The Empty Child

164a – "The Empty Child"
Doctor Who episode
Doctor Constantine succumbs to the same symptoms his patients exhibit.
Cast
Doctor Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor)
Companions Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) John Barrowman (Jack Harkness)
Others Kate Harvey – Nightclub Singer Albert Valentine – The Child Jamie Florence Hoath – Nancy Cheryl Fergison – Mrs Lloyd Damian Samuels – Mr Lloyd Robert Hands – Algy Joseph Tremain – Jim Jordan Murphy – Ernie Brandon Miller – Alf Richard Wilson – Dr Constantine Noah Johnson – Voice of the Empty Child Dian Perry – Computer Voice
Production
Directed by	James Hawes
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	Elwen Rowlands
Produced by	Phil Collinson
Executive producer(s)	Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Mal Young
Incidental music composer	Murray Gold
Production code	1.9
Series	Series 1
Length	1st of 2-part story, 45 minutes
Originally broadcast	21 May 2005
Chronology
← Preceded by Followed by → "Father's Day" "The Doctor Dances"

"The Empty Child" is the ninth episode of the first series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, which was first broadcast on 21 May 2005. It was the first episode written by Steven Moffat, who later became the showrunner and main writer of the series in 2010 following Russell T Davies' departure, and was directed by James Hawes. "The Empty Child" is the first of a two-part story, which concluded with "The Doctor Dances", on 28 May.

In the episode, alien time traveller the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and his companion Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) arrive in 1941 during the London Blitz, where they find that the city has been terrorised by a strange child in a gas mask repeatedly asking for his mother.

The episode marks the first appearance of John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, who would become a recurring character in Doctor Who and the lead character of the spin-off series Torchwood. "The Empty Child" was watched by 7.11 million viewers in the UK. The two-part story has been cited by critics amongst the best of the show, and it won the 2006 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.

The episode opens with the Doctor and Rose in the TARDIS chasing a mysterious metal cylinder through time and space. The cylinder, marked as dangerous, skips in and out of the time vortex before landing somewhere on Earth. The Doctor lands the TARDIS in London, and he and Rose walk over to a nearby restaurant to ask about the cylinder. The Doctor uses a microphone to ask if anything has fallen from the sky recently, only to hear an air raid siren and realise that they are in London during The Blitz of World War II. Meanwhile, Rose spots a young boy asking for his mummy and follows him to a rooftop, where she becomes entangled in the ropes of a barrage balloon and carried away. The Doctor heads back to the TARDIS looking for Rose but instead is shocked to hear the TARDIS phone on the outside of the box is ringing. As he is about to answer, a young woman named Nancy appears and warns him not to. Answering the phone anyway, the Doctor hears a young boy on the line, asking "Are you my mummy?" before the call ends. Confused, the Doctor follows Nancy down the street.