Doctor Who: The Cancelled Years | Season 36 (1999)

The 1990s had been a vital decade for Doctor Who. Starting the decade as a series on its final legs, the show had managed to reclaim an audience over the following ten years, thanks to frequent injections of new talent in front & behind the camera. But now, the 90s were coming to an end, and times were changing for Doctor Who, with the current production team & main star of the show on their way out. With the end of an era in sight, plans were put into motion to end the reign of the Ninth Doctor with a bang.

DOCTOR WHO: SEASON 36 - 1999

Season 36 of Doctor Who would've starred Hugh Bonneville as the Ninth Doctor, along with Helen Baxendale as new companion, Jean Robinson. It would also see Lynn Grant acting as Producer & Gary Russell as Script Editor.

Season 36 would be Bonneville's fourth & final year as the Ninth Doctor. After deciding to stay on for one more year, and now an actor in much demand, Bonneville announced that Season 36 would indeed be his final year on Doctor Who.

This would also be the final year for both Lynn Grant & Gary Russell as Producer & Script Editor. Knowing that this was to be their last roll of the dice, Grant & Russell wanted to make this season “event TV”. Russell therefore devised an ongoing arc for the season involving the Doctor’s next companion & the Web of Time. His idea was that the next companion was saved by the Doctor on the day she was meant to die. Because of his careless actions, the Web of Time would begin to crack & will continue to do so until history is corrected. For the new companion, Russell devised the character of Jean Robinson, a young woman from the early 50s, with Helen Baxendale being cast in the role.

With both Producer & Script Editor leaving, the BBC set about finding their replacements. However, with the slate being wiped clean, the BBC decided to modernise the showrunner approach by instead appointing a head writer, who’d act as the showrunner - something which wasn’t too common in the UK at the time, but was practically the standard in the US. After some consideration, the job was given to writer Russell T Davies, who had been writing for Doctor Who since 1993 & had been mooting for the job of Script Editor for some time. Following his appointment, Gary Russell & Davies met for a brief discussion, where it was agreed that Jean Robinson would continue into the next era, as Russell wanted a familiar face to help ease the transaction between eras.

Season 36 would air between the 3rd of July, 1999, and the 18th of September, 1999. It would consist of 12 episodes across 7 stories, with two single-parters & two 2-parters, and would go out weekly on Saturday Night.

THE SMOG
Written by: Alan Barnes
Directed by: Richard Stroud
Parts: 2

This story would've been set in London in the year 1952. The story would be focused around Jean Robinson, a young adult from London in 1952 trying to survive everyday life. We see her dealing with her smug parents, as well as her dealing with her job as a secretary to a creepy, young man.

We then see her walking home, alone, on a cold, winter night, when the sky begins to fill with thick, green smog. Jean begins to cough & splutter, as the toxic gas fills her lungs. As she begins to fall to the ground, she sees a stranger in a Victorian get-up run towards her & put an oxygen mask over her head - the Doctor, before proceeding to pass up. We then cut to a POV shot from Jean's perspective, as she wakes up in what appears to be some sort of alien science lab - the TARDIS.

With Jean awake, the Doctor goes over to her & asks if she's alright. Jean says she's fine & that she's used to pollution, being from London & all. However, the Doctor says that this smog isn't right - it's way beyond human creation. It's alien. Initially, Jean thinks the Doctor is joking, but the Doctor is dead serious. She then leaves the TARDIS, as she steps into the London streets, still filled with deadly, green smog, where she discovers the TARDIS' "bigger-on-the-inside" ability, which leaves her bewildered, but now believing the Doctor about his claims about aliens.

The story then sees the Doctor working alongside Jean to try & track down the source of the smog, with the Doctor explaining that the Great London Smog of 1952 is a well documented piece of history - further bewildering Jean, who hadn't considered the idea of time travel before.

It turns out that the smog was created by a race known as the Vatrons, who plan to turn the Earth into a new home world by polluting the Earth with a breeding gas known as Lead-Z. However, the Doctor is able to foil the Vatrons' plans by releasing nanogenes into the atmosphere, which begins to clear away the Lead-Z. The Doctor then forces the Vatrons to leave the Earth by revealing himself to be a Time Lord & threatening to get the High Council involved.

