Annotated Ninth Doctor Chronology

This is part of my collection of essays covering the In-Depth History of Doctor Who. If you don't wish to be spoiled on any story details, go to my Ninth Doctor Chronology List instead.

As we begin in "Rose," the first episode of the new series, the Doctor has just recently begun his ninth life. In the story "Meet the Doctor" from Doctor Who Annual 2006, Russell T. Davies reveals that the Eighth Doctor died during the Last Great Time War and evidently immediately left to find the Nestene Consciousness, which had lost its home world during the war and was now targeting Earth.

"Rose" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x01 of the new series). First appearance of Rose Tyler. Appearances by a Nestene and the Autons, last seen in the Third Doctor TV adventures "Spearhead From Space" and "Terror of the Autonts." First reference to the Last Time War, which apparently destroyed the Nestene homeworld and led to their mutation into a unified life-form now called the "Nestene Consciousness." The Doctor has only just regenerated into his ninth body, since he looks into a mirror and is surprised by how his face looks. Twice during this adventure, he heads off in the TARDIS, leaving Rose for short periods of time. It is likely that it was during these times in the TARDIS that he got side-tracked from his battle against the Autons and had his other adventures where he was alone, such as the adventures referenced in this episode where he saw Kennedy get killed, visited Krakatoa, and prevented a family from boarding the Titanic. At the end of the adventure, he asks Rose to join him. She declines and he leaves. Moments later for Rose (possibly hours, months or years later for him), the Doctor returns and makes the offer again, adding that the TARDIS is also a time machine. Rose Tyler joins the TARDIS crew. This story leads directly into "The End of the World."

"The End of the World" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x02 of the new series). This story directly continues from "Rose." First explanation of the Last Time War and the deaths of the Time Lords. First appearance of the Face of Boe. The Doctor mentions having been aboard the Titanic. It's revealed that the Earth's sun goes nova roughly 5 billion years in the future. First appearance of "psychic paper." In the Second Doctor novel World Game, it is explained that psychic paper was a Time Lord invention used by agents of their Celestial Intervention Agency. During one scene, the Mox of Balhoon mentions the "Bad Wolf scenario" to the Face of Boe and relates it to the multiverse, indicating that the Bad Wolf Scenario may have something to do with different timelines and realities. This story leads directly into "The Unquiet Dead."

"The Unquiet Dead" – TV adventure by Mark Gatiss (Episode 1x03 of the new series). Continued from "The End of the World." Team-up with Charles Dickens. The Doctor explains that with the Time Lords gone, all of history is more vulnerable to change now. The Gelth explain that the Last Time War wreaked havoc across the cosmos, injuring many "higher races" who couldn't help but be aware of it (such as the tree people in "The End of the World"), while lesser races such as humans were ignorant of its effects. The Doctor mentions in this episode that growing up on a time rift can lead to psychic ability, a fact that was first mentioned during the Fourth Doctor TV adventure "The Image of the Fendahl." While scanning Rose’s mind, the psychic Gwyneth becomes afraid of something she sees, crying out, "the darkness ... the Big Bad Wolf!" She seems scared of Rose and implies that she saw a vision of Rose's future.

"Doctor VS Doctor" - Short story by Gareth Roberts from DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2006.

"Aliens of London" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x04). First appearance of the Slitheen. For a full year, Rose's friends and family didn't know where she was. Mickey Smith reveals he's spent the past year researching the Doctor and has become familiar with various manner of strange events and urban legends. He is aware of U.N.I.T. and several stories concerning the Doctor's battles with aliens. Harriet Jones sees the alien protocols, which is alluded to later in "The Christmas Invasion." The Doctor says he has traveled for 900 years. When Rose presses him, he marks that as his age. The Doctor also mentions that he once worked for U.N.I.T. and that he looked quite different back then, indicating that although he encountered U.N.I.T. in many incarnations, he has yet to do so in his ninth body. A boy spray paints the words "BAD WOLF" on the TARDIS. During one of the crowd scenes, a person can be seen holding up a sign that says "BAD WOLF IS COMING." This adventure leads directly into "World War Three."

"World War Three" - TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x05). Continued from "Aliens of London." The Doctor learns the Slitheen are from Raxacoricofallapatorius. The Doctor gives Mickey a password that allows him to access U.N.I.T. files. Following this, Mickey uses his extra knowledge to become a bit of a computer hacker (as will be seen in the TV adventures "School Reunion" and "The Age of Steel") and will occasionally recheck the U.N.I.T. database for information and for access into classified files ("The Christmas Invasion").

