapers have come to "sterilise the wound". Feeling that his TARDIS key is still warm, the Doctor sets it up in the middle of the church and the TARDIS slowly begins materialising around it.

Pete realises that Rose is his and Jackie's daughter, and when Rose is unable to answer questions about how good a father he was, Pete realises he was meant to die. Jackie thinks Rose is Pete's daughter with another woman. Pete hands the baby Rose to adult Rose in a fit of frustration, creating a paradox, and a Reaper enters the church. The Doctor, declaring that he is the oldest thing in the church, offers himself to the Reaper, which consumes him and disappears. The TARDIS key goes cold and drops to the ground.

Realising that he must die to restore the timeline, Pete runs in front of the car that was originally meant to kill him; it had continued to appear and disappear on the road just outside the church. Pete is hit by the car and fatally injured, repairing the timeline, and the Reapers' victims including the Doctor reappear. The Doctor sends Rose to be with Pete, and she holds his hand until he dies.

===Outside references=== "The Lamb and Flag", a pub from the sitcom ''[[Bottom (TV series)|Bottom]]'', is referenced in the episode.<ref name="fact file">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/episodes/S1_08|title=Father's Day: Fact File|publisher=BBC|access-date=4 December 2011}}</ref> It also features the 2002 song "[[Don't Mug Yourself]]" by [[The Streets]], indicating the damage to the timeline.<ref name="fact file" /> Rose believes Pete to be "a bit of a [[Del Boy]]", referring to the character from 1980s comedy ''[[Only Fools and Horses]]''.<ref name="witd"/> The 1987 song "[[Never Gonna Give You Up]]" by [[Rick Astley]] and the 1987 [[The Communards|Communards]] cover of the 1971 song "[[Never Can Say Goodbye#The Communards version|Never Can Say Goodbye]]" also feature in the episode.<ref>{{cite web |title=Father's Day, Series 1, Doctor Who – The Fourth Dimension – BBC One |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3KHbR9lRFbcmb9DWl7b48gv/the-fourth-dimension |website=BBC |access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref>

==Production== [[File:Death drawing plain.jpg|thumb|right|The Reapers initially looked more like the Grim Reaper. (''Pictured'': an artist's representation of the Grim Reaper.)]] According to producer [[Phil Collinson]], showrunner [[Russell T Davies]] came up with the concept for "Father's Day" at an early stage in the planning of the series, as it was a "perfect time travel story".<ref name="confidential"/> Davies wanted the storyline to be easy to follow and drawn from human emotions.<ref name="confidential"/> Additionally, the previous seven episodes had established why Rose was a good companion, and so "Father's Day" shows that she does make mistakes, but in a relatable way.<ref name="confidential"/> Davies chose [[Paul Cornell]] to write the episode; Cornell had written ''Doctor Who'' spin-off material, especially in novels for the ''[[Virgin New Adventures]]'', which bridged the gap between the classic series and the new.<ref name="doctorwhotv">{{cite web|url=http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/the-end-of-doctor-who-an-adventure-in-the-wilderness-54669.htm|title=THE END OF DOCTOR WHO: AN ADVENTURE IN THE WILDERNESS|website=Doctor Who Tv|last=Cohen-Kreshin|first=Levi|date=6 December 2014|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> Davies originally intended that the episode be a small budget-saver character piece investigating the death of Rose's father, but Cornell suggested the addition of the Reapers and BBC Head of Drama [[Jane Tranter]] encouraged the additions of monsters to the new series.<ref name="witd"/> Working titles for the episode included "Wounded Time" and "Wound in Time".<ref>{{cite book|first=J Shaun|last=Lyon|title=Back to the Vortex|publisher=Telos Publishing Ltd.|year=2005|isbn=1903889782}}</ref>