The story then ends with the Doctor & Jean reuniting outside the TARDIS, where the Doctor thanks Jean for her help. He says that it'll take a few days, but the air should be breathable soon. Jean then asks the Doctor that, since she doesn't want to risk dying again, if it's alright if she comes along with him for a while? The Doctor smiles & states that he'd be delighted to have her onboard. We see Jean entering the TARDIS, with the Doctor about to close the door behind them. But then he pauses... moves his hand through the air.... and breathes in through his nose. Something's not right. Something's changed... & yet, he doesn't know what. Unsure, and almost filled with unease, the Doctor slowly shuts the TARDIS door behind him.

THE END OF THE WORLD
Written by: Russell T Davies
Directed by: Brian Grant

The story sees the Doctor taking Jean to the year 5,000,000,000 to witness the destruction of Earth from the safety of Platform One. There, they find themselves amongst a swarm of several alien life forms, who have also come to witness Earth’s destruction. We’re introduced to several aliens with a connection to life on Earth, such as the representatives of the Forest of Cheem - life forms who evolved from wood. They also meet the last living human named Cassandra O'Brien.Δ17, a paper-thin flap of skin in a frame which constantly needs moisturising, with nothing more than two eyes, a pair of lips & a brain in a jar of liquid.

The story would initially see the Doctor & Jean mingling with the other guests of Platform One, as well as getting to know each other better. However, the Doctor soon begins to uncover a plot to kill the guests on Platform One, as he & Jabe discover that a swarm of robotic spiders have infiltrated the ship & killed the Stewart. They eventually discover that Cassandra is the saboteur. We learn that she plans to sabotage the station's shields & kill the guests onboard when the sun expands & roasts the Earth. She, meanwhile, plans to teleport away to safety & also reveals that she has shares in all of the aliens’ rival companies & that she’ll receive insurance money as soon as they’re reported dead.

The story then sees the Doctor working with Jabe, as Jean has been locked in a viewing room, working against the clock to reboot the system & raise the shields. Eventually, the Doctor is able to reach the reset switch, with Jabe burning & perishing in his efforts, and successfully re-raise the shields. He then teleports Cassandra back to Platform One, where he allows Cassandra’s to dry & burn out until she bursts. The story then ends with the Doctor taking Jean to the year 1953 in an attempt to comfort her after the shock & trauma she experienced, where the two solidify their friendship.

THE STONES OF VENICE
Written by: Paul Magrs
Directed by: Barnaby Edwards
Parts: 2

The story sees the Doctor & Abigail deciding to visit Venice in the far future as a break away from danger. They arrive in the year 2294, where they discover that the people of Venice believe that the city is expected to finally sink into the sea. We learn that some of the population see it as a natural disaster, while others believe it to be the result of a curse. Learning more about this curse myth, we learn from the people of Venice that it was supposedly made 100 years ago by a woman named Estella, the wife of an aristocrat named Orsino. Estella drowned, however, before she died, she cursed Orsino with immortality & cursed the city of Venice to sink.

The story then sees Jean getting kidnapped by a group of Gondoliers, who are mutant people who have adapted to live in the water. She’s then forced to pretend to be a resurrected Estella & trick Orsino into believing she is Estella, so that his people could have Venice returned to him. However, it’s eventually revealed that Estella was in fact an alien from another world. It’s also revealed that she didn't drown 100 years ago, but instead disappeared & continued to live under the name of Ms Lavish.

Eventually, she reveals herself to Orsino & we learn that the curse was a side effect of the technology of her people. The story then ends with Estella & Orsino sacrificing themselves, which reverses the curse  & saves Venice.

MINUET IN HELL
Written by: Alan W. Lear & Gary Russell
Directed by: Andrew Grieve
Parts: 2

The story would've been set in the fictional US state named Malebolgia in the year 2003. The story sees the Doctor & Jean separated from each other, with both of them dealing with memory loss. The Doctor finds himself in a psychiatric institute, where he can't remember who he is & believes himself to be hell. Jean, meanwhile, now finds herself being forced to work at the Hellfire Club, while also dealing with memory & identity loss. Meanwhile, we also see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart serving as an undercover operative for the United Nations, while officially using his experience in devolution to advise the newly formed state of Malebolgia. However, he's secretly investigating the use of a medical device that's used to alter human minds.

