The Doctor & Rose board the Tardis for new adventures. When they visit mankind's new home, far into the
future, they find gruesome secrets hidden inside a luxury hospital. Cassandra, an enemy though long since dead, is out for
revenge.
EPISODE STATS:
First Broadcast on 15th
April 2006. Running Time: 45 Minutes. Viewing Figures: 8.62 million. Written
By Russell T Davies. Directed By James Hawes. Executive Producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner. David-Tennant.com Rating: 8/10
PRODUCTION NOTES: Outdoor shots were filmed on the Gower Peninsula for this episode. The interior of the hospital was actually
the foyer of the Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay, Newport's Tredgar House and a disused paper mill also in Cardiff. Due to bad weather filming was delayed and it was months before certain scenes could
be re-shot which then caused problems as David's and Billie's hair had grown longer in the time between. The coat worn by David Tennant is made from the same material as a sofa.
FACTS:
Several scenes set in the hospital were filmed in the foyer of Cardiff's
Millennium Centre. As a neat tie-in, the Centre was subsequently used to host the press screening of the episode. The party
scene at the end was filmed at a dim sum bar just around the corner!
Former Casualty actress Adjoa Andoh went from playing a Cat Nun in this
episode to Martha's mum Francine Jones in Series Three.
New Earth is the first story to refer to a 'little shop', a running gag
that would reoccur in both Smith & Jones and Silence In The Library. The Doctor likes a little shop...
If you look closely at the location at the start of the episode, you can
still see traces of the words "Bad Wolf" on the tarmac, left over from filming The Parting Of The Ways.
The Tenth Doctor's catchphrase, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," is first used
in this episode.
This is the first Doctor Who episode to have an accompanying TARDISODE
- a mini prequel teaser clip available to download to mobile phones and online.
Rose refers to Cassandra as "Michael Jackson", something she also did in
The End of the World.
Unrelated planets or systems called New Earth have featured in the television
adventure Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974), comic strips The Iron Legion and Dogs of Doom and the novels Time of Your Life
and Synthespians™.
Feline races have featured in Doctor Who before. These include the Tharils
in Warrior's Gate (1980) and the Cheetah People in Survival (1989).
Zoe Wanamaker makes her first on-screen appearance in Doctor Who here,
having only featured as Cassandra's voice in The End Of The World.