“The Love Invasion” – Comic strip adventure by Gareth Roberts and Clayton Hickman from Doctor Who Magazine # 355-357. The Doctor displays his heightened senses when he notes that certain people do not "smell human."

"Mr. Nobody" – Comic strip by Scott Gray from DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2006.

The Clockwise Man - BBC Novel by Justin Richards. The Doctor mentions having his appearance altered as part of an exile sentence, a reference to when he began his third life (also, the Fitfh Doctor said in the audio play Circular Time that forced regeneration is usually part of an exile sentence on Gallifrey). At one point, the character Melissa Heart accuses the Doctor and Rose of turning up "like a bad wolf."

The Monsters Inside – BBC novel by Stephen Cole. Rose's first adventure on an alien planet. The Doctor and Rose face the Blathereen, another family from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorius. It is mentioned that the compression units (and possibly some body parts) of the Slitheen family in "World War Three" were recovered and taken to a secret storage facility. This facility is Van Statten's bunker, which will be visited in the episode "Dalek." Photographs of Slitheen in skin-suits display them disguised as Kraals (seen in the 4th Doctor TV adventure "The Android Invasion"), Meeps (from the 4th Doctor graphic novel The Iron Legion) and Martian Ice Warriors (first seen in the Second Doctor TV adventure "The Ice Warriors"). While a Balthereen pilot is trying to break into a cockpit, the character Dennel says its like the "big bad wolf" coming to blow down their house.

Winner Takes All - BBC novel by Jacqueline Rayner. The Doctor and Rose return to modern-day Earth and recruit Mickey Smith's help when a computer game seems to be killing its players. Among his collection, Mickey owns a video game called "Bad Wolf."

"The Masks of Makassar" - Short story by Paul Cornell from DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2006.

"Pitter-Patter" - Short story by Robert Sherman from DOCTOR WHO ANNUAL 2006.

"Art Attack!" – Comic strip adventure by Mark Collins from Doctor Who Magazine #358.

"The Cruel Sea" – Comic strip by Robert Shearman from Doctor Who Magazine #359-362.

"Dalek" - TV adventure by Robert Shearman (Episode 1x06). More revelations about the Time War. The Doctor and Rose find the hand of a Slitheen ("Aliens In London") in a glass display case, which makes sense since The Monsters Inside mentioned that wreckage from the Sliheen mass death was recovered for a secret facility. There is also the head of a Cyberman (this face-mask looks like one from the Fourth Doctor TV adventure "Revenge of the Cybermen"). The Doctor says he didn't survive the Time War by choice. He also references Davros as the creator of the Daleks, though he doesn't mention him by name. The Doctor indicates that he knows he is the last survivor because he can't feel the presence of other Time Lords via his telepathy. The young boy Adam Mitchell joins the TARDIS. In the beginning of this story, Henry Van Statten is referred to by the call-sign "Bad Wolf One." This story leads directly into "The Long Game."

"The Long Game" - TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x07). The Doctor learns that some parts of the history of Earth's future have changed since the end of the Time War, reminding viewers that time is more in flux now without the Time Lords. Adam Mitchell becomes the first companion to be forcibly ejected from the TARDIS crew. While on the station, the Doctor sees a news report concerning the Face of Boe on a station called "The Bad Wolf Channel."

"A Groatsworth of Wit" - Comic strip by Gareth Roberts from Doctor Who Magazine #363-364.

"Father's Day" - TV adventure by Paul Cornell (Episode 1x08). Further implications of how dangerous time travel is now without the Time Lords and a reminder of why only different incarnations of the Doctor can safely meet. The Doctor mentions that his "whole family" died during the Last Time War. Reapers appear, creatures that seem to be related to Vortisaurs (first seen in the 8th Doctor audio Storm Warning) and Chronovores (from the 3rd Doctor TV adventure "The Time Monster"). When the Doctor and Rose are on the street, waiting for Peter Tyler, posters can be seen on the wall around the corner that have the words “Bad Wolf” written on them in pen.

"The Empty Child" – TV adventure by Steven Moffat (Episode 1x09). First appearance of Captain Jack Harkness, a rogue Time Agent. The Doctor says he's been traveling in time for 900 years, indicating he may actually be much older than the age he gave Rose. The Doctor mentions he knows what it's like to be an outcast child and that he knows the feeling of having been a father and a grandfather and then losing your family (this would seem to indicate that his granddaughter Susan is no longer alive). The Doctor references the song "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", which tells of a farmer being attacked by wolves and so could be a veiled reference to "bad wolf." This story leads directly into "The Doctor Dances."

