Doctor Who Confidential (2005–2011): Season 2, Episode 5 - Cybermen - full transcript
GATISS: They're back.
These brutal bad boys
are out to destroy yet again.
Only this time, they're
more chilling than ever.
Enter the Cybermen.
It's a very cold Saturday
morning in Cardiff Bay.
MAN: 992, take 2, B camera only.
And action.
I never knew.
-Well, you never asked.
-You never said.
It's the beginning of us finding out
about Cybus Industries.
Cut.
There's a lot of people involved
and there's a big crane,
which is always quite
difficult to choreograph.
Filming in Cardiff, set in London,
we take down any signs
that sort of refer to Wales,
we put up the odd Underground sign.
Couple of added touches, fingers crossed,
we'll get away with it.
Hold it there.
I'd like to do a two-shot that stays on you
all the way through, David,
so I get a single out of you.
So, basically what we've got here is,
at a certain moment, which we will tell you
by saying "stop", okay, you all stop.
'Cause you're getting info
on your earpieces, all right?
Two things to add to that are when
you stop, you come to a natural stance.
You don't all suddenly stop
with one leg up in the air or whatever.
And you're hypnotised.
Turn over.
Camera. A camera.
(MAN SHOUTING)
Background. Action!
ROSE: That's Mickey.
I suppose we just take him for granted.
You never said.
That's Mickey.
I think what's tricky
is all the starting and stopping
because everyone has to stop dead...
Stop!
...as this download happens in their heads.
(BEEPING)
What are they all doing?
They've stopped.
It is using things that are happening
in the modern world,
and maybe that we have
a slight paranoid fear about as well,
this whole idea that we get
information downloaded.
We download it into our computers,
we download it into our phones,
it's just a short hop to downloading it
straight into your head.
People want the latest technology. That's
what they want, that's what they're after.
And, you know, how many people do you see
walking around with the Bluetooth attachment?
-Here you go, yours again.
-Thank you.
That was a bit tricky, actually.
It's a prop that we could
truly do without for 40 SA's.
Just hold that there
for a couple of seconds.
Tapping into sort of modern paranoias
and modern obsessions, you know,
things that people get joyous
about, as well, is upgrading.
That notion of upgrading, that notion
that every year you can change your phone,
and your MP3 player.
And if you don't keep up with technology,
then you're gonna get left behind.
Like Bluetooth attachments
but everyone's connected together.
(BEEPING)
It's on my phone.
News, international news, sport, weather.
I think it's always good
to just tap into those slight worries
that people have about modern life.
Mobile phones which people are now
absolutely reliant on
and yet, at the same time, I think
we're all still slightly nervous of them.
They get it direct.
Downloaded right into their heads.
We don't really understand
them, most of us.
We don't really know how this information comes
into this little plastic thing that we carry about.
Daily download published
by Cybus Industries.
Laugh!
(ALL LAUGHING)
That's what's chilling about this episode.
That's what's clever about it, too.
That's sort of where the Cybermen
come from anyway,
this whole idea that modern technology
will slowly replace us.
And that modern technology
is ultimately out to get us.
Okay, I give up. Let's go and see him.
Cut and board.
Good.
That's what we see throughout that episode,
just this whole idea
that it'll just slowly creep up on us
and we won't quite notice it happening,
which just makes the fantastical
seem that worryingly bit closer.
-See you soon.
-PIPER: Bye.
See you next week.
We brought the Cybermen back because
I think you should always bring back
the great, good, iconic
Doctor Who monsters.
It's working.
I hardly think "working"
is the correct word.
There's a very powerful businessman,
called John Lumic,
who runs Cybus Industries,
who is dying and is using
all his technological might
to find ways to upgrade,
to find ways to upgrade the human body.
To find a form that means
that his brilliant brain can survive.
The brain has been
welded to the exoskeleton.
You are John Lumic.
Skin of metal.
And a body that will never age or die.
I envy It.
The whole point of his existence
is to create this creature
that is made of metal
to give human beings longevity,
to last forever.
GATISS: And to survive into the 21st century,
these metal monsters have to look the part.
DAVIES: In many ways they looked like
something made
in a science-fiction
programme in the year 2096.
We just started the
way we do with anything,
which is do drawings and pictures,
and work from there and present them up.
They had to be Cybermen
for the 21st century.
Also, they have to look really like metal.
Russell really wants them to look machined.
One of the most important things in my mind
was to stop calling them silver.
DAVIES: Steel, that's what they're made of.
