Doctor Who Confidential (2005–2011): Season 3, Episode 12 - The Saxon Mystery - full transcript
NARRATOR: The Doctor is distressed,
the Captain incapacitated
and Martha is missing.
The master plan is working.
The Master is literally
in control of everything.
He literally has power over the world.
I really don't know how
we 're gonna get out of it.
NARRATOR: join Confidential
as we examine the historic return
of the Doctor's greatest enemy.
And cut.
Following his election triumph,
Number 10 is now Saxon's den.
-Coming back down, you're doing that...
-Okay.
NARRATOR: And on location,
the Doctor Who team prepare
for the moment the new Prime Minister
is presented to the world.
I think the kiss could happen...
Where'd the kiss happen?
-Here.
-Take it two steps down.
-Two steps up even more.
-Here?
Yeah, it's just not, you know,
'cause then we can separate
you from them, you see.
-So have the kiss there...
-Okay.
...and then come to this step instead.
-Just you need to be a fraction higher.
-Okay.
-And then I stay here?
-And you stay there. Exactly.
Okay, it just...
It's thrilling to bring back
the Master, actually.
It was always part of the game plan,
bring back the great big icons
of the series.
He's gonna be on you for the time being.
He's kind of filming it...
You would still be on him all the way.
(REPORTERS CLAMOURING)
It was an inevitability
that he had to come back,
because you do need a ying
to the Doctor's yang.
You do need to feel that...
I mean, the Daleks
are one particular type of threat.
The Cybermen are
a different type of threat.
The Master kind of
is the Doctor's equal.
This country needs healing.
This country needs medicine.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say
that what this country
really needs right now
is a Doctor.
A glorious day.
Let the work of government begin.
The Master that Russell's written
in Episodes 12 and 13
is madder than before.
I mean, whether that's the time
or whether it was just time
to write him that way, he's a lunatic.
Oh, go on, crack a smile.
And that, of course, makes him scarier
because he's a lunatic
with enormous power.
Excuse me, Prime Minister, do you
mind my asking, what is that?
-(MUFFLED) A gas mask.
-I beg your pardon?
It's a gas mask.
He's the dangerous sort, really.
He's that psychopathic sort.
Yes, but why are you wearing it?
(MUFFLED) Oh, because of the gas.
What gas?
(MUFFLED) This gas.
You're insane.
MAN: And cut.
He is unhinged.
And it's quite unusual to have
an evil genius that's just unhinged,
that is just bonkers.
Thank you.
He's a very, very tortured,
tortured soul
who's got this constant drumming
in his head.
The drumming, Doctor,
the constant drumming.
He's all about presenting this veneer
of respectability
but underneath he is insane.
(MUMBLING)
You're trying my patience, sir.
I like it when you use my name.
You chose it.
SPHERE 1
Where's my Master, pretty please?
Oh, all right, then. It's me! Ta-da!
It's crazy!
Hi, guys!
Are you taking this seriously?
Why don't we stop
and have a nice little chat
while I tell you all my plans
and you can work out a way to stop me?
I don't think!
-What if I could help?
-Oh! How to shut him up?
Tomorrow, we take our place
in the universe.
Funny is like this...
End of the world.
Oh! I love saying that!
Not funny is like this...
You're insane.
Here come the drums.
And I looked down upon my new dominion
as master of all.
And I thought it good.
How did he become so barking mad
in the first place?
You know, why is he the absolute
antithesis of all that is good
and all that's normal in the universe?
He's got a bit of a backstory that we
hear about, his childhood in Episode 12.
I wanted to do that
in a very slight way.
Some say that's where it all began.
When he was a child.
That's when the Master saw eternity.
Some would be inspired.
Some would run away.
And some would go mad.
It's all evident on the page
when you read his scripts.
It's quite clear what he wants.
I did not know about Saxon
from the start,
but in hindsight, how clever is that?
But hold on, if he could be anyone...
We missed the election.
I like it when you use my name.
You chose it.
MAN ON RADIO: Orders from Mr Saxon,
fire at will.
Fire!
Harold Saxon has been ticking away
for a long time.
Actually it goes all the way back
to Series 1 where we had
the first Prime Minister murdered
by the Slitheen.
We are the Slitheen.
In Torchwood, in Episode 12
I think of that
you see a "Vote Saxon" poster
in the background.
The Saxon references are in there
for the audience to see,
but the Doctor doesn't clock them.