Davies and Cornell debated whether it should have been Rose's plan all along to save her father; this is left ambiguous in the episode. Billie Piper felt that it did not occur to Rose until after she began travelling.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> 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 has stated that he thinks the change is an improvement.<ref name="DVD commentary">{{cite video|people=[[Phil Collinson|Collinson, Phil]]; [[Paul Cornell]]; [[Billie Piper]]|date=2005|title=[[Audio commentary]] for "''Father's Day''"|medium=DVD|publisher=BBC|location=''Doctor Who: The Complete First Series''}}</ref> 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 [[bookmaker|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.<ref name="DVD commentary" /> Originally Pete was to take a swig of wine before sacrificing himself, but this was removed because a correlation between alcohol and bravery was not thought to be a positive message.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> [[Simon Pegg]], who ultimately played the Editor in earlier series one episode "[[The Long Game]]", was reported as being in line to play Pete, before having to pass on the episode. [[Shaun Dingwall]] would ultimately take up the role of Pete.<ref name=":0" /> Another version of Pete that hails from an alternate universe would appear in the following [[Doctor Who series 2|2006 series of the show]] in the episodes "[[Rise of the Cybermen]]", "[[The Age of Steel]]", and "[[Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Doomsday]]". Dingwall returned to portray the character in these appearances.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Burk |first1=Graeme |title=Who Is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who-The New Series |last2=Smith? |first2=Robert |date=6 March 2012 |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |isbn=978-1550229844 |edition=1st |pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoisdoctorunoff0000burk/page/94 94] |chapter=Series 2 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/whoisdoctorunoff0000burk/page/94}}</ref> [[File:Father's Day (1986863580).jpg|thumb|left|St. Paul's Church in Grangetown.]] The entire episode was shot in [[Cardiff]],<ref name="confidential"/> in November 2004.<ref name="DVD commentary"/><ref name="location">{{Cite web|url=https://www.doctorwholocations.net/locations/parishofstpauls|title= The Parish of St Pauls|website=Doctor Who The Location Guide|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> After Eccleston's father fell ill, a version of the script was drafted where the Doctor was physically absent from the episode's action. However, Eccleston was ultimately able to appear more substantially.<ref>{{cite web|title=Doctor Who director recalls how classic episode Father's Day was almost very different|first=Morgan|last=Jeffrey|work=[[Radio Times]]|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-fathers-day-eccleston-newsupdate/|date=15 May 2025|access-date=15 May 2025}}</ref> The weather changed frequently during filming, and the cast began to fall ill; Eccleston had a cold.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> The production team selected several streets that looked similar.<ref name="confidential"/> Most of the streets were in the community of [[Grangetown, Cardiff|Grangetown]]. The streets did not require much work for them to resemble 1980s streets; only a few satellite dishes were taken down.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> The church is [[St Paul's Church, Grangetown|St Paul's Church]], also in Grangetown.<ref name="location" /> The set of the Tylers' Apartment redressed for the time period.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> For the 1980s style, members of the cast and crew brought in photographs of themselves from the 80s; for example, peach dresses and "big hair" were incorporated, but these elements were not meant to be distracting. [[Camille Coduri]], who played Jackie, wore a wig for this episode.<ref name="confidential"/> Some of the conversation between Rose and her father in the car was cut because the car had made the dialogue delivery too "bouncy".<ref name="DVD commentary"/> Piper was scared of holding the baby. Because the baby is present throughout the majority of the episode, but the number of hours they could work with the infant was limited, an "artificial baby" was used as a placeholder in some scenes.<ref name="DVD commentary"/>

