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Matt Smith
A Good Man Goes to War
Eleventh Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Mother and Baby
Mother and Baby
 Hanging among the stars in the far distant future, an asteroid - and a bleak grey fortress built into the misshapen rock. This is Demons Run. In a prison hospital, Amy Pond kisses her one-month-old daughter goodbye. ‘Wherever they take you, however scared you are’, she tells her, ‘I promise you, you will never be alone’.

 Twenty thousand light years away, The Doctor has a message for the Twelfth Cyber Legion. The Last Centurion has a question that consumes his every waking moment. And at Stormcage Containment Facility, in the fifty-second century, River Song is preparing to escape for what may be the very last time…



General Information

Season: Thirty Two (New Series 6)
Production Code: 6-7
Story Number: 219 (New Series: 63)
Episode Number:777 (New Series: 81)
Number of Episodes: 1
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Working Titles:"Demon's Run" and "His Darkest Hour"
Production Dates: January 2011
Broadcast Date: 04 June 2011
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: BBC Wales (Upper Boat, Pontypridd)
Location: Millennium Stadium (Cardiff): Laguna Heath and Spa (The Friary, Cardiff); Uskmouth Power Station (Newport); The Maltings Ltd (Cardiff); Lafarge Cement (Aberthaw); Fillcare Ltd (Talbot Green, Wales) and St Athan (Vale of Glamorgan).
Writer:Steven Moffat
Director:Peter Hoar
Producer:Marcus Wilson
Executive Producers:Beth Willis, Piers Wenger and Steven Moffat
Associate Producer:Denise Paul
Script Executive:Lindsey Alford
Editor:Una Ni Dhonghaile
Production Executive:Julie Scott
Production Manager:Steffan Morris
Production Assistant:Charlie Coombes
Production Designer:Michael Pickwoad
Director of Photography:Stephan Pehrsson
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG
Line Producer:Diana Barton
Costume Designer:Barbara Kidd
Make-Up Designer:Barbara Southcott
Cameramen:Matthew Lepper (Assistant), Simon Ridge (Assistant), Svetlana Miko (Assistant) and Joe Russell (Operator)
Visual Effects:The Mill
Special Effects:Real SFX
Prosthetics:Millennium FX
Stunt Co-ordinator:Crispin Layfield
Stunt Performers:Dean Forster, Gordon Seed and Will Willoughby
Incidental Music:Murray Gold
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Paul Jefferies
Sound Recordist:Bryn Thomas
Music Orchestrated By:Ben Foster
Music Conducted By:Ben Foster
Music Performed By:The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music Recorded By:Gerry O'Riordan
Music Mixed By:Jake Jackson
Title Sequence:Frame Store
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold
Cybermen Originally Created By: Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis
Silurians Originally Created By: Malcolm Hulke
Sontarans Originally Created By: Robert Holmes
Odd Originally Created By: Russell T Davies
Judoon Originally Created By: Russell T Davies
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor)
Number of Companions: 2The Companions: Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) and Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) Number of Acquaintances: 4The Acquaintances: Alex Kingston (River Song) (Rejoins and Departs), Neve McIntosh (Madame Vastra) (Joins), Catrin Stewart (Jenny Flint) (Joins) and Dan Starkey (Strax) (Joins) Additional Cast: Frances Barber (Madame Kovarian), Charlie Baker (Fat One), Dan Johnston (Thin One), Christina Chong (Lorna Bucket), Joshua Hayes (Lucas), Damian Kell (Domincus), Richard Trinder (Captain Harcourt), Annabel Cleare (Eleanor), Henry Wood (Arthur), Simon Fisher-Becker (Dorium Maldovar), Danny Sapani (Colonel Manton), Hugh Bonneville (Henry Avery), Oscar Lloyd (Toby Avery), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Cybermen)Setting: Demons Run, Stormcage Containment Facility, London (1888), The Battle of Zaruthstra (4037), Cyber Ship and The Maldovarium Villains:Colonel Manton, Cybermen, Headless Monks, Madame Kovarian/Eye Patch Lady and The Church

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
777A Good Man Goes to War04 June 201148'32"7.5Yes

Total Duration 49 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 7.5
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2011)80.10%  (Position = 4 out of 13)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2014)74.23% Lower (Position = 88 out of 241)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 16 out of 39


Archives


 This story exists and is held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library.



