Doctor Who: Tin Dog Podcast

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TDP 1359: #DOCTORWHO REVIEW Hooklight Pt1 May 24, 2025

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https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 This title was released in April 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 31 May 2025, and on general sale after this date. There is a light that must never be lit... When the TARDIS runs aground in the ancient realm of Morning, the Doctor learns that a powerful force has reemerged. A lamp filled with a mythical substance known as Hooklight has been discovered - and this could mean the end of everything. A great quest begins against the forces of chaos, encompassing many new friends and foes. Without their ship and without each other, the time travellers will be tested on their journey to the Dark Forge. And not everyone will survive... **Please note: the collector's edition CD boxset is strictly limited to 1,500 copies** Recorded on: 26-28 February 2024 Recorded at: The Soundhouse Producer David Richardson said: "Writer Tim Foley has excelled even himself with this one - a sprawling, lyrical six-hour tale packed with new characters, new monsters and a whole load of surprises. "The Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric have new worlds to explore on separate journeys, as reality itself is threatened by the mysterious Hooklight. Expect something exceptionally exciting and beautiful."

TDP 1366: TV #DoctorWho The Interstellar song contest REVIEW #DisneyWho May 20, 2025

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https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Synopsis[edit][edit source] After two Hellions hijack the control gallery of the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest and eject the audience into space, the Doctor and Belinda must race to stop them from broadcasting a delta wave to 3 trillion viewers. Plot[edit][edit source] In the year 2925, Rylan Clark steps out of cryogenic suspension and onto the stage as the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest begins in the Harmony Arena space station, with the Fifteenth Doctor and Belinda Chandra exiting the TARDIS at the same time in order to take a Vindicator reading. As the reading finishes they turn to the stage, notice where they are, and unanimously decide that they're staying to watch the festivities. The opening ceremonies include commercials for the contest's sponsor Poppy Honey. Mrs Flood, also in the audience, watches the Doctor and Belinda from afar and is delighted to see that the Vindicator is primed, calling it "the final link". Meanwhile married couple Gary and Mike Gabbastone, having arrived late, bicker over their seats being taken by the Doctor and Belinda. A Hellion, Kid, storms backstage and seizes control of the production booth along with another Hellion worker, Wynn. The pair detain everyone present and swap over the livestream to the recording of the dress rehearsal in order to keep the outside world from realising anything is wrong. However, the Doctor notices that Rylan (who missed the dress) is present on stage but not on the television feed, and begins fiddling with wiring near his seat. As the first song plays, Kid disengages the space station safety protocols and evacuates the air in the main area, sending the vast majority of the audience careening out into space, the Doctor and the TARDIS amongst them. Contestant Cora Saint Bavier and her associate Len Kazah are spared when Wynn surreptitiously seals their pod, and Belinda manages to hang on after being thrown against the ceiling of hers, but they are seemingly the only survivors. With the arena "purged", Kid initiates the final phase of his plan, bringing out a device that will generate a delta wave. However, since the mavity shell is still intact, backstage director Nina Maxwell tries to persuade Wynn that they could still save everyone. Belinda exits the seats and meets up with Cora and Len, who explain to her that the station is in communication lockdown until the scheduled end of the show to prevent manipulation of the betting markets. There's no way for them to call for help. Len finds Hellion script in a nearby terminal and tells Belinda "people say" Hellions have fearsome psychic powers and practise cannibalism, prompting Cora to defend them. As the Doctor freezes in space, an image bursts into his mind: his granddaughter, Susan. She tells him to go back, to find her. He comes to, grabbing a nearby confetti cannon and propelling himself back to the airlock where Mike and Gary let him in and revive him. The trio talk about how everyone is frozen but not dead, and the mavity was increased by the Doctor, so theoretically everyone is still in range of the station. Scanning through a nearby terminal, the Doctor finds out that the hellions are uploading a delta wave to transmit with the song contest, potentially killing all three trillion viewers across the galaxy. Searching for a caustic hyperlink, they come across a museum dedicated to the song contest's history, complete with holographic Graham Norton. As Kid notices people interfering with the systems he attempts to contact them, speaking with the Doctor, Belinda's group managing to eavesdrop on their exchanges of threats. Cora sees Wynn in the background and reacts, prompting Len to inquire further. Cora confesses that she's a Hellion who cut her own horns off and says that their peaceful planet was destroyed by the Corporation, makers of PoppyHoney. Kid intends to get revenge on every viewer of the Song Contest, as being complicit in the sponsoring Corporation's crimes. Cora convinces Len to help them stop Kid, but he blames her for lying to him throughout their songwriting partnership and says he will no longer work with her after this crisis is over. The Doctor appears on the bridge and dismantles the delta wave, distracting Kid with a hologram. He then, frustrated with the level of damage Kid wished to inflict on the galaxy - three trillion deaths, injured him repeatedly, using hard light holograms to inflict pain, only stopping when Belinda and Cora entered the production booth. The Doctor puts Gary and Mike to work grabbing everyone suspended in the mavity field using hard light and then utilizing Rylan's cryochamber to safely revive them. As the majority of the attendees filter into the main chamber once more, Rylan explains that the contest is obviously null and void, but there's one contestant left that he wants everyone to hear - Cora. Cora tells everyone that she's a hellion, that the Corporation tried to bury her song and story, and sings for the galaxy. Applause echoes and the crowd is moved to tears. The Doctor and Belinda find the TARDIS in the museum, brought in by contest staff. In their conversation, they mention the earth, prompting the hologram Graham Norton to appear and mention that the earth was destroyed on May the 24th 2025 for unknown reasons, everything used for the song contest were sifted from the wreckage. The pair run back into the TARDIS and with a fully primed Vindicator pilot the TARDIS directly back to when they left. As they do so, however, the Cloister Bell chimes, and the TARDIS groans, an explosion rocking the TARDIS doors off their hinges. Mrs Flood is the last of the attendees to be brought back aboard the space station, and immediately is concerned as to whether the Doctor is still around. When she learns that he's gone, she begins to regenerate, her double brainstem having frozen, splitting into two, a bi-generation. The new incarnation identifies herself as the Rani, acting dismissive of her earlier incarnation, while Mrs Flood begins to defer to her. Taking the readings of the Vindicator, the new Rani says that she'll bring the Doctor absolute terror, and marches off, her prior self in tow. Cast[edit][edit source] The Doctor - Ncuti Gatwa Belinda Chandra - Varada Sethu Sabine - Julie Dray Rylan Clark - Himself Runner - Imogen Kingsley Smith Nina Maxwell - Kiruna Stamell Wynn Aura-Kin - Iona Anderson Mrs Flood - Anita Dobson Gary Gabbastone - Charlie Condou Mike Gabbastone - Kadiff Kirwan Kid - Freddie Fox Cora Saint Bavier - Miriam-Teak Lee Len Kazah - Akemnji Ndifornyen Liz Lizardine - Christina Rotondo Graham Norton - Himself Jeddy Kine - Abdul Sessay Drone Guards - Callum Owen, Harrison Pittard, Adam Bentley, Matthew Doman And Carole Ann Ford as Susan Foreman Introducing Archie Panjabi as The Rani Crew[edit][edit source]

