Bad Wolf

In the episode, set in the far future 100 years after the events of "The Long Game", the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and his travelling companions Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) are secretly brought on board the game-show-broadcasting satellite, Satellite Five, by its controller (Martha Cope) so they can fight against the controller's "masters", the Daleks.

The Ninth Doctor, Rose, and Jack find themselves separated, waking up with temporary amnesia in what initially appears to be a set of television game shows from the 21st century.

The station is now under the control of the Bad Wolf Corporation, which shares the name with a set of words that are following the Doctor and Rose through time and space.

[N 1] Lynda explains that 100 years ago, when the Doctor last visited,[N 2] Satellite Five stopped broadcasting and the government and economy collapsed.

[3] The concept of the Anne Droid and a futuristic version of The Weakest Link was pitched by Russell T Davies in his second meeting with the BBC about bringing back Doctor Who in 2000 or 2001.

The idea had come from his trip to New York City for the launch of the American version of Queer as Folk, where he had seen "a vast screen in Times Square with a gigantic Anne Robinson blasting us tiny mortals with her voice".

The scene was shot, but the BBC's editorial policy department stepped in and vetoed it, the only time they over-ruled the production team during the 2005 series.

[5] According to the DVD commentary for this episode, the music that is heard as the Dalek fleet is revealed includes a chorus singing "What is happening?"

In 2006, a spin-off series titled Torchwood began, set in modern-day Cardiff and involving a team investigating paranormal and alien incidents, and featuring John Barrowman reprising his role of Captain Jack Harkness.

Nisha Nayar, the actress cast as the Female Programmer in this episode, previously appeared as one of the uncredited 'Red Kang' extras in the 1987 classic series story Paradise Towers.

[12] Digital Spy's Dek Hogan had a positive reaction to "Bad Wolf", praising Eccleston, the parodies, and the Susanna and Trinny robots.

[14] SFX gave "Bad Wolf" a score of nine out of ten, calling the two-parter Davies' "finest work this season", praising the humorous parodies and the reveal of the Daleks.