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Notes


"A Good Man Goes to War" was the seventh episode in Season Thirty Two (New Series 6) and the last episode of the spring half of this season - so bringing the first half of this season to a climax.

As described, on the BBC website, the first episode, of this two-part story, is where we finally find out who River Song is and where The Doctor faces his darkest hour. Where Sontaran, Silurian and Cyber forces - for once - are not the most dangerous threats to the Time Lord and where Amy Pond and Rory Williams must summon their courage as never before.

This episode is significant for finally revealing the identity of River Song, naming her as Melody Pond, the daughter of Amy and Rory. Before broadcast it had been rumoured that River Song was Amy’s daughter as well as The Doctor’s wife. However, even though this episode reveals that she is Amy’s daughter her martial status is still unknown.

This episode also saw the reappearances of several of The Doctor’s allies and enemies. And for the first time he is aided by Silurians, the Judoon and a Sontaran. This is not the first time that The Doctor creates an army composed of some of his old enemies (see the BBC Books’ The Past Doctors Stories novel "Warmonger").

This story features Frances Barber as Madame Kovarian (otherwise known as the Eye Patch Lady), who was briefly glimpsed in "The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon", "The Curse of the Black Spot" and "The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People".

This story also includes another appearance of Alex Kingston as River Song – her second appearance during this season.

Also making a return in the first episode, is Dorium, played by Simon Fisher-Becker. This large blue-skinned alien, who traded a vortex manipulator to River Song, in the 2010 story "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang", was last seen at the intergalactic bar The Maldovarium in the year 5145.

The first episode stars Dan Johnston (Hotel Babylon) as ‘Thin Man’ and stand-up comedian Charlie Baker as ‘Fat Man’. Before appearing on Doctor Who Charlie Baker was probably best known for winning 2011’s Let’s Dance for Comic Relief.

Other returning faces include Dan Starkey appearing as the Sontaran Commander Strax. Dan Starkey first played a Sontaran (Commander Skorr) in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky"; and Neve McIntosh (as Madame Vastra). Neve McIntosh was last seen playing Silurian sisters Alaya and Restac in the 2010 Tenth Doctor story "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood".

Hugh Bonneville, as Captain Avery, and Oscar Lloyd as his son, Toby, appear briefly helping The Doctor secure Madame Kovarian’s spaceship (see "The Curse of the Black Spot").

The first episode also features the return of Nicholas Briggs as the Voice of the Cybermen. Nicholas has previously provided voices for many of The Doctor’s most iconic foes, including the Daleks and Judoon, as well as the Cybermen. He also appeared in the Torchwood story "Children of Earth", delivering a memorable performance as politician Rick Yates.

The first episode, of this two-part story, was directed by Peter Hoar – his first Doctor Who story. Among the many shows Peter has previously worked are Five Days, Mistresses, Spooks and Grange Hill.

The Cybermen seen in this episode were slightly re-designed. They resemble the parallel Cybermen and have warships identical to one of the unnamed ones above Stonehenge seen in the 2010 story "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang". But unlike those Cybermen, these Cybermen lack a Cybus logo on their chest, but have a bump in place of it, unlike the markings as seen on the Cybermen from the Adventure Games story "Blood of the Cybermen". It is possible that these Cybermen are Mondasian Cybermen from our universe. They are also said to control a large section of the Galaxy, something of which both this universe’s Cybermen and the parallel universe’s Cybermen are seemingly capable. They are most likely this universe’s Cybermen as the others did not possess the technology to cross the void without causing the universes to start to end.

Rory again wears his Centurion armour, previously seen in the 2010 Christmas special "A Christmas Carol", and similar to that worn in "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang".

At one point, Madame Vastra is heard to mention 'Abberline'. In real life, Frederick Abberline (1843 - 1929) was a Chief Inspector in the London Metropolitan Police and was one of the most senior officers in the force’s hunt for Jack the Ripper.

The Church make their second appearance after "The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone". Although the ranking system used seemed to be different as Manton was referred to as Colonel instead of a religious rank such as Bishop.

The Headless Monks were previously mentioned in "The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone".

The Doctor is once again referred to as a Goblin and a Trickster (see "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang").