The Reapers went through many designs. Originally, they were supposed to be "men in cowls" based on the [[Grim Reaper]]; the final design retains some of this image with its "[[scythe]]-like tail".<ref name="RTreapers"/> The original design was deemed too similar to creatures seen in "[[The End of the World (Doctor Who)|The End of the World]]", and so were reworked into something more "otherworldly".<ref name="confidential">{{cite episode|title=Time Trouble|series=[[Doctor Who Confidential]]|airdate=14 May 2005|network=[[BBC]]|station=[[BBC Three]]|series-no=1|number=8}}</ref> They were not originally intended to fly. There was also discussion of how much they should resemble animals as opposed to the Grim Reaper; the end result is a mixture of the two approaches.<ref name="DVD commentary"/> The final design had a "shark quality", bat wings, and a mouth influenced by the [[praying mantis]]. Vulture sound effects were used for its screech.<ref name="confidential"/> The model was made over two months, being finished at the end of February 2005 rather than at the beginning of January as scheduled.<ref name="RTreapers"/> The special effects team then had two or three weeks to complete the "40-odd shots" of the completely [[computer-generated imagery|CGI]] Reapers in the episode.<ref name="RTreapers">{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/content/show-features/doctor-who/creating-the-reapers/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109031528/http://www.radiotimes.com/content/show-features/doctor-who/creating-the-reapers/|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 January 2010|title=Creating the Reapers|work=[[Radio Times]]|date=May 2005|access-date=17 June 2013}}</ref> The episode ended up being more expensive than intended because of the CGI.<ref name="witd"/>

When time is damaged, one of the effects is that Cellphones 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, historical records indicate the words to be "Watson, come here, I want you."<ref name="witd"/> The error was not present in Paul Cornell's original script, but crept in at some point during production. Producer [[Phil Collinson]] speculated that it was because the line was rerecorded: it was originally recorded by someone who the production team felt put on too false a Scottish accent, and so it was rerecorded by a real Scot.<ref name="DVD commentary"/>

==Broadcast and reception== "Father's Day" was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2005 on [[BBC One]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074drw/broadcasts|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130908202548/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0074drw/broadcasts|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 September 2013|title=Series 1, Father's Day: Broadcasts|publisher=BBC|access-date=8 September 2013}}</ref> The episode received UK overnight ratings of 7.47 million viewers, an audience share of 42.74%.<ref name="overnight">{{cite web|url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/newstv.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050519023520/http://www.gallifreyone.com/newstv.php|archive-date=19 May 2005 |title=Father's Day Ratings Triumph|date=15 May 2005|access-date=25 August 2013|publisher=[[Outpost Gallifrey]]}}</ref> When time-shifted viewers were taken into account, the number rose to 8.06 million.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Russell |first=Gary |title=Doctor Who: The Inside Story |publisher=[[BBC Books]] |location=London |year=2006 |page=139 |isbn=978-0-563-48649-7 |author-link=Gary Russell}}</ref> The episode received an [[Audience Appreciation Index]] score of 83.<ref name="index">{{Cite web|url=https://guide.doctorwhonews.net/info.php?detail=ratings&start=100&type=date&order=|title=Ratings Guide|website=Doctor Who News|access-date=17 February 2020}}</ref>