That's really what they always
were made of, I think, in my mind.
No one person sort of designed it.
It really was a team effort.
I love them, they're absolutely gorgeous.
(CREW CHATTERING)
GATISS: An idyllic country home
in the tranquil Welsh countryside.
It's a cold and misty Monday
in the sleepy Vale of Glamorgan,
and preparation is underway
for the social event of the century.
It all seems to be going
to plan, but not for long.
Nothing better than a party
that turns into a death trap.
And we end up serving.
If you want to know what's going on,
work in the kitchen.
The whole thing
started to come together in this script,
the Cybermen were 40 years old
and we wanted a very rich Jackie,
and then you start to go,
"Oh, actually, what if it's her 40th?"
Now, I'm not giving a speech...
What better thing can happen
than the French windows are smashed in
by great big monsters?
-Cut!
-Cut!
(LAUGHS) And they were invaded by Cybermen,
which is lovely.
We have one three-hour session, basically,
to do that moment with those Cybermen
crashing through the windows.
(CHATTERING)
By the time we finish, it feels like
there are 20 Cybermen in that room.
WOMAN: Okay, let's
standby for a take, please.
Places, please.
Okay, guys.
MAN: We're ready.
WOMAN: We're running.
Absolutely terrified, here we go.
In the end, I hope
everyone'll find it terrifying.
WOMAN: Okay, and action.
-Did you get hit?
-Not really.
GATISS: Time for the Cybermen
to take centre stage.
And the fob of creating that spine-chilling
voice lies with one man and his microphone.
Here I am with my lip mike
and my ring modulator, here, just here.
I hear their lines coming in here.
I speak into here,
it comes out in a speaker over there.
CYBERMAN: Upgrading is compulsory.
345, take 2. A camera, mark. Action.
You are not compatible.
What happens, then?
You will be deleted.
Go!
You know, part of the point of the Cybermen
is how frightening they are en masse.
The Cybermen are, I guess,
Doctor Who's most military monsters.
Cut.
They are the big scary army. We've done it.
GATISS: So, could this finally mean
the bitter end for our fearless friend?
Is this almighty force too powerful
for even the Doctor to talk his way out of?
But this is a surrender!
You will be deleted.
Does he survive? Is this the end of him?
All I can tell you is,
watch out for Mickey.
These brutal bad boys
are out to destroy yet again.
Only this time, they're
more chilling than ever.
Enter the Cybermen.
It's a very cold Saturday
morning in Cardiff Bay.
MAN: 992, take 2, B camera only.
And action.
I never knew.
-Well, you never asked.
-You never said.
It's the beginning of us finding out
about Cybus Industries.
Cut.
There's a lot of people involved
and there's a big crane,
which is always quite
difficult to choreograph.
Filming in Cardiff, set in London,
we take down any signs
that sort of refer to Wales,
we put up the odd Underground sign.
Couple of added touches, fingers crossed,
we'll get away with it.
Hold it there.
I'd like to do a two-shot that stays on you
all the way through, David,
so I get a single out of you.
So, basically what we've got here is,
at a certain moment, which we will tell you
by saying "stop", okay, you all stop.
'Cause you're getting info
on your earpieces, all right?
Two things to add to that are when
you stop, you come to a natural stance.
You don't all suddenly stop
with one leg up in the air or whatever.
And you're hypnotised.
Turn over.
Camera. A camera.
(MAN SHOUTING)
Background. Action!
ROSE: That's Mickey.
I suppose we just take him for granted.
You never said.
That's Mickey.
I think what's tricky
is all the starting and stopping
because everyone has to stop dead...
Stop!
...as this download happens in their heads.
(BEEPING)
What are they all doing?
They've stopped.
It is using things that are happening
in the modern world,
and maybe that we have
a slight paranoid fear about as well,
this whole idea that we get
information downloaded.
We download it into our computers,
we download it into our phones,
it's just a short hop to downloading it
straight into your head.
People want the latest technology. That's
what they want, that's what they're after.
And, you know, how many people do you see
walking around with the Bluetooth attachment?
-Here you go, yours again.
-Thank you.
That was a bit tricky, actually.
It's a prop that we could
truly do without for 40 SA's.
Just hold that there
for a couple of seconds.
Tapping into sort of modern paranoias
and modern obsessions, you know,
things that people get joyous
about, as well, is upgrading.
That notion of upgrading, that notion
that every year you can change your phone,
and your MP3 player.
