At the Tip of Your Fingers (episode)

At the Tip of Your Fingers was the third episode of Season 49 of Doctor Who. It was written by David Weddle & Bradley Thompson, directed by Richard Clark and featured Samantha Bond as the Fourteenth Doctor and Montserrat Lombard as Erin Stevenson.

Synopsis
The Doctor, Erin and her family, attend a fancy computer conference fronted by the genius Dr. Carter - but what happens when the Doctor notices that his prized invention is actually just a giant anachronism?

Plot
On Erin’s street, back home, it’s overcast, brown leaves have fallen to the ground… Summer is no more, it’s autumn, and a long time since Erin has been home. The TARDIS materialises and out step Erin and the Doctor. They walk up to Erin’s front door and knock on it, the door swings open to see Danielle standing there, dressed in a very posh dress, looking rather shocked. She exclaims ‘Erin?’, Erin smiles and says how good it is to see her.

They are invited in and Danielle explains that Kyle told her that WDC Smith (the Doctor, who she remarks she’s very happy to see again), invited her to train with the police, and while she found it very odd that she never spoke to her personally, they were just happy that she was fulfilling her patriotic duty and doing something better for country than graffitiing. Roger enters at that moment and greets Erin with glee, and he tells the Doctor that she’s obviously made a profound effect on her, noting her changed appearance. The Doctor asks why they are so dressed up, and Roger tells them proudly that they are going out for a really posh computer conference, that Uncle Reg invited them to. Much to Roger’s displeasure, however, Danielle invites the Doctor and Erin along, since she wants to spend some time with her daughter, and she says that she’s sure Uncle Reg won’t mind. Erin asks if Kyle can go, to which Roger laughs and Danielle tells her that he was arrested for vandalism a couple of weeks ago and is now on community service. Roger argues about the Doctor and Erin going and says that they don’t have anything to wear, and the Doctor says not to worry, as she has some suitable clothes in my mobile Police Box.

The Doctor, Erin, Danielle and Roger get out of a car, which Roger has been driving, and they arrive at a fancy conference centre, with cutting edge facilities making it feel more 1980s than 1977. They enter and it’s all very posh – everyone in black tie and dresses, waiters, violin quartet the lot. After a few minutes, a man, Dr. Carter, walks onto the stage – thunderous applause. He gives a speech about technology and the fast-changing landscape and then he says I want to introduce something to do, something that will change the world, he then takes out a small familiar black object from his pocket, holds it up and says, “May I introduce to you – the Smart Phone”.

The Doctor obviously knows that Dr. Carter can’t have invented the Smart Phone, but no-one believes her – even Erin thinks the Doctor might be over-reacting a bit. Over that night at the conference, we get a lot of interesting scenes with Danielle and Roger, as they get to know the Doctor more, still believing her to work for CID (a reason why they trust her so much, and aren’t confused as to her being the one to take authority and save the day), all the while her and Erin try to save the day. The day needing saving because it turns out that Carter is in league with a race of aliens called the J’taria, who travelled from the future, and brought the designs for the Smart Phone, along with the relevant technology to make it, to Dr. Carter – their intention to use them to control the minds of the population of Earth – acting also as social commentary by the writers on mobile phone addiction of the modern world. With the aide of Penelope Carter, Dr. Carter’s wife, after she is revealed to have been under the influence of the mind control – and the Doctor reverses this – they stop the J’taria and set the timeline back on track, with the Smart Phone disappearing for the next 30 years.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Samantha Bond
 * Erin Stevenson - Montserrat Lombard
 * Dr Edward Carter - Simon Callow
 * Danielle Stevenson - Susannah Harker
 * Roger Stevenson - Trevor Cooper
 * Penelope Carter - Alexandra Moen
 * Robbie - Jonathan Bailey
 * Uncle Reg - David Ryall
 * Waitress - Lucy O'Connell
 * Newsreporter - Doon Mackichan

Crew

 * Created by Sydney Newman, Donald Wilson and C.E. Webber


 * Executive Producers - Ronald D. Moore, Jane Espenson, Ira Steven Behr and Ken MacQuarrie
 * Co-Executive Producers - Toni Graphia, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Nicholas Briggs, Matthew B. Roberts and Toby Whithouse
 * Writer - David Weddle and Bradley Thompson
 * Producer - Nikki Wilson
 * Director - Richard Clark


 * Director of Photography - Owen McPolin
 * Production Designer - Richard Hudolin
 * Visual Effects - DNEG
 * Make-Up - Suzanne Jansen
 * Casting Director - Andy Pryor
 * Music - Bear McCreary
 * Costume Designer - Suzanne Cave
 * Edited by - Peter H Oliver


 * Historical Advisor - Tony Pollard
 * Scientific Advisor - André Bormanis


 * Original Theme Music - Ron Grainer
 * Title Music - Bear McCreary
 * Title Sequence - Goodbye Kansas Studios

Memorable Quotes
To be added.

Production History

 * Filming Starts - 11 November 2013
 * Filming Ends - 30 November 2013
 * Broadcast - 4 October 2014

Pre-Production
To be added.

Production

 * This was the first episode shot in Season 49, and it formed Block 1 along with God Save the Queen and The Food of Love.

Post-Production
To be added.

Story Notes
To be added.

Home Video Releases
To be added.