TDP 1358: OCAS - PILOT REVIEW BIG FINISH ORIGINAL May 17, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Greed is a sickness. In the mid-21st century, the country has changed. Following a populist revolution, which brought down the entire system of government, society now aims to be more compassionate and equitable. Poverty is a distant memory, public services are properly funded, and separation between 'haves' and 'have-not' is a thing of the past. Those responsible for the corruption of the old world - people who abandoned moral principles in pursuit of wealth and power - have been diagnosed with a disorder: Obsessive Capital Accumulation Syndrome (OCAS). They have been removed from society to undergo treatment and rehabilitation, and without them, the nation has flourished. Making a documentary to commemorate the anniversary of May '33, Leo interviews those who were at the centre of events twenty years before. But as he scratches the surface of the new regime, he finds that the official history does not tell all. Britain may strive to be better for everyone - but utopia comes at a price. This release includes over ten minutes of behind-the-scenes interviews.

TDP 1365: TV #DoctorWho The Story and The Engine #DisneyWho Review May 14, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Synopsis[edit][edit source] When the Doctor and Belinda land in Lagos for another Vindicator reading, the Doctor goes to a barbershop to meet an old friend. There, he discovers a mysterious barber trapping the patrons, feeding an engine with their stories. Plot[edit][edit source] Omo Esosa sits in a chair, getting a haircut, and tells a story about how he met the Doctor, his village saved by the mysterious man in the blue box. As he speaks, images splay out on the wall behind him, depicting his story to the men listening eagerly. As he finishes, they all look at a pair of lights on the wall in tense anticipation, relaxing when they switch from red to green. Omo tells the others not to worry, the Doctor always comes, and the light switches back to red, alarms blare, and the room shakes. Belinda Chandra insists that the Doctor take her home, and he suggests that they head to Lagos, Nigeria, the communications hub of Africa, and a place he loves - home of his favorite barbershop. Belinda expresses confusion at this - the TARDIS can do his hair; but he explains that it's about community, about being himself, since it's the first time he's ever been a black man. Belinda understands and sends him off to enjoy himself in Lagos after he takes a Vindicator reading. The Doctor winds his way through a market, greeting everyone as he passes, before he comes to his friend Omo's barbershop, Omo's Palace, finding those assembled in the middle of a story. As the door closes behind him an alarm goes off in the TARDIS, alerting Belinda that something has gone wrong. The Doctor notices that everyone present is on missing posters outside, and he watches as the man's hair grows back. The light in the barbershop flashes to red, people scramble to decide who still has a story left, and someone sits down, telling the story of Yo-Yo Ma and a shaman, of music and of time. As images flicker on the wall, the Doctor looks on in wonder, and asks how it works, begins testing by throwing out words from his travels. But it has to be a story, it has to be with a haircut. A new barber has taken over the shop, he came one day, and as if by magic the shop became his. A woman enters the barbershop, Abby, bringing food, the door closes behind her, and an alarm in the TARDIS sounds again. The Doctor recognizes her, but can't place her. The light switches to red again, and the Doctor sits down, telling the most powerful story he knows, not of Weeping Angels or Ice Warriors, but of an ordinary life. Of Belinda Chandra doing her job, helping someone all night long, even on her grandmother's birthday, a simple gesture of thanks two weeks later. Abby watches a screen in another room, seeing it lighting up, noting that they're accelerating, as the story ends. The Barber is impressed with the power of his stories, and tells Abby when she comes out that they need to recalibrate the engine. Omo asks if they can be let free now that the Doctor has come, his stories being effective, his hair having grown in the interim more than any of theirs. But Abby locks the door and the pair leave. The TARDIS sounds an alarm yet again, this time showing Belinda an image of the barbershop. The Doctor is furious that Omo betrayed him, is willing to trap him here, and refuses to listen as everyone tries to tell him not to open the door. He forces it open with his sonic screwdriver, finding a vacuum on the other side. A vacuum with only giant web and a large spider traversing it, the barbershop on the back of the spider. The Doctor closes the door with great effort, and the Barber emerges from the backroom, explaining that the shop is in Lagos and in outer space at the same time, only Abby and himself able to travel between. Outside, Belinda finds herself lost, but is pointed towards the shop by a young girl, entering it, glad to see the Doctor. Reunited, the pair confront the Barber, calling him a coward who hides his face, having no real power. Rising to the taunt, the Barber names himself, calling himself Anansi, Sága, Bastet, Dionysus, Loki, the god of stories. The pair burst out laughing - the Doctor has met Bastet, Sága, Dionysus, Anansi. He's partied with them, Anansi even tricked him to marry his daughter. This man isn't any of them. And so the man admits, he's the person who did