Information
Writer: Mark Gatiss
Director: Euros Lyn
Script Editor: Helen Raynor
Producer: Phil Collinson
Executive Producer(s): Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner, Mal Young
Originally Broadcast: 9th April 2005
Duration: 44 mins
Viewing Figures (in millions): 8.8m
Production Code: 1.3
Monsters/Villains: The Gelth
Year Set: 24th December 1869
Location: Cardiff, Wales
Synopsis
The Doctor and Rose travel back through time to Victorian Cardiff, where the dead are walking and creatures made of gas are on the loose.
The time travellers team up with Charles Dickens to investigate Mr Sneed, the local Undertaker.
But can they halt the plans of the ethereal Gelth?
The Doctor and Rose travel back through time to Victorian Cardiff, where the dead are walking and creatures made of gas are on the loose.
The time travellers team up with Charles Dickens to investigate Mr Sneed, the local Undertaker.
But can they halt the plans of the ethereal Gelth?
Cast
Monster File: The Gelth
Home Planet: Unknown
Christopher Eccleston - The Doctor
Billie Piper - Rose Tyler
Alan David - Gabriel Sneed
Huw Rhys - Redpath
Jennifer Hill - Mrs Peace
Eve Myles - Gwyneth
Simon Callow - Charles Dickens
Wayne Cater - Stage Manager
Meic Povey - Driver
Zoe Thorne - The Gelth
Home Planet: Unknown
Life Form: Gaseous
The Gelth were a humanoid species who lost their bodies in the Time War. During the War, billions of Gelth were turned into gas, which they could shape themselves into wraith-like forms. These Gelth needed to be in a gaseous environment to survive.
Discovering the Cardiff rift to Gabriel Sneed's mortuary in 1869, they were naturally attracted to the area, since they could inhabit the gas found in the pipes and emerge through gas lamps. They also discovered that they could survive in the gases in a decomposing Human and as the Doctor put it, "use it as a vehicle". While inhabiting the corpses, the Gelth could control and move the dead humans as walking corpses who leaked out luminous blue gas. The Gelth's control of the corpses was tenuous at best. The Gelth contacted Gwyneth, Sneed's servant, who had psychic ability. She thought of the Gelth as angels. Through Gwyneth, the Gelth spoke with the Doctor.
The Gelth were a humanoid species who lost their bodies in the Time War. During the War, billions of Gelth were turned into gas, which they could shape themselves into wraith-like forms. These Gelth needed to be in a gaseous environment to survive.
Discovering the Cardiff rift to Gabriel Sneed's mortuary in 1869, they were naturally attracted to the area, since they could inhabit the gas found in the pipes and emerge through gas lamps. They also discovered that they could survive in the gases in a decomposing Human and as the Doctor put it, "use it as a vehicle". While inhabiting the corpses, the Gelth could control and move the dead humans as walking corpses who leaked out luminous blue gas. The Gelth's control of the corpses was tenuous at best. The Gelth contacted Gwyneth, Sneed's servant, who had psychic ability. She thought of the Gelth as angels. Through Gwyneth, the Gelth spoke with the Doctor.
Preceded by: The End of the World - Followed by: Aliens of London