"The Doctor Dances" – TV adventure by Steven Moffat (Episode 1x10). Continued from "The Empty Child." The Doctor displays his telepathy when he senses an echo of the empty child’s torment in the walls of his room. He also remarks that Rose is silly for assuming that in his centuries of life, he’s never "danced" (the word is used here as a euphemism for sex). Jack Harkness mentions the destruction of Pompeii in a joking manner and the Doctor becomes angered by this. This would make sense, as the Seventh Doctor witnessed that event in the audio adventure The Fires of Vulcan and nearly lost the TARDIS during it. The Doctor realizes Jack is from or has been to the 51st century when he sees the weapon Jack uses. Time Agents from the 51st century were mentioned in the novel The Talons of Weng-Chang. The bomb that Jack is riding has the words “Schlecter Wulf” painted on it, which is German for "Bad Wolf." Perhaps not coincidentally, Jack refers to the Doctor as looking like a U-boat captain (groups of U-boats were known as "wolf packs"). Jack Harkness joins the TARDIS crew.

The Deviant Strain – BBC novel by Justin Richards. The Doctor, Rose and Jack end up in an abandoned Soviet base where something is hunting humans. The character Mimin has a tattoo that is later referred to as being a "bad wolf" on his arm.

   

Only Human – BBC novel by Gareth Roberts. A Neanderthal is lost in time and must be returned to where he belongs. The Doctor tells Rose that marrying for love is overrated, though whether or not he speaks from experience is not entirely clear.

"Boom Town" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x11). We see the "Heart of the TARDIS", first mentioned in the First Doctor's TV adventure "Edge of Destruction" and seen in the TV-Movie as a satellite version of the Eye of Harmony. Rose references her adventure with the Glass Pyramid from the novel The Monsters Inside. The TARDIS gains a new force-field generator. The TARDIS's chameleon circuit is referred to as a "cloaking device" by Rose, which is what the Eighth Doctor called it in the TV-Movie. The Doctor realizes that the words "Bad Wolf" have been following him and Rose throughout most of their adventures.

The Stealers of Dreams – BBC novel by Steve Lyons. The Doctor joins a rebellion on a world where dreams are a crime. Jackie Tyler mentions Mickey’s trip to Cardiff during "Boom Town." Jack is called the Armoured Shark Liar, referencing a story of his in which he apparently encountered the Selachians, seen in the Second Doctor novels The Murder Game and The Final Sanction. The character Tyko likens the fear of imaginary threats as being akin to being frightened of "the big bad wolf."

"Bad Wolf" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x12). First mention of the Torchwood Institute, which eventually had the "Kobolt Pyramid" built over its ruins. The Doctor mentions the Jagrafess, which he fought in "The Long Game." The Face of Boe is said to be the oldest inhabitant of the Isop Galaxy. The Isop Galaxy was visited by the First Doctor in the TV adventure "The Web Planet." Here, transmat beams can leave behind crystallized dust, which fans saw before when transmat beams would leave behind the powder called zanium in the Sixth Doctor’s first TV adventure "The Twin Dillemma." Zanium was powder that formed when the space formerly occupied by a person became crystallized as a side effect. The Game Station is sponsored by the Bad Wolf Corporation. This story leads directly into "The Parting of the Ways."

"The Parting of the Ways" – TV adventure by Russell T. Davies (Episode 1x13). Continued from "Bad Wolf." Season finale. The Extrapolator, picked up during "Boom Town", is used for different purposes in this episode. From the way the Emperor Dalek speaks and from his plan, it is possible (but not definite) that this is actually Davros following the events of the audio play Terror Firma. Rose refers to the time when she met her father in "Father's Day" and when the Heart of the TARDIS was opened in "Boom Town." The words "Bad Wolf" are seen on a poster behind Rose when she's eating with her mother and Mickey and in several other places in a lot she visits later. At the end of the episode, Jack is left behind in the year 200,l00 AD. The Ninth Doctor regenerates into the Tenth as he and Rose travel off in the TARDIS. The full reason why the Doctor leaves Jack behind is later explained in the Tenth Doctor TV episode "Utopia."

 

"... Before I go I just wanna tell you ... You were fantastic.
Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what?
So was I!"