their work for them. Wherever the gods went, he took their stories, cleaned them up, refined them, wrote them down, all for humans to repeat them, to keep the gods alive. Without him the gods would not exist. The web outside is his creation as well, the nexus, a web that connects cultures and ideas. He was so successful that the gods abandoned him, and now he wants vengeance. The engine winds down, so much power drained from the Doctor opening the door. Abby criticizes him, and the Doctor recognizes her at last - Anansi's daughter, Abena. He's sorry that he was unable to help her, but he was a fugitive at the time, and had his own story. The light turns red, and the Barber insists the Doctor tell a story. The Doctor refuses, demanding to know what vengeance is being planned. The Barber relents - he plans to cut out the gods from memory when he reaches the center of the nexus, erasing them from existence. The Doctor is horrified, this will damage humanity, as it will harm their ability to tell stories, to pass down information, insisting that this is horrific. He refuses to sit down and speak, he won't let the spider go further. As the shop descends into chaos, everyone arguing, Abena proclaims that she will tell a story, and begins to braid the Doctor's hair. And she tells a story of plantation slaves transmitting information through the braids on their hair, maps to freedom for anyone who could escape, hidden in a place where the overseers would never check. As the battery stabilizes, the Doctor and Belinda run into the back room, finding themselves in a maze, a maze for which the Doctor has the map on his head. The pair come to a room full of artifacts from various cultures and the ship's engine, an engine that runs on stories, a heart inside a brain. The Barber enters the room behind them, having cut Abena off from the outside, the Doctor disrupting the flow of power, slowing the spider down but not stopping it. The Barber insists that the Doctor has done nothing. So the Doctor suggests that they consider Ernest Hemingway, who wrote a story in six words. The Doctor's six word story is "I'm born. I die. I'm born." And energy begins to flow into the engine, never-ending energy, as his past lives flicker across the screens. But the Doctor has disrupted the engine, it can't process the power. He tells the Barber that now it's his choice - he can save the people in the shop by opening the door. But the engine will disintegrate. The Barber unlocks the door and Omo, Adena and the rest out front escape. The Doctor sends Belinda back as he sits with the Barber, talking to him, convincing him that he still has more to live for. The pair escape the shop at the last moment as it collapses, the engine exploding, destroying the spider it rode on. Omo apologizes to the Doctor, and says that he should have protected the Doctor, they're part of the same community. The two make up. Omo gives the Barber his shop, saying that he's retiring, and gives him a name, his father's name, Adétòkunbo. Adétòkunbo steps back into the barbershop, now his. The Doctor and Belinda step back into the TARDIS, one step closer to home. Cast[edit][edit source] The Doctor - Ncuti Gatwa Belinda Chandra - Varada Sethu Omo Esosa - Sule Rimi The Barber - Ariyon Bakare Rashid Abubakar - Stefan Adegbola Tunde Adebayo - Jordan Adene Obioma Okoli - Michael Balogun Abena - Michelle Asante Paramedic - Simon Bailey Consultant - Adrian Pang Patient - Tessa Bell-Briggs Mrs Flood - Anita Dobson Market Seller - Inua Ellams Security Guard - Funmi James Poppy - Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps The Doctor - Jo Martin Crew[edit][edit source] Executive Producers Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter with Joel Collins and Phil Collinson Written by Inua Ellams Produced by Vicki Delow Directed by Makalla McPherson Director of Photography Ashley Barron ACS Production Designer Phil Sims Visual EffectsOne of Us Make-up Designer Julie Kendrick Casting Director Andy Pryor CDG/CSA Music Murray Gold Costume Designer Pam Downe Edited by Carly Brown Special EffectsReal SFX Original theme music by Ron Grainer • Title sequence by Painting Practice & Realtime Visualisation Music conducted by Alastair King • Assistant to Composer - Sam Dinley • Music performed by BBC National Orchestra of Wales General production staff Executive Producer for the BBC - Nick Lambon Production Executive - Steffan Morris Co-producer - Sharon King Line Producer - Angela Phillips Production Manager - Delmi Thomas Supervising Location Manager - Iwan Roberts Location Manager - Alex Moore Assistant Location Manager - Shuaib Said Location Assistant - Victoria Louise Jolliffe Unit Manager - Kyle Yates Production Co-ordinator - Liam Hobbs Production Assistant - Lisa Elena Williams Production Secretaries - Chris Harkus, Eryn Parsons Production Office Runners - Rugie Begum, Thani J Subkhi Production Accountant - Peter Stainthorpe Script department Script Editor - David Cheung Assistant Script Editor - Hilla Hamidi Camera and lighting department 1st Assistant Directors - Kole Onis, Dan Mumford 2nd Assistant Director - Charlie Campbell 3rd Assistant Director - Jennifer Day Floor Runners - Devante Fleming, Micah Joshua Brown Script Supervisor - Nicki Coles Camera Operator - James Chesterton ACO B Camera Operator - Steve Rees Camera Trainee - Chai Lee Tan Key Grip - Bobby Williams Grip - Ken Hodgson Gaffer - Mark Hutchings Rigging Gaffer - Chris Kiley Best Boy - Gareth Sheldon Electricians - Andrew Williams, Benji Hutchings, Jon Down, Christian Davies Art department Supervising