A lot has been made of the decision to fly to New York with a small crew and the regular stars of Doctor Who in order to record the Series 7 mid-season finale – but it seems that a big chunk of Cardiff remained in the episode!
Thanks to WalesOnline, we now know that certain scenes (such as the one below, the background enhanced with digital technology) were recorded in and around the Welsh capital…
Now obviously there are benefits to setting episodes in the USA, but it seems that as with Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks there is little need to use genuine buildings in the city in order to create the illusion. In advance of the episode airing, we suspect that one or two key scenes aside (one of which could in theory have been mounted in Wales) The Angels Take Manhattan will comprise largely of establishing shots, just like its 2007 forebear.
Regardless – it’s fascinating how these episodes are brought together, don’t you think?
The technology around today means “other” locations, other actual locations can be realized in a much more budget conscious cost effective way. But sometimes, especially when a larger scope is present “real” location work can be the right way to go. I think that the production teams have created a nice balance, especially the current team which has done more location work. New Zealand here we come, and we all know why………..
Heh. I live in Cardiff and spotted numerous familiar locations in the episode – including many that the show has used before!