The Doctor is heard to give a brief history of Rory’s time in the TARDIS to Vastra. Referencing facing ‘sexy, fishy, vampires’. (see the 2010 story "The Vampires of Venice") Rory dying (Ironically, at the hands of Restac, who was also played by Neve McIntosh.) and being erased from time, (see the 2010 story "The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood") then coming back. (see "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang"). In this scene The Doctor also mentions rebooting the universe (see "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang").

Fat Man is heard telling Thin Man a rumour that The Doctor once ‘chased the Atraxi off a planet’ and ‘called them back for a scolding’. This is a reference to the 2010 story "The Eleventh Hour".

The call sign ‘Danny Boy’ is called by The Doctor to the Second World War fighter pilot to destroy Demon’s Run’s communications array (see also the 2010 story "Victory of the Daleks").

During the final battle scene River Song can be heard explaining the meaning of the name of Demon's Run base:

Demons run when a good man goes to war.
Night will fall and drown the sun when a good man goes to war.

Friendship dies and true love lies,
Night will fall and the dark will rise.
When a good man goes to war.

Demons run, but count the cost,
The battle's won, but the child is lost.


Sontaran Commander Strax is a nurse rather than a warrior. At the beginning of this story he is seen tending to human soldiers, rather than Sontaran troops. This was due to him having to work as a mercenary as a punishment. It is also revealed that Commander Strax is able to produce his own breast milk and is willing to take care of Melody Pond.

The phrase ‘The only water in the forest is the river’, that River Song uses to explain why the people of the Gamma Forest translate Pond to River, was spoken to Rory by Idris (who embodied the TARDIS) in "The Doctor's Wife".

River Song is heard saying that she and an unspecified Doctor ice skated on the frozen Thames in 1814 during ‘the last of the great frost fairs’. Because of events in the Big Finish Productions Companion Chronicles audio story "Frostfire", this means that both River Song, Steven Taylor and Vicki were on the same ice at roughly the same time.

The second episode of this two-part story has been directed by Richard Senior, and although this is his first full Doctor Who episode, Richard Senior previously directed the opening Doctor Who-flavoured scene featuring Matt Smith and Dermot O'Leary for the 2011 National Television Awards, as well as the special two-part Doctor Who mini-story, "Space/Time", written by Steven Moffat, which was part of BBC One’s 2011 Red Nose Day telethon for the charity Comic Relief.

This story contains a number of errors. Namely: The word ‘Override’ is incorrectly spelt ‘Overide’ on the label for the button which controls the door lock, which the two tied-up soldiers attempt to press before one is stung by Vastra; The end credits list Russell T Davies as creating the Ood and the Judoon. The only story in this season that features an Ood is "The Doctor’s Wife".

As well as being the seventh story of this season, the first episode of this story, is also the 777th episode of Doctor Who.

The Prequel to the first episode was shot on 27th January 2011 - the same day that the Rory’s scenes with the Cybermen were filmed. This Prequel was made available online on the 28th May 2011, immediately following the broadcast of the final episode of "The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People". This prequel has Dorium talking to two Headless Monks. He gives them the brain of a Judoon, which contains a security protocol the hooded figures need. Dorium tells them that he knows what they are up to, as he hears a lot of rumours around the area. He asks them, But all this, to imprison one child? Oh, I know what you're up to, I hear everything in this place. I even hear rumours about whose child you've taken. Are you mad? You know the stories about The Doctor? The things that man has done? God help us if you made him angry!.

Following on after this story, on BBC3, was the seventh chapter of the sixth series of Doctor Who Confidential. Titled "The Born Identity" it was presented by Russell Tovey and looked into the making of this story.



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first appearance of the Headless Monks.

 Neve Mclntosh's first appearance as the sword-wielding Silurian Madame Vastra.

 Dan Starkey's first appearance as the Sontaran nurse Strax.

 Catrin Stewart's first appearance as Jenny.

 The first Doctor Who story to be directed by Peter Hoar.


The Lasts (Subject to Future Stories):

 The last story of the Spring half of Season Thirty Two (New Series 6).


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The Plot

WARNING: May Contain SpoilersHide Text
The Doctor Needs You!

Amy
Amy

After The Doctor and Rory Williams discover that Amy Pond has been taken from them, and had been replaced with a doppelganger made from ‘The Flesh’ (see "The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People"), they are determined to find Amy and her baby.