Art Directors - Robyn Paiba, Faye Boustead Art Directors - Hattie Gent, Jon Horsham Assistant Art Director - Eleri Lloyd Art Department Assistant - Ilee Khezrzadeh Art Department Co-ordinator - Martin Davies-Redgrave Art Department Accountant - Dan Pey Production Buyer - Helen O'Leary Assistant Buyer - Jac Cox Petty Cash Buyer - Oyrania Vakoulis-Morris Set Decorator - Adrian Anscombe Action Props Buyer - Becky Moore Storyboard Artist - Michael Collins Graphic Designer - Stephen Fielding Standby Props - Phill Bull, Jonathan Barclay Standby Carpenter - Lee Hosken Prop Hands - John Thomas, Atiff Tahir, Jason White, Matthew Shrimpton, Scott Jones, Ingo Hans, Jamie Southcott Standby Art Director - Brad Perry Rigging - Shadow Rigging Standby Rigger - Nigel Owen Standby Painter - Jessie Thomas Prop Master - Nick Thomas Props Chargehand - Stuart Rankmore Prop Storeman - Charlie Malik Construction Manager - Rhys Griffiths Construction Coordinator - Ffion Roberts Construction Chargehands - Ashley Bullock, Gareth Jones Practical Electrician - Phillip D Jones Scenic Artists - Inga Jastrumskaite, Mike Carter, Shane Patterson Draughtspersons - Katja Allen-Kormylo, Imogen Dhesi Carpenters - Christopher Hawksworth, Dave Martynski, Dean Page, Harriet Jones, Huw Morgan, Jason Thomas, Jonathan Tylke, Mark Borde, Mikey Davies, Patrick Watts, Richard Griffiths, Sam Burridge Costume department Costume Supervisor - Maria Nicholson Assistant Costume Designer - Raïssa Hans Make-up and prosthetics Movement Stunt Co-ordinator - Derek Lea Stunt Performer - Paul Joseph Wire Supervisor - Max Schofield Casting Casting Associate - Becky Rossmaur Casting Assistant - Kristian Wall General post-production staff Post-production Producer - Ceres Doyle Post-production Supervisor - Louise Sutton Post-production Co-ordinator - Marley McCallum On-line Editor - Christine Kelly Assistant On-line Editor - Monika Bednarczyk Special and visual effects Additional VFX - BBC Wales Graphics VFX Producer - Anne Akande VFX Editor - Harri McAinsh Assistant VFX Editor - Catrin Rees VFX Co-ordinators - Chrysti-Anne Wright, Stephanie Kate Jones Colourist - Gareth Spensley Sound Sound Recordist - Alex Thompson Music Editor - Marnie Davidge Re-recording Mixer - Paul McFadden Audio Post-production - Bang Post Production Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources. Worldbuilding[edit][edit source] The Barber claims to be Anansi, Dionysus, Sága, Loki, and Bastet. In return, the Doctor relates encounters he had with all of those deities: winning a bet against Anansi, having a drinking contest with Dionysus that caused a drought in Athens, watching Marvel movies with Sága, and losing a game of chess to Bastet. The Story Engine has a large collection of artefacts related to stories. The room of shelves includes a human skull, several mirrors, a bronze statue of Ra, a life-sized statue of a bearded man, sheet music, a helmet, copies of The Old Man and the Sea, A Moveable Feast, and To Have and Have Not, and a statue of a charioteer. The area around the heart has a statue of a dancing Hindu goddess, a gong, a clock, a statue of an Indian elephant, a model ship, several televisions, Jumanji, and a marionette. Notes[edit][edit source] The episode has a smooth transition from the "cold opening" into the title sequence, with the title sequence first appearing in the shop window, and then the camera slowly zooming closer until the image fills the frame and the window fades away. The title of the episode was revealed on official social media on 22 March 2025.[1] On 8 May, the prequel short story What I Did On My Holidays By Omo Esosa, also written by Inua Ellams, was published on the Doctor Who website.[2] Some of the artwork from it was shown on the shop window in this episode when Omo Esosa was telling his story of the Doctor. The story shares many themes and ideas with other work by Ellams. The 2017 play Barber Shop Chronicles prominently explored barber shops as places of friendship and culture. It featured many barber shops, including one in Lagos. A version of the story about Yo-Yo Ma and the shaman was part of this play. The 2019 play The Half-God of Rainfall depicted a world in which the gods of all religions coexist as separate figures who interact and fight with each other. Orunmila appeared, presented as the Orisha of stories. Ellams viewed the character Abena as echoing the title character of this play, as both are newly-invented children of gods.[3] The 2020 poetry book The Actual had a poem about the Yo-Yo Ma story, as well as a poem comparing rapping to time travel which mentions Doctor Who. The Yo-Yo Ma anecdote is based on the musician's trip to Botswana which was filmed for the 1993 documentary Distant Echoes: Yo-Yo Ma & the Kalahari Bushmen. For the UK debut on BBC iPlayer, the episode was first released as an audio description version only. The standard version of the episode was then released a few minutes later. Episode writer Inua Ellams appears as a market seller, marking the second time a person has written and acted in the same episode, following Mark Gatiss in Victory of the Daleks [+]. Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps as Poppy and Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor were omitted from the advance credits.[4] The Ernest Hemingway anecdote of challenging him to write a story in six words appears to be referencing 'For sale: baby shoes, never worn.', a story misattributed to Hemingway. Myths[edit][edit source] to be added Filming locations[edit][edit source] to be added Ratings[edit][edit source] t…

