The Shakespeare Code
- Episode aired Jul 13, 2007
- TV-PG
- 45m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
The Doctor takes Martha to London in 1599, where William Shakespeare's new play is being used by three witches in an evil plan.The Doctor takes Martha to London in 1599, where William Shakespeare's new play is being used by three witches in an evil plan.The Doctor takes Martha to London in 1599, where William Shakespeare's new play is being used by three witches in an evil plan.
Paul Bateman
- Groundling
- (uncredited)
Martin Alexander Colton
- Juliet
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
- Gareth Roberts
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia"Love's Labours Won" is an actual lost William Shakespeare play, the text of which has never been located. Some scholars believe that it is not really lost, but is simply a working title for one of his romantic comedies such as As You Like It, Much Ado About Nothing, or All's Well That Ends Well, all of which have interchangeable titles which don't describe the play's content very well. Or even The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Twelfth Night, or The Taming of the Shrew, which all revolve around exhaustive efforts in pursuit of love.
- GoofsBecause of poor lighting, among other things, in William Shakespeare's day plays were performed during the day. That was why theaters like The Globe had no roofs, so that the sun could light up the stage. It wasn't until much later that performances became a night-time affair.
- Quotes
Martha Jones: So, magic and stuff? It's a surprise, it's all a bit Harry Potter.
The Doctor: Wait till you read book seven. Oh, I cried.
- Alternate versionsOn Disney XD, edits for content were made: Martha Jones using the word "hell" is muted and her race concerns about being in 1599 - "I'm not going to get carted off as a slave or anything?" "Why ever would you think that?" "Well, not exactly white, in case you hadn't noticed." - are completely cut.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Doctor Who Confidential: Meet Martha Jones (2007)
- SoundtracksDoctor Who Theme
(uncredited)
Written by Ron Grainer
Arranged by Murray Gold
Performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Featured review
As You Like It.
Martha's first real adventure takes the Tardis back to Elizabethan London, for a fun and expensive looking episode that's chock full of in-jokes.
The Doctor (David Tennant) takes Martha (Freema Agyeman) to the Globe theatre for a performance of Shakespeare's Love's Labours Lost. They are surprised when the man himself (Dean Lennox Kelly) appears on stage and announces that tomorrow night, they will put on the sequel, the now missing Love's Labours Won. Further investigations reveal that three 'witches' are influencing the writer and trying to bring a conquering army to our realm.
In an interesting parallel to his time with Rose, The Doctor again takes his companion on her first trip into history back to meet a famous author, indeed, there is lots of talk about Rose, particularly some blunt scenes when an oblivious Doctor tells Martha that Rose would have spotted the problem straight away. Gareth Roberts would become a regular writer for the show throughout the Davies and Moffatt era's and you can see why, based on a well written episode that ties in some real life historical situations, with some clever dialogue using lots of literary quotes and playing in the Doctors continuing grief over the loss of Rose and not quite being able to see Martha as anything other than a temporary replacement.
The visual effects for the witches was really well done, and there's some nice "Evil Dead" like movements in their reveals at the beginning, there's quite a large dressed set for the episode which is decent too, as well as interiors for Bedlam and some shooting inside the actual recreated Globe theatre in Southwark. The CGI work, with the witches flying and the cataclysmic portal over the Globe are nicely done too.
Overall it was a solid, amusing addition, even if the villains are a little underwhelming.
The Doctor (David Tennant) takes Martha (Freema Agyeman) to the Globe theatre for a performance of Shakespeare's Love's Labours Lost. They are surprised when the man himself (Dean Lennox Kelly) appears on stage and announces that tomorrow night, they will put on the sequel, the now missing Love's Labours Won. Further investigations reveal that three 'witches' are influencing the writer and trying to bring a conquering army to our realm.
In an interesting parallel to his time with Rose, The Doctor again takes his companion on her first trip into history back to meet a famous author, indeed, there is lots of talk about Rose, particularly some blunt scenes when an oblivious Doctor tells Martha that Rose would have spotted the problem straight away. Gareth Roberts would become a regular writer for the show throughout the Davies and Moffatt era's and you can see why, based on a well written episode that ties in some real life historical situations, with some clever dialogue using lots of literary quotes and playing in the Doctors continuing grief over the loss of Rose and not quite being able to see Martha as anything other than a temporary replacement.
The visual effects for the witches was really well done, and there's some nice "Evil Dead" like movements in their reveals at the beginning, there's quite a large dressed set for the episode which is decent too, as well as interiors for Bedlam and some shooting inside the actual recreated Globe theatre in Southwark. The CGI work, with the witches flying and the cataclysmic portal over the Globe are nicely done too.
Overall it was a solid, amusing addition, even if the villains are a little underwhelming.
helpful•20
- southdavid
- Feb 4, 2021
Details
- Runtime45 minutes
- Color
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