The Final Battle was a promotional mini-episode first broadcast on 11 January 2024^[1] by BBC Studios and written by Pete McTighe, to coincide with the release of Doctor Who: The Collection — Season 15 Blu-ray boxset.

Publisher's summary[]

Even a warrior as brave as Leela knows when it's time to leave the battlefield...

Plot[]

On the Last Day of the Time War, Leela watches the Fall of Gallifrey from a ledge. Axton, addressing, her as "Commander" comes to her. She tells him that Gallifrey has fallen, but they will face the end with courage. Axton offers her a Wayfinder, which will enable her to escape. She refuses. Axton explains that it is "his" wish that she survives - Leela asks who "he" is, and Axton explains that it is the Doctor, and that she is his only hope. He implores her to use the device, but is killed by a Dalek. Using a Dalek gunstick, she destroys it along with another Dalek. Four more Daleks surround her, including a commanding red officer, who declares the Daleks victorious. She identifies herself, announcing herself to be a friend of the Doctor. The Daleks assure her that the Doctor and his allies will be destroyed, but she denies this, activating the Wayfinder. Detecting the transport, the Daleks attempt to exterminate her, without success.

Leela materialises inside the Doctor's TARDIS, much to the Fourth Doctor's surprise.

Cast[]

• Leela - Louise Jameson
• Axton - Dushane Keogh-Grenade
• Voice of the Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
• Voice-over - John Leeson

Uncredited cast[]

• Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker (archive footage)

Crew[]

• Writer and Director - Pete McTighe
• Director of photography/Camera - Jeremy Bishop
• Drone Operator - James Spencer
• Sound Recordist - Jasmine Allodi
• Camera assistant - Michael Mowbray
• Location manager - Andrew Stocker
• Make-up - Andrea Lewis
• Costume designer - Marcia Stanton
• Prop Makers: Little Shop Props Ltd - James Sutton, Kasim Rehman Bhatti, Josh Martin, Daniel Howard, Josh Howe and Matthew Woodhouse
• Graphic designer - Jem Ward
• Title sequence - Bernard Lodge, Charlie Lowe
• Visual effects Producer - Chris Thompson
• Incidental music - Murray Gold
• Title Music - Ron Grainer and BBC Radiophonic Workshop
• Dubbing Mixer - Mark Ayres
• Producer - Paul Vanezis
• Executive Producers - Pete McTighe and Russell Minton

Thanks to Jonathan Davies, Gallagher Aggregates LTD, Hermitage Quarry Kent, Stephen Gallagher, Vikki Edwards, Julie Martin, Lee Binding, Bill Bowley, Rick Warbuton and Dave Scanlan

Worldbuilding[]

to be added

Notes[]

• This is the first live-action appearance of Leela since Dimensions in Time ^[+]John Nathan-Turner and David Roden, Doctor Who 30th anniversary special (BBC1, 1993)., although Louise Jameson did play a fictionalised version of herself in Home Assistant ^[+]Pete McTighe, Doctor Who: The Collection mini-episodes (YouTube, 2020)., a story which implied she had portrayed a fictional version of Leela.
• This story seemingly takes place shortly after The Last Day and during the events of The Day of the Doctor.
• This marks the first time that Leela has met the Daleks in live-action.
• One of the Grey-colored Daleks sports a manipulator arm resembling the manipulator arm from the Dalek design from the stained-glass Dalek casings (Order of the Daleks)

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Production errors[]

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Continuity[]

• This minisode is essentially a sidequel to TV: The Day of the Doctor ^[+]Steven Moffat, 50th Anniversary Specials (BBC One, 2013)., building off that episode's depiction of the Fall of Gallifrey on the final day of the Time War. The minisode also uses the Time Lord armour which was introduced for the episode and first appeared in the TV: The Last Day.
• Leela refers to herself as a "Warrior of the Sevateem", harking back to her debut in TV: The Face of Evil ^[+]Chris Boucher, Doctor Who season 14 (BBC1, 1977)..

Home media releases[]

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Gallery[]

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Footnotes[]