Full show notes at the publisher

TDP 1351: 1. Zygon Century: Infiltration Worlds of #DoctorWho REVIEW May 10, 2025

Show notes

https://bbvproductions.co.uk/products/Faction-Paradox-The-Confession-of-Brother-Signet-AUDIO-DOWNLOAD-p389922366 The Zygons have come to claim the Earth, and this time they're playing the long game. For the Black Cadre have a plan, a plan that will take exactly one hundred years to come to fruition. Prepare yourselves... the Zygon Century has begun! 1901: The Unknowing Mirror by Jonathan Barnes In Edwardian London, that scandalous investigator of occult phenomena, Mr Herbert Scott, and his associate, Father Felix Cromwell, are confronted by a case of possession. A young woman, suffering from unusually vivid dreams, seems also to exhibit signs of a completely separate personality. Another being is speaking through her, a being which claims not to be from Earth at all, a being which calls itself... Zygon. 1935: The Miracle of Pendour Cove by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle Freddie Trewella has found a mermaid, beautiful and strange, washed ashore in a Cornish bay. He names her Vorvoren, and she comforts him in his harsh life of servitude to a zealot father. As they grow together, Vorvoren shows Freddie her secret power, to change her appearance into anything she desires. But Freddie has secrets of his own, terrible secrets, and soon Vorvoren's great adventure among the humans becomes a nightmarish fight for survival... 1957: Double Agent by Trevor Baxendale In an England gripped by Cold War paranoia, wounded MI5 operative Caldwell is itching to rejoin the fray abroad. So why are the service sending him to a remote Cornish island? Can the future of the world really be at stake? Will he be able to complete his mission without falling foul of the hideous monsters stalking the caves? And who exactly is the island's other new arrival: an operative of quite a different kind, known only as the Doctor? **Please note: The Miracle of Pendour Cove contains depictions of domestic violence which we strongly advise is not suitable for younger listeners**

