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Doctor Who
S5.E10
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IMDbPro

Vincent and the Doctor

  • Episode aired Jun 26, 2010
  • TV-PG
  • 47m
IMDb RATING
9.3/10
14K
YOUR RATING
Tony Curran in Vincent and the Doctor (2010)
AdventureDramaSci-Fi

The Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see.The Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see.The Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see.

  • Director
    • Jonny Campbell
  • Writers
    • Richard Curtis
    • Steven Moffat
    • Sydney Newman
  • Stars
    • Matt Smith
    • Karen Gillan
    • Tony Curran
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    9.3/10
    14K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jonny Campbell
    • Writers
      • Richard Curtis
      • Steven Moffat
      • Sydney Newman
    • Stars
      • Matt Smith
      • Karen Gillan
      • Tony Curran
    • 63User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos35

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    Top cast9

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    Matt Smith
    Matt Smith
    • The Doctor
    Karen Gillan
    Karen Gillan
    • Amy Pond
    Tony Curran
    Tony Curran
    • Vincent
    Nik Howden
    • Maurice
    Chrissie Cotterill
    • Mother
    Sarah Counsell
    • Waitress
    Morgan Overton
    • School Child
    Andrew Byrne
    • School Child
    Bill Nighy
    Bill Nighy
    • Dr. Black
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Jonny Campbell
    • Writers
      • Richard Curtis
      • Steven Moffat
      • Sydney Newman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews63

    9.314K
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    Featured reviews

    9josh_parish

    Some people are reading too much into this

    I thought this episode was excellent. OK, so maybe the history may be a bit off (what? You mean Van Gogh wasn't tormented by an invisible chicken?!!) but the story telling and the poignant ending are first class as is the acting. The whole accent thing is irrelevant as is the language. Doctor Who history shows that the TARDIS translates all languages, hence it might be that on this occasion Mr Gogh's native tongue is translated in such a way it sounds Scottish. On the whole though, who cares? The story went at a fast pace, the characters were believable and the ending was extremely sad (even the death of the monster). You really feel for Van Gogh's illness and realise that he can't be saved. As the Doctor said, some points are fixed in time. My 12 year old, one of the lads, son was in tears. Any programme that can do this has to be a winner.
    Kirpianuscus

    splendid hommage

    A moving episode . And the admirable performance of Tony Curran. The presence of van Gogh in the exposition of Musee d Orsay remains, in my case , source of powerfull emotion and the lead gift of the episode in which, maybe I am wrong, Krafaiys is just a pretext. Having his name, as expression of admiration of my father for him, Vincent van Gogh is , in real sense , for me, "the greatest painter of them all". The episode proofs this as a brilliant hommage. And, in same measure, it gives a sort of symbolic justice to a great artist and a so delicate and remarkable person. So, without be a fan of serie, I remain deep gratefull to the "Doctor Who" makers for this admirable episode.
    9josephthedoctorcaleb

    A Highlight

    When I first saw this episode, I was 9 years old and I hated it. I thought that the story was boring and it was hard to keep focus and that the monster was a complete letdown. Now at a slightly older age, I am beginning to see why it is so Treasured. And even though a giant killer, invisible rooster isn't exactly the most menacing of threats, Vincent, The Doctor, Amy and even Dr Black make up for it by creating a moving episode that some could call a tearjerker. (Stupid term, I mean people don't actually have the tears ripped out from their eyes do they?) It managed to make me feel something, Happiness, which is a massive plus side seeing as I love and favour the more heartfelt and depressing ones. It actually made me smile at the ending. I smiled because of sheer it's level of bleakness. I'm not sure that everyone will think that that's a good thing.
    9doorsscorpywag

    An excellent example of what is best about Dr Who!

    Forget the monster as that was pretty irrelevant and concentrate on the human aspect. Also forget the accents and the fact nobody seemed to know how to pronounce van Gogh properly. Tony Curran gave a really good performance and managed to convey the tortured artist even within the confines of what is essentially a children's programme. As with Chris Eccleston and his Dickens story and Dave Tennant and his Vesuvius tale we saw Matt showing the reverence the Doctor has for Historical characters who are doomed and he is unable to help. Some lovely acting both by Doctor and sidekick and an excellent example of what is best about Dr Who. I still think Matt the poorest of the new generation Doctors but he has shown a few moments as to why they hired him so I would imagine he will improve and show his worth. The stories so far have not been great except for this and the Angel episodes.....and the less said about the Dalek episode the better. Last weeks two parter was garbage apart from the Rory storyline but this one was exceptional and a nice glimpse of the humanity of the central characters. We saw it with Donna in the Pompeii episode and Rose in the Dickens one and Amy does well here. I have been watching this programme since it's first week with William Hartnell and in among the dodgy sets and the unconvincing monsters there have been sublime moments of real poignancy that have been worth all the effort. This was one of them. OK the monster did look silly and yes Vinnie was NOT Scottish but suspension of disbelief is important in programmes like this so why worry about plot holes too much. Every Doctor leaves important episodes behind. Even Sylvester McCoy. Maybe in years to come this one will be among Matt Smiths.
    10Prismark10

    Vincent and the Doctor

    Richard Curtis wrote this episode. Ostensibly it is about Vincent Van Gogh meeting the Doctor and together they delve the mystery of a monster depicted in one of his paintings.

    It really is about the meaning of madness and depression. Van Gogh is the strange madman in the village whose paintings remain unappreciated. Society in his era did not understand depression.

    The monster which is invisible (signifying mental illness) is alone, abandoned and blind. Lashing out because it is frightened.

    Scottish actor Tony Curran, more often employed to play a heavy on American shows knows he has a role of a lifetime. He takes it by the scruff of the neck. His Vincent is wild, romantic and emotional. Seeing monsters where others do not. The Doctor is the only man he has met who understands his pain.

    What makes this episode stand out is the photography, sound and the location shooting. Trogir in Croatia stands in for the fields of Provence. Magnificent use of visuals, look at the way the night sky begins to depict the painting of The Starry Night. The use of the song by Athlete to give it an emotional hook as Van Gogh looks on as people admire his paintings at the Musee de Orsay.

    Bill Nighy makes an uncredited cameo as an art expert who reduced Van Gogh to tears as he describes his contribution to art in less than 100 words while wearing another stand out bow tie.

    Science fiction at its best.

    Related interests

    Still frame
    Adventure
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After the broadcast in the UK, a special announcement broadcasting a suicide prevention number was made.
    • Goofs
      Both of Vincent's ears are intact. At least part of Vincent van Gogh's left ear was cut off in December 1888, more than a year and a half before his encounter with The Doctor and Amy.
    • Quotes

      The Doctor: Between you and me, in a hundred words, where do you think Van Gogh rates in the history of art?

      Curator: Well... um... big question, but, to me Van Gogh is the finest painter of them all. Certainly the most popular, great painter of all time. The most beloved, his command of colour most magnificent. He transformed the pain of his tormented life into ecstatic beauty. Pain is easy to portray, but to use your passion and pain to portray the ecstasy and joy and magnificence of our world, no one had ever done it before. Perhaps no one ever will again. To my mind, that strange, wild man who roamed the fields of Provence was not only the world's greatest artist, but also one of the greatest men who ever lived.

    • Connections
      Featured in Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Chances
      (uncredited)

      Written by Athlete

      Performed by Athlete

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 26, 2010 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official sites
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (United Kingdom)
      • Official Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Trogir, Croatia(Arles)
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • Embassy Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 47m
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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