The story then sees Jean, who slowly starts to regain her memories, escaping the Hellfire Club, with a woman named Becky Lee, to try & find the Doctor as well as work out what exactly happened to her. The Doctor, meanwhile, meets another patient named Gideon Crane, who believes himself to be the Doctor. However, the real Doctor eventually determines that he is the real Doctor. He also discovers that Gideon isn't a future Doctor, but a journalist from the UK, whose mind was fused with the Doctor's by a machine designed to extract mental imprints, making him believe he's the Doctor.

The story eventually sees the Doctor reuniting with Jean, as well as meeting with Lethbridge-Stewart, to stop the main villains of the story. The main villain would've been a religious evangelist and politician named Brigham Elisha Dashwood III, who's working with a demon-like creature, known as Marchosias, to empty the human race of their minds, providing ready-made vessels for the Psionovores — a race of energy creatures that feeds on negative emotions and thoughts. However, the Psionovores are defeated when their machine is destroyed & the Doctor returns Marchosias to space.

THE REAPING
Written by: Steve Lyons
Directed by: Brian Grant

The story sees the Doctor & Jean arriving on an Earth-like planet named Walock in the year 8651. The Doctor explains that, although they are very far into the future, technology has, so far, only evolved to the equivalent of Earth technology from the 1930s. However, upon further exploration, the Doctor sees that the planet's technology is way too advanced for this time period (comparing it to Earth's technology from the 2020s).

We then see the Doctor & Jean trying to find out how & why the technology has progressed so quickly on Walock. They quickly learn that all of this new technology was created by the greatest scientist on the planet, simply known as Professor Harrison. We learn that until about 5 years ago, Harrison was just another scientist - always trying to invent something brilliant, but always failing. & then one day, out of the blue, he began developing technology which was way more advanced than anything the people of Walock had ever seen before.

The story then sees the Doctor & Jean meeting with Harrison, where they get a chance to analyse his research & his technology up close. Harrison tells the Doctor that his next big breakthrough, he is hoping, will be the big one - time travel. The Doctor says that that's a pretty big leap to make, but Harrison claims to have already invented a prototype. He takes the Doctor to see his prototype - a great white cabinet-like structure. And stepping through the cabinet, it's revealed to actually be a TARDIS.

At first, the Doctor is shocked by this revelation & is fully expecting Harrison to turn around & reveal himself to be a Time Lord. Yet to his surprise, after doing a blood test on Harrison, he finds that he is indeed a native to this planet. Doing some digging into Harrison's old paperwork, the Doctor learns that Harrison found the TARDIS buried in the ground - having seemingly crash landed onto this planet at some point in his history.

The story then sees the Doctor trying to find a way to convince Harrison to abandon his pursuit in time travel & destroy the TARDIS - stating to Jean that the people of Walock should not possess the means of time travel at any point in his history. However, he is unable to convince Harrison to give up his research & seemingly accidentally goats him into pushing his experiments more & more.

Harrison theorises that he could harvest & use the power of Walock's core to jumpstart the TARDISes heart. However, the Doctor realises that the planet's core is not powerful enough to restart the TARDIS & keep the planet alive, and doing so would destroy all life on Walock.

The story then sees the Doctor & Jean trying to stop Harrison from fully harvesting Walock's energy. Eventually, they succeed in their plans when the Doctor sabotages the drills controls & sets the TARDIS into Siege Mode, resulting in the TARDIS shutting down permanently & shrinking down to a small cube with no doors or means of entry. The story then ends with the Doctor convincing Harrison to use his remaining technology to help the people of the planet thrive & survive, to which he agrees.

THE CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT
Written by: Robert Shearman
Directed by: Sandy Johnson
Parts: 2

The story sees the Doctor & Jean arriving in an Edwardian house in 1928 on Christmas Eve. They initially find the house to be empty & in darkness. However, as they investigate, they soon notice that they can’t seem to interact with the house. Pulling a christmas cracker results in time rewinding to a point before it was pulled & nothing can be written in the dust on a table. They do discover they can make some impact on the world by burning stuff in the fireplace, which causes the flames to move. Suddenly, the clock turns to 10 O’Clock & the chimes strike. The world shifts around them & they find they’ve been transported to exactly where they were, but different, as the house is now well-lit & packed with servants.