And if you don't keep up with technology,
then you're gonna get left behind.
Like Bluetooth attachments
but everyone's connected together.
(BEEPING)
It's on my phone.
News, international news, sport, weather.
I think it's always good
to just tap into those slight worries
that people have about modern life.
Mobile phones which people are now
absolutely reliant on
and yet, at the same time, I think
we're all still slightly nervous of them.
They get it direct.
Downloaded right into their heads.
We don't really understand
them, most of us.
We don't really know how this information comes
into this little plastic thing that we carry about.
Daily download published
by Cybus Industries.
Laugh!
(ALL LAUGHING)
That's what's chilling about this episode.
That's what's clever about it, too.
That's sort of where the Cybermen
come from anyway,
this whole idea that modern technology
will slowly replace us.
And that modern technology
is ultimately out to get us.
Okay, I give up. Let's go and see him.
Cut and board.
Good.
That's what we see throughout that episode,
just this whole idea
that it'll just slowly creep up on us
and we won't quite notice it happening,
which just makes the fantastical
seem that worryingly bit closer.
-See you soon.
-PIPER: Bye.
See you next week.
We brought the Cybermen back because
I think you should always bring back
the great, good, iconic
Doctor Who monsters.
It's working.
I hardly think "working"
is the correct word.
There's a very powerful businessman,
called John Lumic,
who runs Cybus Industries,
who is dying and is using
all his technological might
to find ways to upgrade,
to find ways to upgrade the human body.
To find a form that means
that his brilliant brain can survive.
The brain has been
welded to the exoskeleton.
You are John Lumic.
Skin of metal.
And a body that will never age or die.
I envy It.
The whole point of his existence
is to create this creature
that is made of metal
to give human beings longevity,
to last forever.
GATISS: And to survive into the 21st century,
these metal monsters have to look the part.
DAVIES: In many ways they looked like
something made
in a science-fiction
programme in the year 2096.
We just started the
way we do with anything,
which is do drawings and pictures,
and work from there and present them up.
They had to be Cybermen
for the 21st century.
Also, they have to look really like metal.
Russell really wants them to look machined.
One of the most important things in my mind
was to stop calling them silver.
DAVIES: Steel, that's what they're made of.
That's really what they always
were made of, I think, in my mind.
No one person sort of designed it.
It really was a team effort.
I love them, they're absolutely gorgeous.
(CREW CHATTERING)
GATISS: An idyllic country home
in the tranquil Welsh countryside.
It's a cold and misty Monday
in the sleepy Vale of Glamorgan,
and preparation is underway
for the social event of the century.
It all seems to be going
to plan, but not for long.
Nothing better than a party
that turns into a death trap.
And we end up serving.
If you want to know what's going on,
work in the kitchen.
The whole thing
started to come together in this script,
the Cybermen were 40 years old
and we wanted a very rich Jackie,
and then you start to go,
"Oh, actually, what if it's her 40th?"
Now, I'm not giving a speech...
What better thing can happen
than the French windows are smashed in
by great big monsters?
-Cut!
-Cut!
(LAUGHS) And they were invaded by Cybermen,
which is lovely.
We have one three-hour session, basically,
to do that moment with those Cybermen
crashing through the windows.
(CHATTERING)
By the time we finish, it feels like
there are 20 Cybermen in that room.
WOMAN: Okay, let's
standby for a take, please.
Places, please.
Okay, guys.
MAN: We're ready.
WOMAN: We're running.
Absolutely terrified, here we go.
In the end, I hope
everyone'll find it terrifying.
WOMAN: Okay, and action.
-Did you get hit?
-Not really.
GATISS: Time for the Cybermen
to take centre stage.
And the fob of creating that spine-chilling
voice lies with one man and his microphone.
Here I am with my lip mike
and my ring modulator, here, just here.
I hear their lines coming in here.
I speak into here,
it comes out in a speaker over there.
CYBERMAN: Upgrading is compulsory.
345, take 2. A camera, mark. Action.
You are not compatible.
What happens, then?
You will be deleted.
Go!
You know, part of the point of the Cybermen
is how frightening they are en masse.
The Cybermen are, I guess,
Doctor Who's most military monsters.
Cut.
They are the big scary army. We've done it.
GATISS: So, could this finally mean
the bitter end for our fearless friend?
Is this almighty force too powerful
for even the Doctor to talk his way out of?
But this is a surrender!
You will be deleted.
Does he survive? Is this the end of him?
All I can tell you is,
watch out for Mickey.