TDP 1364: TV #Doctorwho review Lucky Day May 06, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Lucky Day (Doctor Who) 3 languages Article Talk Read Edit View history Tools Appearance hide Text Small Standard Large Width Standard Wide Color (beta) Automatic Light Dark From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 316 – "Lucky Day" Doctor Who episode Promotional title-card Cast Doctor Ncuti Gatwa – Fifteenth Doctor Companions Varada Sethu – Belinda Chandra Millie Gibson – Ruby Sunday Others Benjamin Chivers – Young Conrad Kirsty Hoiles – Moira Clark Jonah Hauer-King – Conrad Clark Gethin Alderman – The Shreek Kareem Alexander – Jordan Lang Michelle Greenidge – Carla Sunday Angela Wynter – Cherry Sunday Faye McKeever – Louise Miller Madison Stock – Elsa Paddy Stafford – Sparky Blake Anderson – Jack Aoife Gaston – Michelle Paul Jerricho – Alfie Michael Woodford – Derek Jemma Redgrave – Kate Lethbridge-Stewart Alexander Devrient – Colonel Christofer Ibrahim Tina Gray – Audrey Ruth Madeley – Shirley Bingham Lachele Carl – Trinity Wells Reeta Chakrabarti – Herself Joel Dommett – Himself Alex Jones – Herself Calypso Cragg – Influencer 2 James Craven – Influencer 3 Selorm Adonu – Influencer 1 Aidan Cook – The Vlinx Nicholas Briggs – Voice of the Vlinx Anita Dobson – Mrs Flood Production Directed by Peter Hoar Written by Pete McTighe Script editor David Cheung Produced by Vicki Delow Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Jane Tranter Joel Collins Phil Collinson Music by Murray Gold Series Series 15 Running time 46 minutes First broadcast 3 May 2025 Chronology ← Preceded by "The Well" Followed by → "The Story & the Engine" List of episodes (2005–present) "Lucky Day" is the fourth episode of the fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Pete McTighe, and was directed by Peter Hoar. The episode was released on BBC iPlayer, BBC One, and Disney+ on 3 May 2025. It features the return of companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who plays a leading role in the episode opposite Conrad Clark (Jonah Hauer-King), with both the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), the series' main leads, only appearing briefly. The episode focuses on Ruby, who begins a relationship with Conrad as she attempts to find her place in the world after leaving the Doctor. When it is revealed that Conrad wants to "expose" UNIT for their goals being "fake", Ruby and Kate Lethbridge-Stewart have to deal with the repercussions of Conrad's actions. The episode was devised by showrunner Russell T Davies, with Davies enlisting McTighe to write the episode. He used the episode to explore Ruby and Kate's characters while also exploring the "the spread of online hatred" and its effects. The episode's monster, the Shreek, was based off of McTighe's childhood fears of dog-like creatures in the dark, with the creature being portrayed via costume and an animatronic head. Filming took place in November 2023 and it was filmed back-to-back with the series premiere. The episode received positive reviews from critics, who highlighted Gibson's performance, the twist regarding Conrad's true identity, and the episode's social commentary, but were more critical of underdeveloped plotlines in the episode, as well as the execution of Conrad as an antagonist. Plot [edit] The Doctor and Belinda arrive on New Year's Day, 2007, and meet eight-year-old Conrad. Following this, Conrad investigates sightings of the Doctor and the TARDIS, seeing a younger Doctor with his then-companion Ruby in 2024, where he is marked as prey by a creature called the Shreek. In 2025, after stopping travelling with the Doctor, Ruby gives Conrad about her encounters with extraterrestrial life an interview on his podcast. They start dating and she gives him an antidote to act against him being marked by the Shreek, which has been recently captured by UNIT. At a weekend away at Conrad's home village, Ruby fears she is in danger and tells Conrad she is suffering from PTSD following her experiences with the Doctor. Two Shreek appear in pursuit of Conrad, who admits he did not take the antidote. Ruby calls UNIT and their leader Kate to the village. The Shreek are revealed to be fake, part of a setup orchestrated by Conrad, whose relationship with Ruby was a ploy, against UNIT. A scandal breaks and Conrad and his followers continue to perpetuate disinformation about the non-existence of aliens, discrediting UNIT. After Conrad publishes details of UNIT employees, Kate realises he has an insider in UNIT. The insider sneaks Conrad into the building. Alerted to his presence, Kate allows Conrad to reach the command floor, where he livestreams his intrusion. In order to expose Conrad's lies Kate releases the Shreek, which hunts Conrad. With the Shreek attacking him, Conrad admits on his livestream he has been lying about UNIT. Ruby stuns the Shreek, although it manages to injure Conrad's arm. Public sentiment turns in UNIT's favour, though Colonel Ibrahim tells Kate that she went too far by releasing the Shreek. Ruby decides to get away to overcome her trauma, and Kate offers her support when she is ready to talk. Conrad is imprisoned and the Doctor berates him for harming Ruby and his friends. Conrad asks the Doctor if he has yet met Belinda, who the Doctor has not, since that's his future. The Doctor tells Conrad that he will die in prison and be forgotten by history. However, after the Doctor leaves Conrad, Mrs Flood releases him. Production [edit] Development [edit] Showrunner Russell T Davies wished to include an episode discussing the spread of "toxic, online hatred", and contacted writer Pete McTighe to write the script.[1] McTighe had previously written episodes under former showrunner Chris Chibnall.[2] When writing the episode, he said that he wanted to take the opportunity to explore what happens to a companion after they leave the Doctor, feeling that it had infrequently been done in the past. McTighe described the episode as a mix between action, romantic comedy, and gothic horror. He also compared one of the main settings to Devil's End from the 1971 serial The Dæmons and the fact that it was a Ruby-centric story to the 2024 episode "73 Yards".[3] Ruby was referred to as having post-traumatic stress disorder following her time with the Doctor, which Davies wanted to portray in the episode.[4][5] The episode also allowed McTighe to explore Kate's character further, with her willingness to go too far being something that McTighe stated would have further repercussions "beyond this episode, beyond this season, even beyond this show."[1] McTighe developed the Shreek off the idea of a "four-legged, creeping animal", leaning into his childhood fears about dog-like creatures in the dark. He made its motivations simple, with a desire to hunt, to make a monster that could not be reasoned with and terrifying.[1] Prior to this, the Shreek were first mentioned in Caged, a 2024 Doctor Who novel by Una McCormack. McTighe also included a number of Easter egg references to past episodes and popular culture.[6] "Lucky Day" is a "Doctor-lite" episode,[7] which Davies stated required them to find "inventive ways" to include the Doctor, one of which is a flashback to a story set in the previous series.[8] The read-through took place at Wolf Studios Wales on 7 November 2023.[1] Casting [edit] The episode starred Millie Gibson (left) and Jonah Hauer-King (right) as Ruby Sunday and Conrad Clark. Millie Gibson returns as outgoing series regular and former companion Ruby Sunday.[9][10] It is the first of two appearances that Gibson is set to make during the fifteenth series, as well as her first appearance since the 2024 Christmas special, "Joy to the World".