Underplayed Gems

The Waters of Mars (2009)

The Waters of Mars poster
Original title
Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars
Directed by
Graeme Harper
Genre
horror, science fiction, drama, mystery, adventure, tv movie
Country
United Kingdom
Runtime
1h
Rating
7.9 of 10 from 237 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

The Doctor lands at the first human colony on Mars in 2059. He finds the crew under attack by a mysterious alien force and must decide whether to use his knowledge of the commander's future to change history.

tensemelancholiccerebralsuspensefulbleakmorally ambiguoussomberfast-paced

What happens

"The Waters of Mars" is the second of four hour-long specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, all serving as David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. As with the previous special, "Planet of the Dead", it was simultaneously broadcast on BBC One and BBC HD on 15 November 2009. Set on Mars in the year 2059, the episode depicts the Doctor encountering the first human colony, Bowie Base One, commanded by one-off companion Captain Adelaide Brooke (Lindsay Duncan), who turns out to be a pivotal character in the history of humanity. The Doctor must decide whether to use his knowledge of her fate to change history. Originally written as a Christmas special entitled "Red Christmas", starring Helen Mirren as Adelaide, the episode was, according to head writer and executive producer Russell T Davies, closely linked to the next two episodes but was not intended as the first part of a three-part story. The special was dedicated to Barry Letts, the former writer and producer of Doctor Who who died in October 2009. "The Waters of Mars" was first broadcast on a Sunday, the only non-Christmas episode of the revived series to air outside the usual Saturday evening slot, until "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" in 2018. The special received generally positive reviews and won the 2010 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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