"Doctor Who"
Human Nature (2007)

Director:

Charles Palmer

Writer:

Paul Cornell (written by)

TV Series:

"Doctor Who" (2005)

Original Air Date:

26 May 2007 (Season 3, Episode 8)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

Plot:

In 1913, Martha watches in jealousy from afar as The Doctor learns what it is to be human and to fall in love with the local school nurse, Joan Redfern.

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel | Telephone Booth | Man With No Name | Fish Out Of Water | Telephone Box

Cast

David Tennant	...	The Doctor / John Smith
Freema Agyeman	...	Martha Jones
Jessica Hynes	...	Joan Redfern
Rebekah Staton	...	Jenny
Thomas Sangster	...	Tim Latimer
Harry Lloyd	...	Baines
Tom Palmer	...	Hutchinson
Gerard Horan	...	Clark
Lauren Wilson	...	Lucy Cartwright
Pip Torrens	...	Rocastle
Matthew White	...	Phillips
Derek Smith	...	Doorman
Peter Bourke	...	Mr. Chambers

Runtime:

45 min | 45 min (50 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:PG (DVD rating)

Trivia:

This episode and part two "The Family of Blood" were adapted by scriptwriter Cornell from his 1995 Doctor Who novel, "Human Nature". This marks the first time in Doctor Who history that a novel based upon the series was adapted as an episode. Many changes were made in transferring the novel to the screen. The original book featured the Seventh Doctor and his companion, Benny Sommerfield, and the Doctor's motive for becoming human was to study the human condition, not to flee aliens.

Goofs:

Factual errors: School boys are shown firing a .303 Vickers machine gun, which had a range of 4,500 yards. An outdoor firing range would always have a slope of earth or sand behind the targets to stop dead all bullets fired down the range. Not only is there no such slope behind the boys targets, but we can see they're firing down into a valley full of buildings, well within the 4.5km (2.8mi) range of the gun, jeopardizing the lives of the villagers!

Quotes:

Jenny: Head in the clouds, that one. I don't know why you're so sweet on him.
Martha Jones: He's just kind to me, that's all. And not everyone's that considerate, what with me being a...
Jenny: ...Londoner?
Martha Jones: Exactly! Good old London Town!

Movie Connections:

References Doctor Who (1996) (TV)

A very different "Doctor Who" tale...

"Human Nature", based on Paul Cornell's original "New Adventure" paperback, is a very different tale to what we're used to seeing on the small screen. When The Doctor becomes a human in 1913 England to avoid the clutches of the evil alien Family of Blood, a frustrated Martha watches events unfold as the cover of his servant.

This period story is gripping and unusual. David Tennant is superb as the headmaster John Smith who occasionally has dreams of another life and alien creatures. His book of "imagined" memories is a joy to behold.

The atmosphere in this episode is very authentic and there's a real sense of dramatic suspense. The scarecrows are a genius touch and are particularly creepy.

Jessica ("Spaced) Hynes is thoroughly delightful as Smith's love-interest Joan Redfern.

9 out of 10. Depending on the quality of the next episode, this could be a story that's discussed for a very long time.

Again, what a series this has been so far! This is setting a new bar of quality for the future.