The Doctor having learnt that the real Amy is being held on a secret asteroid base called Demon’s Run, calls in some old debts so bringing together several old allies, including a Sontaran nurse called Commander Strax, Silurian Madame Vastra and her human companion Jenny Flint, and the black market trader Dorium Maldovar. With their help he plans to lay an assault on the base. Meanwhile, Rory, after collecting information on the base's location from a Cyberman fleet, attempts to bring River Song from her prison cell, but she claims that she cannot be with The Doctor at this time, as this battle is when he will discover her true identity.

Aboard the supposedly secret base, Madame Kovarian, who has been watching over Amy during her pregnancy and has taken her child, Melody Pond, from her, prepares her human troops to fight The Doctor. Alongside the human troops are members of the Order of the Headless Monks who reside at Demon’s Run. Meanwhile human soldier Lorna Bucket, who had met The Doctor as a young girl in the Gamma Forests, attempts to befriend Amy, but Amy warns her of The Doctor’s fury if she fights against him. Before Lorna Bucket leaves she gives Amy a good luck token – a piece of cloth that she had embroidered Melody Pond’s name on it.

Rory Meets the Cybermen
Rory Meets the Cybermen

As Colonel Manton shows the troops that the hooded Headless Monks are, literally, headless and thus cannot be influenced by feelings, The Doctor disguised as a Headless Monk, appears to their surprise. Then when all the lights go out, plunging the hanger into darkness, The Doctor is able to slip away to continue with his plan to rescue her baby. The Doctor though is followed by Lorna Bucket who, on losing him, overhears Madame Kovarian, who is about to leave the base with Amy’s baby, stating that The Doctor must continue to think that he is winning until the trap closes.

Meanwhile on the hanger The Doctor has left behind confusion as the human soldiers start firing on the Headless Monks, believing one of them is The Doctor. The Monks retaliate and a battle rages until Colonel Manton regains control by ordering the powering down of all weapons. Then assisted by additional Silurian, Sontaran, and Judoon forces, along with space-worthy Spitfires (see "Victory of the Daleks") and Captain Avery and his crew (see "The Curse of the Black Spot"), The Doctor and his allies secure the base and defeat the human troops. They also free Amy, and retake Melody before Madame Kovarian can escape with her.

Madame Kovarian
Madame Kovarian

As The Doctor celebrates, as it is consider that this is his greatest achievement, Madame Vastra and Dorium discover that Madame Kovarian had been scanning Melody Pond and had found traces of Time Lord DNA in her. The Doctor surmises that Amy’s baby was likely to have been conceived on Amy and Rory’s honeymoon aboard the TARDIS resulting in the baby’s DNA being influenced by the time vortex.

While the rest of The Doctor’s allies regroup, Amy and Rory tend to their daughter using an ancient wooden cot that The Doctor claims was his own. The Doctor also confirms to Amy that even though her heart and mind was on the TARDIS physically she has spent all her time, while pregnant, as Madame Kovarian’s prisoner on Demon’s Run and that she was abducted before the recent events in America. The Doctor then returns to a control room, in an attempt to find some answers as to why Amy was abducted, and what Madame Kovarian wants with Amy’s baby. But then Madame Kovarian, well away from the base, contacts The Doctor, explaining that they will be using Melody Pond as a weapon in the war against him. She then takes delight in telling The Doctor that he has fallen into another trap, and that fooling him twice is a privilege.

Realising what she means The Doctor races to the main hanger but already the TARDIS has been blocked by a force field, and his allies are being attacked by the Headless Monks, who kill Dorium, Commander Strax and Lorna Bucket before they are defeated.

Rory with Commander Strax
Rory with Commander Strax

While the battle rages Madame Kovarian, appeares through a hatch opening in midair near where Amy and Melody are hiding and tells the baby to wake up. To Amy’s horror her baby dissolves into liquid Flesh. This sends Amy into hysterics.

As they recover from the recent deaths and the shock revelation that Madame Kovarian still has Melody, River Song appears to the group through a teleportation device. At first The Doctor accosts her for not helping them, but she tries to explain that she could not. She also tells The Doctor how these recent events were brought about by those who feared The Doctor. The Doctor, who is still very angry, demands to know who she is.

