Doctor: David Tennant (Tenth Doctor)
Companion: Billie Piper (Rose Tyler)
Others
Maureen Lipman – The Wire
Ron Cook – Mr. Magpie
Jamie Foreman – Eddie Connolly
Debra Gillett – Rita Connolly
Rory Jennings – Tommy Connolly
Margaret John – Grandma
Sam Cox – Detective Inspector Bishop
Ieuan Rhys – Crabtree
Jean Challis – Auntie Betty
Christopher Driscoll – Security Guard
Marie Lewis – Mrs Gallagher
Production
Directed by Euros Lyn
Written by Mark Gatiss
Script editor Simon Winstone
Produced by Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies
Julie Gardner
Incidental music composer Murray Gold
Production code 2.7
Series Series 2
Length 45 minutes
Originally broadcast 27 May 2006
The Doctor, intending to take Rose to an Elvis Presley television appearance in New York, accidentally lands the TARDIS just outside London in 1953. While looking around they see that most of the houses have TV antennas on them, which Rose recalls should be rare in this time. They question a local merchant, Mr Magpie, about the TVs and are told that the TVs are on sale to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. While they are talking, the Doctor and Rose witness someone being taken from their home with a sheet over their head and driven away by the police. The Doctor and Rose question the Connollys, a local family. They are introduced to Tommy Connolly's grandmother, whose entire face is missing. Before the Doctor can learn more the police burst in and remove the woman. The Doctor follows where the police are taking her while Rose investigates Magpie's shop. At the shop Rose discovers an entity calling itself "The Wire", an alien that managed to escape execution by its people by turning itself into an electrical form. The Wire seeks to consume enough minds to recreate a body and plans on using the broadcast of the coronation to do so. Rose is unable to flee before The Wire steals her face as well.
Magpie's shop, on location in Cardiff.
The Doctor locates a holding pen where the police are keeping the victims. He speaks to Detective Inspector Bishop, and the police bring in a faceless Rose. Angered at Rose's condition, the Doctor, Tommy and Inspector Bishop confront Mr. Magpie at his store. The Wire reveals herself and tries to consume them, but upon seeing the Doctor's sonic screwdriver she stops, retreats into a portable television built by Mr. Magpie and escapes, heading for the Alexandra Palace television station transmitter. The Doctor and Tommy use equipment from Magpie's shop and the TARDIS to create a device to capture The Wire. The Doctor pursues Magpie as he connects his portable device to the transmitter, allowing the Wire to start to consume minds while killing Magpie. The Doctor connects his device to the transmitter, and The Wire is captured. The faces of those who were consumed by The Wire are returned to normal. The Doctor shows Tommy that he has captured The Wire on a Betamax cassette, which he tells Rose to remind him later to tape over. The Doctor gives Tommy the scooter he was riding throughout the episode, and he and Rose celebrate the coronation with the rest of town.
The Idiot's Lantern