Daleks, Cybermen and a fateful farewell – Beth Axford reminisces with fans and creatives across the Whoniverse about the heartbreaking finale of Series 2…
Where were you when the Doctor and Rose Tyler said goodbye at Bad Wolf Bay? Every Doctor Who fan remembers the holographic outline of the Doctor, the sand beneath Rose’s feet and the haunting soundtrack that played in their final moments together. It was one of the series’ most significant moments, and two decades later, the story still stands out in the canon. Daleks, Cybermen, high stakes and heartbreak. Does Army of Ghosts/The end of the world have everything?
Among the fandom, one of the main reasons why this two-part story is so memorable is obvious: “This must be the long-awaited battle between the Cybermen and the Daleks!” speaks Paul KaseyDoctor Who actor and choreographer.
Comedian and fan Cameron Sinclair Harris agree. “So I was glued to the screen, ready for an Earth-changing finale that would have devastating consequences for our main duo. And then… “The sphere is not ours.” A mysterious sphere in the basement opens to reveal… DALEKS!’ Army of Ghosts “Cliffhanger” had viewers talking all week, eagerly awaiting the second half of the story.
“I can’t overstate how shocked I was as an eight-year-old. The stakes have increased immeasurably, and what was once just another fantasy television episode has become The Event. Everyone was going to see the Daleks and Cybermen finally fight each other after all these years and I was really excited!’
These episodes mark the first time in the series’ history that the Doctor’s two main enemies are properly featured together in the same story. The Daleks have threatened the Doctor from the very beginning, and the Cybermen have been a Who staple ever since. Tenth Planet (1966), but the robot pepper shakers and silver metal men only came face to face in the Series 2 finale.
Everyone knew about the Daleks and the Cybermen. As such, their teaming up was an event unlike any other, and together they brought the humor that was needed to balance out the devastating effects of the ending.
‘Cause Army of Ghosts/The end of the world it’s so much fun to re-watch that the first 35 minutes of the Daleks and Cybermen are hurled with insults and laser beams,” says the animator and screenwriter. Hamish Steele. “The Cybermen are superior to you in only one respect! You’d rather die! was the answer of the century!
Nicholas Briggs provided the voices for the Daleks and Cybermen for this story. Arguing against yourself must have made for an interesting day at work. “It was quite a challenge to voice the Daleks and the Cyberman in the same scenes,” he recalls. “My biggest memory is the big confrontation between them and the famous Pest Control!” line. The Daleks and Cybermen were talking to each other via comms, and the Doctor and Jackie were also listening in on the conversation in the other room. So, the Dalek and Cyberman lines had to be said in all three locations!” Briggs was on set in all three locations and had to record scenes from all points of view. “I chose which voice to speak at any given moment depending on what creature was in the frame. With a Dalek and a Cyberman in the shot, I had to make some nifty adjustments to my ring modulator controls to get the appropriate voice effect ready for each line in time!”
Paul Casey donned the Cyber Leader costume for the adventure and has fond memories of filming: “Not only are these two of my most memorable episodes I’ve ever worked on, but they are also two of my favorite Doctor Who episodes to date. I still feel very honored to have the opportunity to play such an iconic Cyberman in the history of the show!”
This story may be known for its big bads, but at its core is The end of the world all about Rose Tyler. She was the gateway to the Doctor’s universe when the series returned in 2005, taking viewers on exciting adventures across time and space. So when the Doctor said goodbye to Rose and her family on June 8, 2006, a whole generation of children experienced their first heartbreak and the television landscape was changed forever.
“Rose was such an incredible companion. We were always with her in the moment, and so this final heartbreak is painfully real for the viewer,” Doctor Who author. Beverly Sanford remembers. “The person you love, sacrificing everything for the greater good… of course that’s why we love the Doctor, but seeing him so vulnerable and broken, suffering loss, is a wound from which we will never fully heal.”
By the time she left, Rose and her family had become well-liked by viewers. During her time on the show, Billie Piper won thirteen awards for the role, and her character helped significantly expand Doctor Who’s audience. Fans fell in love with Rose Tyler, so when the time came for her to leave the TARDIS, they were understandably devastated.
“For many children The end of the world it was the first time a TV show broke our hearts. Even with all the dark omens for Rose Tyler, I had no idea it would be so sad!” says Steele, who was fifteen when the episode aired. “I remember coming to dinner and couldn’t explain why I was crying so much!” I stayed up late, watching our videotape over and over again, hoping that maybe this time there would be a happy ending…”
Doctor Who was in the public consciousness during the broadcast of its second series, even winning a BAFTA Award in 2006 for Best Drama. David Tennant took on the role of the Doctor, and once fans fell in love with him and his companion, everything changed. In hindsight, this may have been a perfect example of how fans fell in love with the show: two characters with infectious chemistry brutally torn apart before audiences were ready to let them go. This, of course, kept everyone glued to their screens.
‘The end of the world “It’s one of those special episodes that no matter how many times I watch it, I fall in love with it all over again,” Sanford says. “I know what’s going to happen, but I still have to get through it, heading towards that moment where everything is lost.”
“It was great, masterful storytelling, really. In that era of Doctor Who there was such momentum towards this moment and this storyline. It contains some of Russell T Davies’s most harrowing writing of the time, which is memorable for many viewers,” explains the TV expert. Scott Bryan. “It is a farewell to one of our most distinguished comrades and then ends with the introduction of another. It felt like Doctor Who was at its peak!”
Having heartbreaking events happening right on our doorstep has really raised the stakes for UK audiences. Doctor Who feels much more real and frightening when it’s about our modern life and society under threat, rather than about a distant planet. The fact that it was firmly based in our world, the UK, made it even more real,” Brian explains. “It also shows us that Doctor Who isn’t really about special effects. It’s about storytelling and writing, and that’s where the story was great!”
It has firmly entered our everyday life, with huge showdowns and painful goodbyes. It’s no wonder we’re still posting images of the Doctor and Rose pinned against the walls of two different worlds, pining for each other. Fans were heartbroken, but they also found strength in the story: if the Doctor could survive the loss of his true love, and Rose Tyler could move on in another universe, perhaps the losses in their own lives could be overcome, too. And in true Doctor Who style, there’s humor and levity in the process, proving that even in our biggest battles some light can be found.
The end of the world It may have aired twenty years ago, but viewers will remember it forever, helping everyone suck their demons into the void, greet their goodbyes, and continue their adventures no matter what they’ve been through.
Doctor Who: Series 2 is streaming on BBC iPlayer in the UK and AMC+ in the US.