The two of them immediately find themselves wrapped in a murder mystery plot, with the staff seemingly believing the duo to be detectives from Scotland Yard, and the Doctor & Jean are forced to play detective. All they have to work with is Jean’s weird connection to the first victim, the Scullery Maid named Edith Thompson, who seems to communicate to Jean from beyond the dead, telling her that there will be another murder soon, that the people of the house (as well as Jean) will soon forget her & that “Edward Grove is alive”.

Edith’s warning soon comes true, as the cook, Mrs Baddeley, is soon discovered to be dead. This leads the Doctor & Jean to discover that both Edith & Mrs Baddeley were killed on the hour, leading them to theorise that another murder will be committed at midnight. However, when the Doctor attempts to summon the house as the clock approaches Midnight, the staff refuse to play the Doctor's game & leave. The Doctor then attempts to remind them of Edith’s death, only for the staff to say they’ve never heard of Edith before - another prediction that came true. The Doctor attempts to call everyone back as the clock handles the race toward Midnight. The chimes strike & then, unexpectedly, time reverts back to 10PM, just after Edith died.

With a new 2 hours to work with, as well as the knowledge that something unearthly is involved with these murders, the Doctor continues to hunt down the killer, leading him to discover that the killer is actually the house itself: Edward Grove, which has somehow become sentient. Realising the danger he & Jean risk of becoming caught in the time loop, the Doctor attempts to flee in the TARDIS. However, Edward Grove takes control over the TARDIS & traps him & Jean in the loop. Wishing to learn answers about Edward Grove, the Doctor makes communication with the house through a Servant, who Edward Grove can easily possess. Jean, meanwhile, vanishes into thin air, and we see her talking to a spectre of Edith Thompson, who reveals herself to be Jean’s family maid back in 1952.

We learn that in 1952, Edith was working as a cook for the Robinson family. She was never thought of much by Jean’s parents & that she believed herself to be nothing, after being told so by several other servants over the years. Jean, however, was different. She was the only person who was ever nice to her. We also discover that the origin of the paradox, which created Edward Grove, originated from Edith herself. We learn that Edith was meant to commit suicide in 1952 after learning about Jean’s death in the Smog; but now Jean is alive & Edith now lacks any reason to do so, having met Jean in 1928. He and a servant strangle him to reach the place where the dead went before the loop reset, enabling him to talk to Edith and Jean.

Realising the danger Jean is in, the Doctor is able to help the servant break free of Edward Groves control & orders the servant to strangle him (the Doctor) to death in order to reach Jean in the place of the dead. Once there, he & Jean are able to convince Edith of her self-worth, which undoes the paradox that created Edward Grove, as she now never committed suicide.

The story then ends on a sombre note in the TARDIS, where the Doctor reveals the full truth to Jean: she is not meant to be alive. According to history, 12,000 people died in the Great Smog, and Jean was one of those people. But because the Doctor interfered, she’s now alive when she should be dead. & now her mere existence - a person who cheated death - is slowly tearing the universe apart. Jean says that she can remember dying in the smog, and yet she can remember everything she’s done. She then asks the Doctor what can be done. He looks at Jean, with a hint of dread in his eye, & says that he really doesn’t know…

CRACKED TIME
Written by: Gary Russell
Directed by: John Henderson
Parts: 2

The story begins where Chimes ended, with the TARDIS in flight & the Doctor & Jean discussing the consequences of Jean’s continual existence. Suddenly, the TARDIS grinds to a stop & the console powers down. The room begins to shudder, & we see the TARDIS being caught in a beam of light. It flies down the beam tunnel & pulls it down to the surface of Gallifrey.

The TARDIS scanner turns on & the Doctor sees he’s back on Gallifrey. He sighs & tells Jean to stay close to him, as they exit the TARDIS. They’re greeted by Romana, who takes them to her office, where she explains the situation to them. She says that because Jean has not died, the Web of Time has begun to crack & continues to splinter off into bigger cracks the longer she stays alive. She then turns on a projector which displays everywhere the Doctor & Jean have been: 1950s London, Platform One, Venice, Malebolgia, Victorian London & Edward Grove. However, everywhere appears glitchy, corrupted & broken, as time continues to destroy itself. Romana says that the universe will go on & on destroying itself until there’s nothing left. She’s sorry, but Jean has to die.

