The Name of the Doctor

239 – "The Name of the Doctor"
Doctor Who episode
Promotional poster
Cast
Doctor Matt Smith – Eleventh Doctor
Companion Jenna-Louise Coleman – Clara Oswald
Others Alex Kingston – River Song Richard E. Grant – The Great Intelligence Neve McIntosh – Madame Vastra Catrin Stewart – Jenny Flint Dan Starkey – Strax Eve de Leon Allen – Angie Kassius Carey Johnson – Artie Nasi Voustsas – Andro David Avery – Fabian Michael Jenn – Clarence Rab Affleck – Archie Samuel Irvine – Messenger Boy Sophie Downham – Young Clara Paul Kasey – Whisper Man John Hurt – War Doctor
Production
Directed by	Saul Metzstein
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	John Phillips
Produced by	Denise Paul Marcus Wilson (series producer)
Executive producer(s)	Steven Moffat Caroline Skinner
Music by	Murray Gold
Series	Series 7
Running time	45 minutes
First broadcast	18 May 2013 (2013-05-18)
Chronology
← Preceded by "Nightmare in Silver" Followed by → "The Night of the Doctor" (mini-episode) "The Day of the Doctor" (special)
List of episodes (2005–present)

"The Name of the Doctor" is the thirteenth and final episode of the seventh series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 18 May 2013. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Saul Metzstein. The episode was watched by 7.45 million viewers in the UK and received positive reviews from critics.

In the episode, an entity called the Great Intelligence (Richard E. Grant) kidnaps Victorian-era Paternoster Gang detectives Madame Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny Flint (Catrin Stewart), and their butler Strax (Dan Starkey), to force their friend, time-travelling alien the Doctor (Matt Smith), to go to the planet Trenzalore, the site of the Doctor's future grave. The Intelligence's plan is to trap the Doctor and then force the Doctor to open a door in time so the Intelligence can reverse all the Doctor's victories. It is the first appearance of John Hurt's War Doctor. The episode is part of a loose trilogy with the subsequent two special episodes, "The Day of the Doctor" (2013) and "The Time of the Doctor" (2013).^[1]

The episode features several references to previous episodes of the series. It was leaked in the United States when the Blu-ray release was distributed early due to a production error.