"Father's Day" was met with a generally positive reception. Piper stated that this was her favourite episode of the first series, and the most emotionally taxing for her to perform.<ref name="DVD commentary" /> ''[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]]'' praised the way the concept of time was explored as well as the accurate representation of the '80s, and stated that Dingwall gave "one of the series' best performances" as Pete Tyler. However, the reviewer thought that the Reapers were the let-down of the episode, finding that "the episode doesn't feel as much like horror as it should".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060527014658/http://www.sfx.co.uk/tv_reviews/doctor_who_fathers_day|archive-date=27 May 2006|url=http://www.sfx.co.uk/tv_reviews/doctor_who_fathers_day|title=Doctor Who: Father's Day|work=SFX|date=14 May 2005|access-date=14 April 2012}}</ref> Arnold T Blumburg of ''[[Now Playing (magazine)|Now Playing]]'' gave the episode an A for the emotional impact and the acting. Blumburg did note, however, that there were "enormous logical gaps" involving "glowing TARDIS keys and under-explained paradoxes".<ref>{{cite web|first=Arnold T |last=Blumburg|url=http://www.nowplayingmag.com/content/view/1515/47/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050524130911/http://www.nowplayingmag.com/content/view/1515/47/|archive-date=24 May 2005|title=Doctor Who – "Father's Day"|work=[[Now Playing (magazine)|Now Playing]]|date=18 May 2005|access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref> In 2013, ''[[Radio Times]]'' reviewer Mark Braxton described it as "a time-travel tale with immense heart" and highlighted the shift of identification from the Doctor to Rose and the acting of Piper and Dingwall. Braxton, on the other hand, felt that the Reapers were redundant and the episode would have done "equally well if you scythed the Reapers from the script".<ref name="Radio Times">{{cite web|first=Mark|last=Braxton|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/blog/2013-03-12/doctor-who-fathers-day|title=Doctor Who: Father's Day|work=[[Radio Times]]|date=12 March 2013|access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref> Reviewing "Father's Day" for ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' in 2013, Alasdair Wilkins gave it a grade of "A", finding the story powerful.<ref>{{cite web|first=Alasdair|last=Wilkins|url=http://www.avclub.com/review/the-long-gamefathers-day-106387|title=Doctor Who: "The Long Game"/"Father's Day"|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=15 December 2013|access-date=6 January 2014}}</ref> In ''Who Is the Doctor'', a guide to the revived series, Robert Smith praised the emotion and the dilemma, which he felt was not heavy-handed. He was also positive about the direction and Dingwall's performance, though he felt that removing the Doctor from the plot suggested that he would have done something else to resolve it, and he was not a fan of the scene where the Doctor tells two ordinary people how important their lives are, because it was "cheesy" and "disconnected" from the rest of the story.<ref name="witd"/> Coauthor Graeme Burk was also positive, writing that it may be "the best story this season". He called the direction "wonderful" and the script "sublime", and noted how the story was more about family than time travel.<ref name="witd">{{Cite book|last1=Burk|first1=Graeme|last2=Smith?|first2=Robert|title=Who Is the Doctor: The Unofficial Guide to Doctor Who-The New Series|chapter=Series 1|edition=1st|date=6 March 2012|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|pages=[https://archive.org/details/whoisdoctorunoff0000burk/page/35 35–39]|isbn=978-1-55022-984-4|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/whoisdoctorunoff0000burk/page/35}}</ref>

"Father's Day" was nominated for the 2006 [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form]], alongside other first series episodes "[[Dalek (Doctor Who episode)|Dalek]]" and "[[The Empty Child]]" / "[[The Doctor Dances]]". The latter won.<ref name=hugo>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2006-hugo-awards/ |title=2006 Hugo Awards |publisher=World Science Fiction Society |access-date=8 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110507164808/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/2006-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=7 May 2011 }}</ref> "Father's Day" topped the third place category in terms of votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cluebytwelve.net/Hugos2006/07_Dramatic_Short.htm |title=Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form |work=2006 Hugo Award & Campbell Award Winners |access-date=28 August 2006 |date=26 August 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070628003603/http://cluebytwelve.net/Hugos2006/07_Dramatic_Short.htm |archive-date=28 June 2007 }}</ref>

== Notes == {{Reflist|group=N}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote|Ninth Doctor}}

*{{BBCDWnew|year=2005|id=fathersday|title=Father's Day}} * {{DoctorWhoTV|fathers-day}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=2006-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210202056/http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=2006-08|archive-date=10 December 2007|title=Father's Day|publisher=[[Outpost Gallifrey]]}} *''[https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/doctorwho/ram/confidential8?size=16x9&bgc=CC0000&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1 Doctor Who Confidential]{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}'' — Episode 8: Time Trouble *[https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/doctorwho/ram/ep8trail?size=16x9&bgc=CC0000&nbram=1&bbram=1 "Be careful what you wish for."]{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} — Episode trailer for "Father's Day" *{{IMDB episode|0562989|Father's Day}}

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[[Category:2005 British television episodes]] [[Category:Doctor Who pseudohistorical serials]] [[Category:Ninth Doctor episodes]] [[Category:Television episodes written by Paul Cornell]] [[Category:Television episodes set in London]] [[Category:Television episodes about death]] [[Category:Father's Day]] [[Category:Television episodes set in churches]] [[Category:Television episodes set in 1987]] [[Category:Television episodes set in the 1990s]]