The Idiot ' s Lantern ( TV story ) It also featured the theme of putting one ' s reputation and appearance above trying to help others , such as the case with Eddie Connoll , who reported any of the Wire ' s victims and tried forcing his wife and son to accept his views of the world . . So far , this has been the only appearance of the Wire ' s species . What they truly look like remains a mystery to this day ; the Wire ' s essence was simply using the last image on the television screen she possessed . " Tardisode 7 " serves as an unusually important prologue , revealing what happened to Grandma Connolly prior to the intervention of the Doctor and Rose . Synopsis . It is 1953 , the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II — but there is something hiding in the television s of the British people . Something hungry . . . Plot . Inside the Magpie Electricals shop , the proprietor Mr Magpie realises his business is broke as the television behind him finishes its broadcast for the day . Shortly after , a red lightning bolt hits the antenna over the shop . The television comes alive with the TV announcer ' s face and calls to the dozing Magpie . Within a few seconds the image on the screen lashes out with an energy beam , absorbing Magpie ' s face . The Tenth Doctor and Rose land in Muswell Hill , London , in 1953 , yet expecting to be in New York . Dressed in an Elvis Presley mode , they expect to attend a performance of the Ed Sullivan Show . Rose speaks the lingo of the era , noting that her mother was a huge Cliff fan ; they ' d rent the movies every bank holiday . The Doctor notes that he should have guessed that Jackie was a Cliff fan . As they leave the TARDIS on scooter , both the Doctor and Rose are confused by their surroundings . The different skyline , a red double - decker bus , and a Union Flag tell them that , actually , they are in northern London on the eve of Queen Elizabeth II ' s coronation . The Doctor is saddened once again to find he isn ' t where he wants to go . By chance , the Doctor witnesses a person covered in a blanket being abducted by men in black . The Doctor and Rose race after the car . The car passes through a gated doorway which slams shut and a market stall moves in front of the gate , making it look like a dead end . The Doctor and Rose arrive shortly after , mystified by the car ' s disappearance . " This is Churchill ' s England , not Stalin ' s Russia " the Doctor notes ; clearly this cloak and dagger routine shouldn ' t be happening . Meanwhile , Magpie has gone back to his shop and talks with the TV announcer , telling her that he has completed her instructions , before begging her to go away and leave him alone as her presence makes his insides and memories hurt . But she mockingly scoffs at his plea , and tells him that the time is almost ripe , finishing with the comment " cometh the hour , cometh the man . . . or lady . " Rose and the Doctor decide to investigate the abduction : posing as royal inspectors , with the help of the Doctor ' s psychic paper , they arrive at the home of the Connollys , where Mr Connolly has bullied his family into ignoring Gran after her face was stolen . The Doctor convinces Rita Connolly to bring him to Gran . As the Doctor examines Gran , two men burst into the house , knock out the Doctor and hustle Gran away . The Doctor gives chase , but Rose stays behind . She notices the television set is giving off electrical sparks . Later at the dump site , the Doctor finds people whose faces have been stolen locked in a cage . As they begin to surround him , the investigators shine a light into the cage . Rose reads the name on the television ' s tag : Magpie . She heads for the television shop where Mr Magpie , who seems to be extremely stressed , tries to get her out the door before the Wire is alerted to her presence . Rose insists on asking Magpie about the televisions he ' s selling . The announcer appears on one of the TV screens , looking to Rose like a broadcast was being played , but the image declares it is sentient by telling Rose its name is the Wire — and it ' s hungry . The Wire begins sucking Rose ' s brainwaves and face into its television as Rose desperately pleads for help . Magpie only apologises , claiming Rose brought it upon herself . Detective Inspector Bishop begins to interrogate the Doctor , asking what he knows . The Doctor childishly tells the inspector that he knows that one can ' t put their hand on their elbow and make their fingers meet . Bishop becomes shocked that the Doctor addressed him by name ; the Doctor explains " It ' s written in the collar of your shirt . Bless your mum . " He then turns the tables by asking Bishop questions he can ' t answer , offering his assistance in solving this mystery . As the two reach a truce , an agent brings in another victim , much to the Doctor ' s horror : Rose . Enraged , the Doctor tells