Ascension

Ascension was the fifth and final story of Season 36 of Doctor Who. It was written by Mark Clapham & Jon de Burgh Miller, directed by Marcus Mortimer and featured Richard E. Grant as the Tenth Doctor, Eric Roberts as The Master and Helen Baxendale as Ori.

This is notable for being the final appearance of Helen Baxendale as Ori.

## Ascension

### Director

Marcus Mortimer

Synopsis

Prophecy tells of an apocalyptic battle that will take place on the planet Dellah on the eve of the twenty-seventh century, the ultimate clash between the Divinity and the one they call the Great Blasphemer: the rebellious trickster otherwise known as the Doctor. Desperate to bring an end to the ascendancy of his eternal foes, the Doctor embraces this destiny, calling upon his captive companions, the Master and the Rani, to break free of the control exerted over the TARDIS by the Time Lords.

The Doctor and Ori arrive on Dellah to discover that this once peaceful world has fallen under the pitiless rule of the New Moral Army, whose holy wars and genocidal pogroms have left the road to the city of Tashwari lined with the crucified corpses of unbelievers. Appealing to the Sultan of Tashwari, the travellers find that any effort to quell the religious fervour that grips the populace is hopeless. The Sultan and his army heed only the doctrine of their idols, the Divinity, and the Doctor and his companion are soon slated for execution. Hope arrives in the form of an unexpected saviour who falls out of the sky—not an angel but a man, a man named Captain Jack Harkness.

With the help of this dashing rogue, the Doctor and Ori flee the city in search of allies, the atheist rebels who hide in nearby hills. Their quest will take them deep inside the volcanic Mount Casmov, where they learn that the prophecy that has led the Doctor to Dellah is self-fulfilling, allowing a great evil to harness the power of his TARDIS. The Divinity have become one with the elder god known as Tehke, the Burning One, and unless the Doctor can extinguish the beast, it is his ascension that will at last allow these ethereal fiends to defile the most glorious domain in all of time and space: Gallifrey, homeworld of the Time Lords!

Plot

Part 1

To be added.

Part 2

To be added.

Part 3

To be added.

Cast

The Doctor - Richard E. Grant

Ori - Helen Baxendale

The Master - Eric Roberts

To be added

Crew

Executive Producer - David Renwick

Writers - Mark Clapham & Jon de Burgh Miller

Producer - Sue Vertue

Script Editor - Steven Moffat

Director - Marcus Mortimer

Director of Photography - Geoff Harrison

Production Designer - John Asbridge

Visual Effects - Orange Tree VFX

Make-Up Designer - Vanessa White

Casting Director - Andy Pryor

Music - Richard Attree

Costume Designer - James Baylan

Edited by - Mark Lawrence

Original Theme Music - Ron Grainer

Title Music - Julian Stewart Lindsay

Title Sequence by Mike Tucker

Memorable Quotes

To be added.

Background Information

Development

To be added.

Pre-Production

To be added.

Production

To be added.

Post-Production

To be added.

Reaction

Part One received a 7-Day Viewing Figure from BARB of 8.62m viewers. It ranked at 30th over the week.

Part Two received a 7-Day Viewing Figure from BARB of 8.83m viewers. It ranked at 29th over the week.

Part Three received a 7-Day Viewing Figure from BARB of 9.09m viewers. It ranked at 25th over the week.

Story Notes

This is the last Doctor Who story to first air in the 20th century.

Continuity

The Doctor again refers to the conflict between the Time Lords and vampires, which he first encountered in his fourth incarnation. (DW: State of Decay)