Season 38

## Season 38 (2001)

**24 episodes, comprising of 9 serials, starting with *The War to End All Wars***

### Companions

Philip Chandler
Aruna

## Series Info

### Format

24x25 minutes

**Season 38** of *Doctor Who* ran between 21 July 2001 and 29 December 2001. It starred Fiona Shaw as The Doctor, Cillian Murphy as Philip Chandler and Thora Birch as Aruna. The season opened with *The War to End All Wars* and ended with *The Betrayed*.

## Overview

This season consists of nine stories of twenty-four twenty-five minute long episodes. After only one year, Jonathan P. Llewellyn ultimately decided to leave *Doctor Who* as he got a better position for the revival of the show *Absolutely Fabulous.* Due to Llewelyn being rather unenthusiastic about being the Producer of the show, BBC already had another name prepared, this time the very experienced Steve Lanning, who worked as a Second Unit Director on many popular mainstream films of 1970s and 1980s. However, he also worked on a number of smaller shows and mini-series throughout the late 1980s and 1990s as a Producer. With this he, unlike Llewelyn, had a certain vision for the show along with rather new script editor, Lance Parkin. They wanted it to be dark and gritty, and really have The Doctor develop over the course of her tenure. With this, the idea that The Doctor would be on her tenth incarnation, the way she regenerated, and the fact she was in unfamiliar territory as a woman, would make her a more rage-filled and short tempered Doctor, questioning her own mortality as she reached her double digit incarnation. Lanning and Parkin thought this would be a good way to spice up the show properly, especially American viewers who started to tune into the show with the addition of the new BBC channel, BBC America. The new Doctor would be played by actress Fiona Shaw, and this would cause some divisiveness in the fandom, with many supporting the new Doctor while some would be less than enthusiastic. Due to rising popularity with American viewers, one of the new companions would be, for the first time in the show's history, an American actress: Thora Birch. She was finishing up filming for *Ghost World* so her character would be included a little later in the season. This would also be the first time since the Third Doctor era, (and second in total) where no companions would be carrying over from the previous season/the previous Doctor. It was another way to freshen the show for new viewers and a good way to start, almost like a reboot. The stories this season are *The War to End All Wars* which has The Doctor pushing through her post-regenerative state to help a young soldier trek across No Man's Land, while being permanently affected by the horrors of war. *The Fugitives* which has The Doctor and Philip turn in fugitives only to help them once The Doctor realizes one of the fugitives is pregnant. *Twisted Web*, where the Doctor deals with a horrifying moral decision in regards to a fixed point in time. *Allies of the Daleks*, which has the Doctor ally herself with her sworn archenemy to stop a greater enemy. *White Room*, where the Doctor is put on trial by the Time Lords for going too far in the previous story. *Exiled* which has the Doctor lock herself in the TARDIS to atone for her sins. *Midnight* which deals with a horrific being and a trapped Doctor. *Abandon All Hope*, a test by a familiar face. Then finally, *The Betrayed* which deals with Aruna realizing what The Doctor did to her home planet in *Twisted Web* and swearing vengeance upon her and ruining everything she holds dear.

## Cast

* Fiona Shaw as The Doctor
* Cillian Murphy as Philip Chandler
* Thora Birch as Aruna