After a brief silence, the Doctor asks if there’s no other alternative. Romana says there’s not… Well, there’s no SAFE way of saving her. She goes on to explain that long ago, in the early days of Gallifrey, Rassilon & one of the other founding fathers, the Other, created a machine that could cancel out an individual's existence named CORDIS. The machine was used to pause a person's life, but they still live. Their lifespan is essentially paused, but you could still move, live, eat, sleep & even die like a normal person. However, realising the dangerous potential the machine possesses, he exiled it to an Unbound dimension - a dimension which exists outside of time & space. Romana explains that she can send the Doctor & Jean into the dimension, but only them, as there’s only enough time to send 1 TARDIS through. The Doctor agrees &, after some modifications are made to his TARDIS, a gateway is opened up outside the citadel. The Doctor & Jean enter the TARDIS, before it’s grabbed by a robotic claw & flung through the gateway & into the Unbound dimension.

Inside the dimension, the TARDIS lands on a small dead red world, where they find CORDIS. They power the machine on, but find the main drive to be damaged, with 3 of the main components missing. However, using CORDIS, they’re able to track the missing pieces to 3 separate planets. The Doctor & Jean then return to the TARDIS, where they travel to the first planet. However, while in flight, the Doctor begins to hear a whisper in his head, which laughs at him & says that he should never have entered this universe…

They arrive on the first planet - a modern-esque looking planet named Koppar. They track down the CODIS piece to a museum & begin to formulate a plan to steal it. However, before they can put any plan into motion, Jean is arrested on the suspicion of murdering the Emperor of Koppar. The story then deviates into a part court-room / part murder investigation story, with the Doctor trying to prove Jean’s innocence & find the true killer. Eventually, the Doctor uncovers the real killer - a Cyberpunk-esque chick named Chiie with lightning blue hair. With Jean cleared, and the Doctor realising that they’re taking too long, the Doctor heads back to the museum, where he smashes open the glass box containing the CORDIS piece, before sprinting back to the TARDIS & escaping. The Doctor then sets the coordinates for the second planet - a planet named Dealte. However, the Doctor becomes more concerned about the voice in his head, as it causes him great pain, which feels as though his head is slowly being crushed.

They eventually arrive on Dealte & find themselves in a relatively small town which is half alien-esque & half western. However, as the Doctor & Jean begin searching for the CORDIS piece, they realise that something is wrong with the townsfolk. They soon discover that an all powerful entity, similar to the voice in the Doctor's head, has killed & possessed everyone on the planet, waiting for the day someone would arrive with a way off this world. When the entity discovers the Doctor & Jean, it plans to kill them both & use the TARDIS to escape & conquer other worlds. Eventually however, the Doctor is able to reclaim the missing piece, which is disguised as a shield on a concrete statue in the middle of the town. However, when the piece is removed, a beam of orange light shines from the eyes of the statue & beams down directly onto everyone on the planet except for the Doctor & Jean. The people cry out in pain before their bodies collapse dead to the ground. Not knowing what else there is to do, and upset by the loss of life, the Doctor & Jean awkwardly & quietly make their way back to the TARDIS.

Once again, the Doctor uses the TARDIS to travel to the third & final planet - a seemingly barren world with no name. Yet again, the voice grows & causes torment in the doctor's mind. The voice also begins to take over the Doctor’s body, as the Doctor begins twitching rapidly & struggles to gain control over his own voice. The Doctor, with terror on his face, asks the voice what it is & what it wants. The Voice says that it’s nothing & nobody, just a voice without a body. But now he’s found a body: the Doctor. It reveals that their consciousnesses are now intertwined & its consciousness is slowly evaporating the Doctors. & once the Doctor’s consciousness is gone, all that will be left is the Voice, who’ll escape into the universe & destroy it. & there’s nothing the Doctor can do, saying that the only way to get rid of him is if he dies.