[11][12] In July 2024, at the Doctor Who San Diego Comic-Con panel, it was officially announced that Jonah Hauer-King had been cast in a role that would be involved in Ruby's character arc.[13] Further details later revealed that Hauer-King would portray Conrad, a podcaster and Ruby's boyfriend.[14] Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu also make brief appearances as the fifteenth incarnation of the Doctor and his companion, Belinda Chandra, respectively.[15] Paul Jerricho who plays Alfie previously held the role of the Castellan in "The Five Doctors" (1983).[16] Lachele Carl reprised her role as newsreader Trinity Wells.[17] Alex Jones appears as herself, a Welsh presenter on The One Show interviewing Conrad.[5] The remainder of the guest cast includes Jemma Redgrave, Ruth Madeley, Michelle Greenidge, Angela Wynter, Alexander Devrient, and Anita Dobson, as well as Nicholas Briggs in a voice role.[18] Filming and production design [edit] The primary Shreek costume was constructed using fibreglass molds and clay, with the final molds eventually being injected with silicon and painted. The Shreek uses an animatronic head. The Shreek costumes used in the episode by Conrad's friends were designed as derivative versions of the primary Shreek costume. The design team at Millenium FX had a designer look at the primary Shreek costume once and then construct the derivative version from memory to reflect the costumes' in-universe construction. The team had to make the costumes look convincing while also looking like "rubber costumes", which proved a challenge. The Shreek performers are unable to see inside the mask, requiring outside direction for the actors to know where they need to go.[5] The inclusion of mannequins in the scene where Conrad explores the abandoned department store featuring the Shreek was a result of McTighe wanting to include a callback to the first episode of Doctor Who's revived era, "Rose" (2005), which featured living mannequins called Autons.[5] Costume designer Pame Downe designed Ruby's outfits with dark blue and green colors, which Gibson felt were "more mature colors". One of her outfits included a pinstripe suit and pants that Gibson said was reminiscent of one of David Tennant's previous outfits in the series.[19] Filming occurred in the Welsh village of Newton, Porthcawl (pictured). "Lucky Day" is directed by Peter Hoar.[20] The episode was placed in the second production block of the fifteenth series with the first episode, "The Robot Revolution", and followed recording of "Joy to the World" in the block immediately preceding.[21][22][23] The two episodes in this block were filmed concurrently by utilizing a back-to-back filming technique.[5] Principal photography for the episode began on 14 November 2023.[21][23] Gibson and Hauer-King were spotted filming scenes together two days later.[24] Location filming was done in Cardiff City Centre on 24 November. The production team made use of Howells department store for the aforementioned abandoned department store scene, which was similarly used as a filming location in "Rose". For the scenes set in the village, the town of Newton, Porthcawl, was used with recording taking place from 27–29 November. Two-thirds of the budget allocated to the six-week filming block was used during those three days, three hours of which were spent shooting three takes with a helicopter.[5] Broadcast and reception [edit] Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating The A.V. Club B-[25] Bleeding Cool 10/10[26] Evening Standard [27] GamesRadar+ [28] IGN 7/10[29] Radio Times [30] Vulture [31] Broadcast [edit] "Lucky Day" was simultaneously released on BBC iPlayer at 8 a.m. British Summer Time (BST) in the United Kingdom and on Disney+ in the United States at 12 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on 3 May 2025.[32] A BBC One broadcast of the episode followed at 7:10 p.m. BST.[33] Disney also handled international distribution of the episode.[34] Ratings [edit] The episode recorded overnight broadcast ratings of 1.5 million, a decline on the previous episodes and setting a new record low after Lux's 1.58 million.[35] Critical reception [edit] Robert Anderson, writing for IGN, praised the episode's writing, the performance of Gibson, and the usage of Conrad as an antagonist, though stated that the episode, at times could feel "hollow" and that Ruby's character arc was not as well executed as it could have been.[29] Daniel Cooper, writing for Engadget, similarly highlighted the twist about Conrad's identity, McTighe's writing, and the episode's social commentary, but felt Conrad's backstory utilizing "the trope that survivors of abuse perpetuate that cycle of abuse" was overused.[36] Adi Tantimedh, writing for Bleeding Cool, praised the episode, highlighting the twist involving Conrad and the episode's social commentary.[26] Stefan Mohammed, writing for Den of Geek, found several of the episode's plot points underdeveloped, stating that Ruby's character arc was undermined by her strong home life and that Conrad embodying all aspects of the social issues being discussed made him feel overcomplicated with unclear motivations. Despite this, he found Gibson's performance compelling, and highlighted the episode's usage of Kate.[37] Vicky Jessop, writing for the London Standard, positively highlighted the episode, though felt Conrad's execution as an antagonist was weak, and that the consequences of his actions were not explored well enough.[27] Isobel Lewis, writing for The A.V. Club, stated the episode had consistency issues not present in the rest of the series; she also found it to retread similar ground to previous series episode "73 Yards", to which she negatively compared "Lucky Day".[25] References [edit] ^ Jump up to:a b c d What Lies in UNIT's Vault? | Behind the Scenes of "Lucky Day" | Doctor Who #UNITLies (Behind the scenes featurette). 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025 – via YouTube. ^ Eddy, Cheryl (27 January 2025). "Doctor Who Is Adding Fresh Writers for Ncuti Gatwa's Season 2". Gizmodo. Retrieved 26 April 2025. ^ Gledhill, Lisa (24 April 2025). Quinn, Jason (ed.). "Preview - Lucky Day". Doctor Who Magazine. No. 616. Panini Magazines. pp. 12–14. ^ "Doctor Who Lucky Day Cast and Creatives on Ruby's Return, Romance with Jonah-Hauer King's Conrad and a Terrifying New Monster in "Edge of Your Seat" Episode". BBC Mdia Centre. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Powell, Steffan (presenter); Aiken, Jonathon (director) (3 May 2025). "Lucky Day". Doctor Who: Unleashed. Series 15. Episode 4. BBC. BBC Three and BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Salmon, Will (3 May 2025). "Doctor Who season 2: All the Easter eggs, cameos, and references". GamesRadar+. /Film. Retrieved 4 May 2025. ^ Tantimedh, Adi (2 April 2025). "Doctor Who: "Lucky Day" Director on Ruby/Conrad, UNIT & Monsters". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (1 May 2025). "Doctor Who Boss Teases Ruby Sunday's Return — Including a Never-Before-Seen [Spoiler] Scene". TVLine. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Rowan, Iona (30 April 2025). "Doctor Who Announces "Epic" Finale Plans for Fans - Here's Everything to Know". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Famurewa, Jimi (1 April 2025). "Doctor Who's Varada Sethu: 'Belinda Is Main Character of Her Own Story – Not in Awe of the Doctor'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 3 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (2 April 2025). "Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Grey's, Fire Country, Daredevil, Chicago Fire, Doctor Who, The…

