<P> The scene in which the Doctor is showing the Arwells around the house originally included a scene in a "haunted coal cellar". The characters of Ven - Garr and Billis are named after outgoing executive producers Piers Wenger and Beth Willis, both of whom served with Moffat . The three tree harvesters are from Androzani Major in the year 5345, a planet which features in the serial The Caves of Androzani (1984). The Doctor mentions the Forest of Cheem, which appeared in the Ninth Doctor episode "The End of the World". He mentions that one of them fancied him, and during that episode one sacrificed her life for him . </P> <P> "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" marks the debut of Caroline Skinner and sees the end of Wenger as executive producers . The two had previously worked together; Moffat commented it "will be the smoothest hand - over we've done". The special was directed by Farren Blackburn, who had previously worked with Skinner on The Fades . Blackburn stated that he was "daunted, thrilled and excited at the same time" about the job and that it was "tough". Blackburn's favorite sequences to direct was the opening sequence and the scenes set on the winter planet, where he "really felt like (he) was making a movie". When asked about the tone he wished to create, Blackburn replied, </P> <P> I would say there is a kind of mix . It goes through several worlds . It's most definitely a classic action - adventure but I think it merges into the Edwardian children's story and there's a sort of Tim Burton-esque magic about it as well . I think there's a magic throughout the episode, but there is an underlying suspense and tension and darkness to it as well . So I think it merges those three things with an awful lot of Christmas about it . </P> <P> The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced in September 2011 that production had started for the special and filming was due to be complete by mid October 2011 . Filming was disrupted on 30 September due to a 24 - hour protest at BBC Wales because of compulsory redundancies . The opening sequence set in the corridors of a spaceship was filmed on 20 September 2011 at Uskmouth Power Station . As the conditions were very noisy, the crew had to wear ear protectors . Filming of some scenes involving Alexander Armstrong took place in and around the Lancaster bomber Just Jane at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre on 3 October 2011 . External footage of the lighthouse building took place in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. Smith stated, "It was a really tough shoot . Out in a forest, at night, and because there were children involved, some shooting schedules had to change radically, we'd often have to shoot through, no breaks--you get lunch at midnight or something ." </P>

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