The TARDIS then lands on the last planet. Leaving the TARDIS, the Doctor & Jean see nothing but a barren, dead landscape & an old, grand mansion. Suspecting the piece is in there, they enter the mansion in search of the last piece. However, as they begin to explore, they find themselves separated from each other. We soon see the two of them beginning to hallucinate their greatest fears. We see Jean, & even the Doctor, becoming petrified for their life as they’re confronted with some of their greatest fears. We see Jean’s fears: a possessed Edith Thompson, the Vatrons & death itself. However, we never clearly see the Doctor’s fear. All we see is the silhouette of a man. Eventually, Jean finds the last CORDIS piece, which was disguised as a lump of coal. Once Jean picks up the piece, she & the Doctor are teleported back to the mansion entrance. The two quickly hug, before they’re reminded of the current situation when a blood-curdling scream echoes through the mansion. The two quickly make their exit & & escape in the TARDIS.

With the three pieces acquired, the Doctor pilots the TARDIS back to the planet housing CORDIS. He then proceeds to fix CORDIS & reattach the missing pieces. However, as he gets closer to finishing the machine, the voice in the Doctor begins to fully possess the Doctor, and the two of them are thrown into a struggle over control. The voice then briefly fully takes over & begins to strangle Jean, which knocks her out cold. However, before the Voice can cause any more harm, the Doctor’s consciousness kicks back in & holds back the voice for the time being. He checks Jean & makes sure that she’s still alive. He picks her up in his arms & carries her over to CORDIS.

He places her down on the machine & prepares to activate it. However he discovers that CORDIS is out of energy & the Doctor realises that the only energy he can produce is him. He proceeds to wire himself into CORDIS, as he plans to burn his body as energy. The voice tries to take over the Doctor & stop him, but the Doctor’s will power is too strong. He takes hold of a lever & looks over at Jean, who begins to reawaken. She cries out for him to stop, but to no avail. The Doctor proceeds to force down the lever & CORDIS begins to activate. We see a glow of energy encasing Jean, while she watches the Doctor’s body sparking with electricity. The Doctor screams in pain, as his body continues to power CORDIS. We then hear the Voice screaming in pain, before it leaves the Doctor's body in the form of red smoke from the Doctor’s mouth.

Eventually, CORDIS finishes & Jean is released. Her life is now paused forever & the universe is safe. She dashes over to the Doctor’s burnt body & sobs over his remains. To her surprise, he slowly begins to reawaken his eyes. Jean attempts to comfort the Doctor, saying that there must be some way of saving him. The Doctor says that he’s afraid there isn't, but it’s not the end for him. He explains the bare basics of regeneration to her - how he will be reborn in a new body. Jean says she doesn’t understand, to which the Doctor tells her not to worry. Suddenly, a glow of blue energy begins to emit from the Doctor’s hand. Jean sobs & tells the Doctor not to go. The Doctor smiles at her & says "I'm sorry, but it’s too late for me.." He turns on his side, braces himself & states "Here we go again".

Then suddenly, the same blue energy engulfs from the Doctor's face & hands, as the regeneration begins. We see the scars melt off the Doctor & his physical appearance is reshaped & regenerated. The story then ends with the regeneration energy dissolving away, leaving the Doctor lying unconscious on the ground - Aidan Gillen.

The Doctor's eyes shoot wide open, he pulls himself up & breathes in a lungful of air. He turns to Jean & asks "Did it work?" Jean nods & says she thinks so. Suddenly, the Doctor clutches his chest & feels a sting of pain zap through his body. Jean rushes over to him & tries to help him. The Doctor says "No time to explain... just... help me get to the TARDIS" Jean slings the Doctor's arm over her shoulder & helps to carry him to the TARDIS.

CONCLUSION

Season 36 would've been considered mostly a success & a good end to the Ninth Doctor's era. Whilst the individual stories were mostly praised, some felt the Web of Time arc could’ve been explored better. Jean was a well received companion & many were happy with the news that she would appear in the new era. Overall, many felt that Bonneville’s tenure went out on a good note. As a whole, Bonneville’s era would be well regarded by casual viewers & fans.

 Under his wing, the show had proven that it could further adapt into the rapidly evolving TV landscape. For those who grew up in the late 1990s, Bonneville was THEIR Doctor, and his tenure would only grow in appreciation as those fans grew up.

And so, the Ninth Doctor’s tenure came to a close, and the turn of the century was rapidly approaching. Doctor Who had survived the 1990s - a decade that by all rights should’ve killed the show. But as the dawn of the 21st began, a whole new production team with a brand new Doctor had a big task in front of them. Doctor Who had survived the 1990s… How will it survive in the 2000s?