The Beautiful Production Values for Doctor Who – Silence in the Library
I love Silence In The Library.
I repeat – I love this episode. It’s got “Quality” written all over it.
I was watching it the other night and I noticed how much I loved Murray Gold’s music. It enchants you right from the opening of the episode – you hear a child’s musical box, a lovely wistful and suspenseful tune, as the camera climbs through the air over a wonderful sprawling futuristic city baking under a hard summer light.
And then over the musical box you hear Dr Moon’s warm rich tones saying in voice-over, “Close your eyes, and tell me what you see.” Isn’t Colin Salmon’s voice gorgeous?
And then you see the Girl floating effortlessly over the planet’s city-like landscape that is the Library. And then we hear the orchestral soar as we see her float around a circular blue-lit room inside it.
It’s got to be one of the most beautiful openings to Doctor Who ever made. The production values of this are of the highest order.
Other things come to mind about this fascinating episode – the large reception room that the Tardis lands in – this huge, empty cold room with abandoned books and an abandoned reception desk, with dust and shafts of sunlight trying to fill that cavernous space. And isn’t it great how the large square boxy Tardis sits in that space, with its windows and name plate lit lonely in the darkness?
(I also love this production painting of the above scene by Peter McKinstry -)
This episode oozes class from every pore. For example, isn’t the design of the security camera great, a heavy wooden basketball of a thing with brass fixtures and even a LED screen with scrolling text? (Designed by Sarah Payne)
And what about the stunning lighting in every scene? The physicality of the wooden panels and shelves and forty thousand books filling them? And indeed the excitingly gorgeous visual design everywhere?
It’s so good I think a roll call is needed -
Visual FX Producer – Will Cohen; Visual FX Supervisor – Dave Houghton; Production Designer – Edward Thomas; Director of Photography – Ernie Vincze BSC; Chief Supervising Art Director- Stephen Nicholas; Art Department Production Manager – Jonathan Allison; Supervising Art Director – Arwel Wyn Jones; Associate Designer – James North; Art Department Coordinator – Amy Pope; Design Assistants – Peter McKinstry, Sarah Payne, Al Roberts.
And aren’t those white quilted spacesuits great – with those simple blue chest lights and that small green comm circuit built into the collar? (Costume Designer Louise Page)
And I love how the faces are lit with that lonely blue light inside the helmets. And what about River Song’s worn and battered diary, looking almost like a blue police box?
Even the souvenirs in “The Little Shop” have been crafted with a loving attention to detail – you can see the logo of “The Library” stamped on them -
Murray Gold’s music is great in the first scene between River Song and the Doctor – the music really tugs at your heart as she says, “Your eyes – you’re younger than I’ve ever seen you… Doctor – please tell me you know who I am?” The actors play it so well and it’s a great moment as River Song flinches as she realises the Doctor doesn’t know her when he says, “Who are you?”
And isn’t the death of Miss Evangelista beautiful? Murray Gold’s delicate synth sounds behind her consciousness as she repeats “Ice cream… ice cream…” One of the most poetic deaths in Doctor Who ever. And Euros Lyn’s direction is great as he gets the camera to track back up towards the ceiling to fill the screen with the space of it all.
And that gorgeous guitar music as the Doctor asks River Song about the diary – “What’s in that book?” “Spoilers.” “Who are you to me?”
A wonderful episode for Steven Moffat’s writing, the ensemble acting, Euros Lyn’s direction and Murray Gold’s musical score. And everyone who had a hand in the production of anything you see on the screen. You know as you’re watching it you’re seeing a team of professionals building up something so beautiful together.
I love this episode to bits.
(All pictures above are copyright © BBC, and borrowed from the BBC Doctor Who website. The BBC page devoted to Silence in the Library is here and well worth visiting for production sketches and interviews with the production staff.)
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