They come back to Earth in Episode 12,
and it has been the Master all along
who has actually been on Earth
for 18 months, setting up this whole
fake persona as Harold Saxon.
I think it's a great device
to have those little gentle story arcs
ticking away.
And it just adds to the epic proportions
of the finale.
When suddenly everything starts
to make sense
and suddenly everything is revealed.
That was the voice of Harold Saxon.
He's Prime Minister.
The Master is Prime Minister
of Great Britain.
I give you the Toclafane.
My name is Arthur Coleman Winters,
President Elect of
the United States of America
and Designated Representative
of the United Nations.
MAN: And cut!
Not bad, not bad, not bad.
COLLINSON: There's something brilliantly
circus-like about what he does.
You know,
he gets the American President,
who has put him down
systematically, really,
and he gets him up there addressing
the world and obliterates him.
Kill him!
TENNANT: He's going to build
a new Time Lord empire.
He's going to rule the whole universe.
He's going to be High President
of everything if he gets his way.
Peoples of the Earth,
please attend carefully.
MASTER: Stop him!
He's unstoppable,
and he can floor the Doctor.
He can render the Doctor incapacitated
with one flick of his laser screwdriver.
Laser screwdriver, who'd have sonic?
On the day that the laser screwdriver
arrived on set,
I was getting texts
from David Tennant saying,
"His screwdriver is bigger than mine."
Why don't I reverse it?
What do you say, Doctor?
Another 100 years?
(DOCTOR GROANING)
It's a terrifying position to be in
at the end of Episode 12.
Where do you go from that?
The Doctor's 150 years old.
The Master rules everything,
literally rules everything.
But tonight, Martha Jones,
we've flown them in,
all the way from prison.
Come on, move!
-Mum.
-I'm sorry.
This is the ultimate cliffhanger
because he's facing his arch nemesis,
this guy who is every bit
as clever as he is,
and every bit as charismatic, actually.
So, Earthlings!
Basically, um...
End of the world.
It's a very scary place to be
at the end of Episode 12.
It's not looking good, really.
Here come the drums!
Down you go, kids!
Here come the drums.
You're insane.
You stupid man!
We're trying to help her!
Dad, what's going on?
Move it!
Kill him!
Guards!
You voted Saxon! You did this!
(SCREAMING)
And the Earth was no more.
the Captain incapacitated
and Martha is missing.
The master plan is working.
The Master is literally
in control of everything.
He literally has power over the world.
I really don't know how
we 're gonna get out of it.
NARRATOR: join Confidential
as we examine the historic return
of the Doctor's greatest enemy.
And cut.
Following his election triumph,
Number 10 is now Saxon's den.
-Coming back down, you're doing that...
-Okay.
NARRATOR: And on location,
the Doctor Who team prepare
for the moment the new Prime Minister
is presented to the world.
I think the kiss could happen...
Where'd the kiss happen?
-Here.
-Take it two steps down.
-Two steps up even more.
-Here?
Yeah, it's just not, you know,
'cause then we can separate
you from them, you see.
-So have the kiss there...
-Okay.
...and then come to this step instead.
-Just you need to be a fraction higher.
-Okay.
-And then I stay here?
-And you stay there. Exactly.
Okay, it just...
It's thrilling to bring back
the Master, actually.
It was always part of the game plan,
bring back the great big icons
of the series.
He's gonna be on you for the time being.
He's kind of filming it...
You would still be on him all the way.
(REPORTERS CLAMOURING)
It was an inevitability
that he had to come back,
because you do need a ying
to the Doctor's yang.
You do need to feel that...
I mean, the Daleks
are one particular type of threat.
The Cybermen are
a different type of threat.
The Master kind of
is the Doctor's equal.
This country needs healing.
This country needs medicine.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say
that what this country
really needs right now
is a Doctor.
A glorious day.
Let the work of government begin.
The Master that Russell's written
in Episodes 12 and 13
is madder than before.
I mean, whether that's the time
or whether it was just time
to write him that way, he's a lunatic.
Oh, go on, crack a smile.
And that, of course, makes him scarier
because he's a lunatic
with enormous power.
Excuse me, Prime Minister, do you
mind my asking, what is that?
-(MUFFLED) A gas mask.
-I beg your pardon?
It's a gas mask.
He's the dangerous sort, really.
He's that psychopathic sort.
Yes, but why are you wearing it?
(MUFFLED) Oh, because of the gas.
What gas?