Bishop " Now there is nothing that can stop me ! " The Doctor and Bishop return to Florizel Street for answers , with the Doctor roaring in anger to silence the uncooperative Mr . Connolly . They ask Tommy about what happened to his Gran the night her face was stolen . She was watching television , which was pretty cheap to afford thanks to Mr . Magpie being generous due to the coronation . Despite Mr . Connolly ' s objections , Tommy is encouraged by his mother to join the investigation ; she wants him to do good , unlike her husband . The three head to Magpie ' s shop , but Magpie is gone . The Doctor discovers a handheld portable TV , which should not exist yet on Earth . He also discovers the televisions in the shop are holding the people ' s missing faces , silently calling out for help . On one of the screens is Rose ' s face , calling over and over for the Doctor . Magpie enters , and the Doctor demands to know who is really in charge . The Wire appears , briefly turning the black - and - white television to colour , telling the Doctor that it was executed by its own people , but fled to Earth , where there is enough mental energy for it to reconstitute its physical form . The Doctor then sourly notes that the Wire has been taking more than it should , " stuffing itself like a fat pig . " The Doctor wonders when this will be and the Wire cryptically says her " crowning achievement " , causing Bishop to realise that it plans to feed while people watch the coronation . The Wire then begins to feed on Bishop , the Doctor and Tommy Connolly . It revels in feeding off the Doctor , calling him " delicious " and declaring that it will have " lashings of him " . However , the Doctor is able to stop the Wire by brandishing the higher alien technology : his sonic screwdriver . Realising the Doctor is a fellow off - worlder , the Wire stops its feeding after completely draining Bishop , but not the Doctor and Tommy . The Wire transfers itself into the portable TV and orders Magpie to take it to Alexandra Palace . The Doctor and Tommy regain consciousness ; together , they construct a device with parts in the shop . They race to the TARDIS to pick up one more part then run to the Palace ' s broadcast centre . The Doctor orders Tommy to keep the device he ' s plugged in to the broadcasting system operating no matter what . Grabbing a spool of wire , he heads for the top and begins to climb the tower . He manages to get past security with the psychic paper ; to his own shock , it says he ' s the King of Belgium . Magpie is at the top , begging the Wire to stop the pain in his head , as it promised him peace after its physical reconstitution . Complying with Magpie ' s wish for peace , the Wire incinerates him with a bolt of electricity . At the same time , people watching the coronation , and even animals in the room are having their faces sucked off . The Doctor reaches the Wire , grabbing the portable television , and tells the Wire that it wasn ' t smart to take a shot at Magpie , as it has overexerted itself . The Wire tries to fry the Doctor using the tower as a conductor , but the soles of the Doctor ' s shoes are rubber , keeping him safe . The Doctor attaches the wire he ' s been trailing to the portable , but a fuse shorts and the machine Tommy is keeping an eye on stops . The Wire taunts the Doctor , for now it will be able to live again . Tommy quickly changes the fuse and the machine operates again . Screaming in horror , the Wire is transferred from the portable into a Betamax cassette the Doctor built with parts from the TV shop . The Doctor jokes he made the home video over 30 years earlier than it should have been . Elsewhere , all of the Wire ' s victims have regained their faces and minds and are released from holding . Those who were in the mid - process are left wondering what happened to them , but dismiss anything odd happened . The Doctor reunites with Rose on Tommy ' s street , which is now throwing a party to celebrate the coronation . Rose asks the Doctor what he ' ll do with the Wire trapped in the tape . The Doctor explains that he ' ll use his unrivalled knowledge of transtemporal extirpation methods to neutralise the residual electronic pattern . Confused as to what the Doctor means , Rose asks him to dumb it down . " I ' m gonna tape over it , " the Doctor explains ; Rose offers to do that as she ' s always taping over her own movies . As a gift for helping him , the Doctor gives Tommy the keys to his scooter , telling him to wait until he ' s old enough to drive . At the same time , Mr Connolly is being kicked out by his wife for only thinking about his family ' s status over their well being . Tommy is glad that his father is going , but Rose tells him even an idiot like Mr Connolly deserves a second chance . Tommy runs off to talk to his father . The Doctor and Rose toast with orange juice and enjoy the party .