To answer his question River Song shows The Doctor the cot, directing him towards what appears to be some Gallifreyan symbols on its side. The Doctor eventually comes to a revelation, silently recognising River Songs’ identity to himself. Elated, he goes off on his own in the TARDIS to rescue Melody, asking River Song to return everyone to their homes.

Dorium
Dorium

Still shocked by the loss of her baby, and with the sudden departure of The Doctor, Amy uses a discarded gun, that she picks up from the floor, to force River Song to explain what The Doctor learned. River Song shows them the cot. Initially Amy believes River Song is referring to the Gallifreyan symbols on the side, but they cannot be read by humans. Instead River Song shows her what lies within the cot. It is the cloth token that Lorna Bucket had given Amy with Melody Pond’s name on it.

As Amy looks at the cloth the strange symbols translate into the words ‘River Song’. Seeing that Amy requires further explanation, River Song reveals that as the Gamma Forest people do not have a word for ‘Pond’, Lorna Bucket used the closest approximation which is ‘River’.

River Song then announces, to a stunned Amy and Rory, ‘It's me. I am Melody. I'm your daughter’…

 
The Headless Monks
The Headless Monks
Madame Vastra and Jenny
Madame Vastra and Jenny
Melody Pond
Melody Pond
The Doctor
The Doctor
 
The Doctor's Cot
The Doctor's Cot
Amy and Rory
Amy and Rory
River Song
River Song
Mother and Daughter
Mother and Daughter




Quote of the Story


 'This is the battle of Demons Run. The Doctor's darkest hour. He will rise higher than ever before - and then fall so much further. And I can't be with him till the very end.'

River Song



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Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
Series 6 Part 1: - Episodes 1-7July 2011BBCDVD 3428Photo-montage
Video
Blu-Ray
Series 6 Part 1: - Episodes 1-7July 2011BBCBD 0151Photo-montage
Video
DVD
The Complete Sixth Series Box SetNovember 2011BBCDVD 3430Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing all 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Sixth Series Box SetNovember 2011BBCBD 0153Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing all 12 stories
Video
DVD
The Complete Sixth Series Box Set (Limited Edition)November 2011BBCDVD 3564Photo-montageLimited Edition DVD boxed set containing all 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Sixth Series Box Set (Limited Edition)November 2011BBCBD 0193Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray boxed set containing all 12 stories
Audio
CD
Original Television Soundtrack - Series 6December 2011Photo-montageMusic by Murray Gold
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Series 1-7 Box Set (Limited Edition)December 2013BBCBD 0242Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray boxed set containing all Series 1-7 stories at full 1080p high definition
Audio
CD
The 50th Anniversary CollectionDecember 2013Photo-montageOriginal Television Soundtracks
Video
DVD
The Complete Sixth Series (2014 Re-release)August 2014BBCDVD 3970Photo-montageBoxed set containing all 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Sixth Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)August 2020BBCBD 0505Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 12 stories


In Print

No Book Release
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 435 (Released: June 2011)
Doctor Who Magazine - ReviewIssue 436 (Released: July 2011)
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of FictionIssue 599 (Released: February 2024)

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Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companions/Acquaintances

 
Matt Smith
The Eleventh Doctor

   

Alex Kingston
River Song
Karen Gillan
Amy Pond
Arthur Darvill
Rory Williams
   
Neve McIntosh
Madame Vastra
Catrin Stewart
Jenny Flint
Dan Starkey
Strax
   




On Release

DVD Cover
DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Blu-Ray Cover
Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series DVD Box Set
Complete Series DVD Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
   
Ltd Edition DVD Box Set
Ltd Edition DVD Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set
Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Original Television Soundtrack Cover
Original Television Soundtrack Cover

BBC
AUDIO
Complete Series 1-7 Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set
Complete Series 1-7 Ltd Edition Blu-Ray Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
   
The 50th Anniversary Collection Cover
The 50th Anniversary Collection Cover

BBC
AUDIO
Complete Series DVD Box Set<BR>(2014 Re-release)
Complete Series DVD Box Set
(2014 Re-release)

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

BBC
VIDEO



Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 435
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 435

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 436
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 436

Marvel Comics
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 599
Doctor Who Magazine - The Fact of Fiction: Issue 599

Marvel Comics
   

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