Skip to content
TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, April 2, 2005

Production Code

1.2

Written by

Russell T Davies

Directed by

Euros Lyn

Runtime

45 minutes

Time Travel

Future

Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!)

Bad Wolf, Time War

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Psychic Paper, Sonic Screwdriver

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, England, London, Space

UK Viewers

7.97 million

Appreciation Index

76

Synopsis

The Ninth Doctor takes his new companion, Rose Tyler, to the year 5,000,000,000 to see the sun expand and destroy the Earth. The observation deck space station, Platform One, is holding an event with the richest beings of the time observing the Earth's destruction, but mysterious metal spiders gifted by the Adherents of the Repeated Meme to the other guests are secretly infiltrating and sabotaging the station.

Add Review Edit Review

Edit date completed

Characters

How to watch The End of the World:

Reviews

Add Review Edit Review

23 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

Before this rewatch, I had forgotten how child-friendly Season 1 of the Revival really was. This isn't inherently a bad thing. As much as I probably prefer the show when it grew up a bit, Doctor Who was conceived as a kids show and was always supposed to be for all ages. When the Revival was at the height of it's popularity it felt like a lot of teenagers, young adults and sci-fi fans were watching. But, the viewing figures have been dropping for years now. It feels like these demographics and these fans are slowly leaving the show, and they're not being replaced. Maybe focussing more on being for kids will bring a new generation of fans to the show. I don't know, it was just a thought I had whilst watching this episode.

The issue with this episode isn't that it's child friendly. It's that I find some of Russel T. Davies' childish humour to be quite grating (it'll get worse in just a few episodes time). I also think at times it undermines the episode.

Take Cassandra for example. There's an interesting idea in examining what it means to be human with Cassandra. But because it only has 45 minutes and it's very child friendly, the episode doesn't really examine this in any really meaningful way. Much like Cassandra herself, this idea is only skin deep.

The other issue with Cassandra is that for most of the episode she's presented as a joke character. There's nothing wrong with having characters be there for comic relief purposes. But Cassandra is also the main villain of the episode. So when she's revealed to be behind everything that goes wrong, she doesn't feel like any kind of threat, because for most of the episode she's been a joke.

I like the idea of going big for the Rose's first out of this world adventure. Going 5 billion years into the future to witness the end of the Earth certainly ticks that box. But besides the scene where the sun shield is lowering in the room with Rose, there's not a lot of exciting or interesting set pieces, and it's centred around a mystery with an underwhelming reveal.

There is however still good to be found in this episode. I like that a big part of this episode centres around Rose being overwhelmed by her decision to see the Universe with the Doctor and wondering if she made a mistake. Her scenes grappling with this, and of her being homesick for an Earth that she's about to watch die, give us some good scenes for Rose and for Billie Piper.

The best part of the episode for me though is the slow universe-building that this episode introduces. We're reintroduced to the term Time-Lord and learn that it's a "miracle" that the Doctor even exists. We still don't know anything about the Time War really, but it's mentioned again and given greater weight. Plus Eccleston is incredible in this scene with Jabe. The single tear he allows himself to shed before regrouping and getting back on with the task at hand is such a great moment. It doesn't give us a lot. But, what it does give us is incredibly effective at deepening both the character of the Doctor and the lore of the show. Great stuff.

Also I have to give praise to the makeup/effects on all of the aliens in this episode. They mostly look really good. Some of the effects in these early seasons haven't aged too well. The aliens in this episode still work though.

So in short another slightly underwhelming plot. But our main characters are still being well served by the writing. So I'm still eager to keep going on adventures with The Doctor and Rose.


Smallsey

View profile


Yeah good shout Doctor since you've just survived your planet being destroyed why not take her down with you might be fun. I do love all the different species in here and it shows just how odd the universe can be, although for some reason merch at the time thought the mox of balhoon was a villain for some reason?? Jabe the babe deseved better 


HopeAuq

View profile


The start of everyones favorite bitchy trampoline an important story and the first appearance of the face of boe, overall a mid story for me but an important one


phillcypher

View profile


This review contains spoilers!

Rose’s first adventure in the TARDIS is a playful romp with its more serious moments feeling well-earned. Nine balances his clever witticisms and compassion in saving Platform One in a wonderful show of who the Doctor is. And for Rose, she is reminded of the value of humanity with the greater awareness that it will be gone. Cassandra is an iconic villain and the needle drop for “Toxic” is one of the most iconic. Overall, with beats of action and sincerity, it provides a good taste for the space half of adventures.


InterstellarCas

View profile


This review contains spoilers!

The scene at the end, when Rose steps onto Earth having just seen the wreckage of its destruction, surrounded by people just living their lives and being human as the Doctor shares a past so huge and lonely that he himself can hardly put it into words, is to me one of the defining scenes of the modern era of Doctor Who


greenLetterT

View profile


Open in new window

Statistics

AVG. Rating1,072 members
3.72 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

2063

Favourited

150

Reviewed

23

Saved

4

Skipped

1

Quotes

Add Quote

ROSE: You think you're so impressive.

DOCTOR: I am so impressive.

ROSE: You wish.

Open in new window

Transcript

[TARDIS]

(Carrying straight on from the last episode. The Doctor and Rose are lit in green light from the time rotor.)

DOCTOR: Right then, Rose Tyler, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?
ROSE: Forwards.
DOCTOR: How far?
ROSE: One hundred years.

(A few seconds of travel.)

DOCTOR: There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century.
ROSE: You're kidding.
DOCTOR: That's a bit boring, though. Do you want to go further?
ROSE: Fine by me.
DOCTOR: Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire.
ROSE: You think you're so impressive.
DOCTOR: I am so impressive.
ROSE: You wish.
DOCTOR: Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!


Open in new window