(MUFFLED) This gas.
You're insane.
MAN: And cut.
He is unhinged.
And it's quite unusual to have
an evil genius that's just unhinged,
that is just bonkers.
Thank you.
He's a very, very tortured,
tortured soul
who's got this constant drumming
in his head.
The drumming, Doctor,
the constant drumming.
He's all about presenting this veneer
of respectability
but underneath he is insane.
(MUMBLING)
You're trying my patience, sir.
I like it when you use my name.
You chose it.
SPHERE 1
Where's my Master, pretty please?
Oh, all right, then. It's me! Ta-da!
It's crazy!
Hi, guys!
Are you taking this seriously?
Why don't we stop
and have a nice little chat
while I tell you all my plans
and you can work out a way to stop me?
I don't think!
-What if I could help?
-Oh! How to shut him up?
Tomorrow, we take our place
in the universe.
Funny is like this...
End of the world.
Oh! I love saying that!
Not funny is like this...
You're insane.
Here come the drums.
And I looked down upon my new dominion
as master of all.
And I thought it good.
How did he become so barking mad
in the first place?
You know, why is he the absolute
antithesis of all that is good
and all that's normal in the universe?
He's got a bit of a backstory that we
hear about, his childhood in Episode 12.
I wanted to do that
in a very slight way.
Some say that's where it all began.
When he was a child.
That's when the Master saw eternity.
Some would be inspired.
Some would run away.
And some would go mad.
It's all evident on the page
when you read his scripts.
It's quite clear what he wants.
I did not know about Saxon
from the start,
but in hindsight, how clever is that?
But hold on, if he could be anyone...
We missed the election.
I like it when you use my name.
You chose it.
MAN ON RADIO: Orders from Mr Saxon,
fire at will.
Fire!
Harold Saxon has been ticking away
for a long time.
Actually it goes all the way back
to Series 1 where we had
the first Prime Minister murdered
by the Slitheen.
We are the Slitheen.
In Torchwood, in Episode 12
I think of that
you see a "Vote Saxon" poster
in the background.
The Saxon references are in there
for the audience to see,
but the Doctor doesn't clock them.
They come back to Earth in Episode 12,
and it has been the Master all along
who has actually been on Earth
for 18 months, setting up this whole
fake persona as Harold Saxon.
I think it's a great device
to have those little gentle story arcs
ticking away.
And it just adds to the epic proportions
of the finale.
When suddenly everything starts
to make sense
and suddenly everything is revealed.
That was the voice of Harold Saxon.
He's Prime Minister.
The Master is Prime Minister
of Great Britain.
I give you the Toclafane.
My name is Arthur Coleman Winters,
President Elect of
the United States of America
and Designated Representative
of the United Nations.
MAN: And cut!
Not bad, not bad, not bad.
COLLINSON: There's something brilliantly
circus-like about what he does.
You know,
he gets the American President,
who has put him down
systematically, really,
and he gets him up there addressing
the world and obliterates him.
Kill him!
TENNANT: He's going to build
a new Time Lord empire.
He's going to rule the whole universe.
He's going to be High President
of everything if he gets his way.
Peoples of the Earth,
please attend carefully.
MASTER: Stop him!
He's unstoppable,
and he can floor the Doctor.
He can render the Doctor incapacitated
with one flick of his laser screwdriver.
Laser screwdriver, who'd have sonic?
On the day that the laser screwdriver
arrived on set,
I was getting texts
from David Tennant saying,
"His screwdriver is bigger than mine."
Why don't I reverse it?
What do you say, Doctor?
Another 100 years?
(DOCTOR GROANING)
It's a terrifying position to be in
at the end of Episode 12.
Where do you go from that?
The Doctor's 150 years old.
The Master rules everything,
literally rules everything.
But tonight, Martha Jones,
we've flown them in,
all the way from prison.
Come on, move!
-Mum.
-I'm sorry.
This is the ultimate cliffhanger
because he's facing his arch nemesis,
this guy who is every bit
as clever as he is,
and every bit as charismatic, actually.
So, Earthlings!
Basically, um...
End of the world.
It's a very scary place to be
at the end of Episode 12.
It's not looking good, really.
Here come the drums!
Down you go, kids!
Here come the drums.
You're insane.
You stupid man!
We're trying to help her!
Dad, what's going on?
Move it!
Kill him!
Guards!
You voted Saxon! You did this!
(SCREAMING)
And the Earth was no more.