World War Three (Doctor Who)

160b – "World War Three"
160b – "World War Three"
Doctor Who episode
Cast
	Doctor Christopher Eccleston – Ninth Doctor;
	Companion Billie Piper – Rose Tyler;
	Others Camille Coduri – Jackie Tyler; Noel Clarke – Mickey Smith; Penelope Wilton – Harriet Jones; Annette Badland – Margaret Blaine; Rupert Vansittart – General Asquith; Morgan Hopkins – Sergeant Price; Andrew Marr – Himself; David Verrey – Joseph Green; Steve Speirs – Strickland; Jack Tarlton – Tom Hitchingson; Lachele Carl – Trinity Wells; Corey Doabe – Spray Painter; Elizabeth Fost, Paul Kasey, Alan Ruscoe – Slitheen;
Production
Directed by	Keith Boak
Written by	Russell T Davies
Produced by	Phil Collinson
Executive producers	Russell T Davies; Julie Gardner; Mal Young;
Music by	Murray Gold
Production code	1.5
Series	Series 1
Running time	42 minutes
First broadcast	23 April 2005
Chronology
← Preceded by; "Aliens of London"	Followed by →; "Dalek"

"World War Three" is the fifth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who. It was written by showrunner Russell T Davies and directed by Keith Boak, and is the second of a two-part story which began with "Aliens of London". They were the first two-part story of the 2005 Doctor Who revival, leading to showrunner and episode writer Davies designing it to be large in scope. Production on the story began in 2004, eventually wrapping in January 2005.

In the episode, the alien time traveller known as the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and his companion, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), team up with Rose's boyfriend Mickey Smith (Noel Clarke), her mother Jackie (Camille Coduri), and Member of Parliament Harriet Jones (Penelope Wilton) to foil the plan of the alien Slitheen family from destroying the Earth and then selling its remains.

It was first broadcast on BBC One on 23 April 2005 to a live audience of 7.98 million. The episode received mixed responses from critics. Though many praised the performances of the cast and the writing of its characters, the Slitheen were heavily criticised for not being taken seriously within the narrative.