Silence in the Library
It is also the final story that Moffat wrote before replacing Russell T Davies as head writer and showrunner starting from the fifth series in 2010.
Just then, a team of explorers led by archaeologist River Song (who sent the message) and financier Strackman Lux, whose grandfather originally built the Library, arrives.
Lux's secretary Miss Evangelista is attacked by Vashta Nerada which strip her flesh clean to the bone instantly.
[2] It was the second two-parter Moffat wrote for the show, and the fifth episode in total, after "The Empty Child"/"The Doctor Dances, "The Girl in the Fireplace" and "Blink".
Later, he decided that this idea was too "dull", and instead opted to have one of them know him, but not have the Doctor know her yet (due to mismatched timelines), with hints that we will see and get to know her in future episodes.
[4] A "squareness gun" was used by Song to help the party escape from the Vashta Nerada, just like the sonic blaster Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) uses, and which Rose Tyler dubbed with the same name, in the episode "The Doctor Dances".
Moffat stated that it was intended to be the same suggesting it was left in the TARDIS after "The Parting of the Ways", and taken by Song in the Doctor's future.
[5] For the role of River Song, whom executive producer Russell T Davies described as "sort of the Doctor's wife", the production sought to cast Kate Winslet.
[9] Kingston was not told her role was supposed to be recurring, learning only later that Moffat always intended for Song to come back for return appearances.
I've done guest roles on other shows, but rarely have I felt such a warm bond",[12] a sentiment that Tennant and Tate shared.
"[18] On 16 May, similar to what they did for series 3 in 2007, the BBC announced that to avoid a clash with their coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest 2008, which took place on 24 May, no Doctor Who episode would air that day, but would instead be pushed back a week to 31 May.
He particularly praised the fear instilled by the Vashta Nerada and the "intriguing parallel plotline" of the little girl, and highlighted the "chilling and heartbreaking" plot device of the "Data Ghosts".
[22] Simililarly, Patrick Mulkern of Radio Times praised the two-parter as a collection of several brilliant ideas, with a backdrop of a child's virtual reality world, and the introduction of a mysterious woman from the Doctor's future.
Club's Keith Phipps, giving it an 'A', found the episode "stellar", throwing one big idea after another, against a setting both mysterious and spooky due to the little girl and the Vashta Nerada respectively, ending on a big reveal and a thrilling cliffhanger, making viewers wait a week to unpack what they have seen.
[26] Den of Geek listed the cliffhanger for "Silence in the Library" among the ten greatest of the show in 2011, one which goes beyond menacing into "what is going on" territory for the viewers;[27] and IGN named the two-parter one of the best episodes of Tennant's tenure.
[28] This episode, along with "Forest of the Dead", was nominated for a Hugo Award in the Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form category, but lost out to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