Full show notes at the publisher

TDP 1354 : 14A. Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Series 14: The Hellwood Inheritance May 03, 2025

Show notes

This title was released in March 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 30 April 2025, and on general sale after this date. 14.1 The Hellwood Inheritance by Alan Barnes (4 parts) When the Doctor and Leela are chased through the countryside by a headless knight, it's only the start of their problems. Because they are in the grounds of Hellwood Manor - the first safari park for ghosts! Mistaken for parapsychical investigators, the TARDIS team are shown the mysterious 'ghost catcher' device that's made the whole scheme possible. But it can't really be catching ghosts, can it? What's really happening in Hellwood? 14.2 The Memory Thieves by Phil Mulryne (2 parts) The colony world of New Pasithea was peaceful for many years. But strange electric pulses started to be detected in its forests... and then they started to get stronger... and then people lost their memories... The Doctor and Leela land in a community in turmoil, doomed to insanity by the mysterious 'Abeyance' unless the TARDIS crew can save them. But with reports of monsters being seen in the locality, this may prove harder than expected. Can they rescue the minds of the colonists? Or will they forget what they have to do... **Please note: the collector's edition CD boxset is strictly limited to 1,500 copies**

TDP 1363: TV #DoctorWho The Well #DisneyWho Doctor Who Review Apr 30, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 The Well was the third episode of Series 15 (also marketed, globally, as Season 2) of Doctor Who. It premiered on 26 April 2025. It was the first episode of Series 15 to feature a new writer, Sharma Angel-Walfall, who co-wrote the script together with Russell T Davies. The story features the second appearance and return of the Midnight entity, first seen 17 years prior in the 2008, thus serving as a sequel to Midnight [+] from Series 4. Continuing directly after their encounter with Lux Imperator in the previous story, The Well continues one of Series 15's main story arcs of the Doctor being unable to get the TARDIS to return Belinda to the 24th May 2025, and with the two discovering that, by the 5020th century, something has caused Earth to cease existing entirely. Mrs Flood also briefly appears at the end of the story: this time, she is seen in a videocall as a superior official to the mining crew. Her appearance here continues the enigmatic nature of the character that has been hinted and shown since her first appearance in The Church on Ruby Road [+], and continues the story arc of Mrs Flood somehow appearing in different eras of time that was first seen in the previous story, Lux. Contents 1Synopsis 2Plot 3Cast 4Crew 5Worldbuilding 6Notes 6.1Comparison between BBC and Disney+ versions 6.2Myths and Rumors 6.3Filming Locations 6.4Ratings 6.5Production errors 7Continuity 8Home video releases 8.1DVD and Blu-ray 9Footnotes Synopsis Far in the future, on a tough, brutal planet, a devastated mining colony has only one survivor. To discover the truth, the Doctor and Belinda must face absolute terror... Plot To be added... Mrs Flood showed Mo a picture of a vindicator to find out if the Doctor was travelling with one. After Mo confirmed he was, Mrs. Flood described this as "exactly what I needed to know. Just as I predicted. A vindicator, in action, that's very good news." Cast The Doctor - Ncuti Gatwa Belinda Chandra - Varada Sethu Aliss Fenly - Rose Ayling-Ellis Shaya Costallion - Caoilfhionn Dunne Cassio Palin-Paleen - Christopher Chung Mo Gilliben - Bethany Antonia Hanno Yeft - Annabel Brook Callo Rence - Luke Rhodri Kai Sabba - Gaz Choudry Albie Bethick - Gary Pillai Sal Van Hyten - Frankie Lipman Ulric Dazen - Jermaine Dominique Mrs Flood - Anita Dobson Val Vivo - Amy Tyger Trooper 5 - Meg Abernathy Hope Trooper 6 - Beyagy Demba Trooper 7 - Sophie Cull Trooper 9 - Paul Skudder Trooper 10 - Umit Cozuacik It has no name - Paul Kasey Crew

TDP 1353: REVIEW 93. Torchwood: Rictus from #Bigfinish worlds of #Doctorwho Apr 26, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 This title was released in March 2025. It will be exclusively available to buy from the Big Finish website until 31 May 2025, and on general sale after this date. 1901. Six months after the death of Queen Victoria, her gung-ho daughter Princess Beatrice goes to visit the organisation she's inherited. What is Torchwood? Meanwhile, something has broken out of a vault deep beneath London. The Smiling Man is coming. **Please note: the collector's edition CD is strictly limited to 1,000 copies**

TDP 1362: #DoctorWho #DisneyWho TV Doctor Who Review Lux Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 314 – "Lux" Doctor Who episode Promotional title-card Cast Doctor Ncuti Gatwa – Fifteenth Doctor Companion Varada Sethu – Belinda Chandra Others Ian Shaw – Newsreader Cassius Hackforth – Tommy Lee Ryan Speakman – Husband Linus Roache – Reginald Pye Alan Cumming – Mr Ring-a-Ding Millie O'Connell – Sunshine Sally Lewis Cornay – Logan Cheever Lucy Thackeray – Renée Lowenstein Jane Hancock – Helen Pye William Meredith – Policeman Samir Arrian – Hassan Chowdry Bronté Barbé – Lizzie Abel Steph Lacey – Robyn Gossage Anita Dobson – Mrs Flood Production Directed by Amanda Brotchie Written by Russell T Davies Script editor David Cheung Produced by Chris May Executive producer(s) Russell T Davies Julie Gardner Jane Tranter Joel Collins Phil Collinson Music by Murray Gold Series Series 15 Running time 43 minutes First broadcast 19 April 2025 Chronology ← Preceded by "The Robot Revolution" Followed by → "The Well" List of episodes (2005–present) "Lux" is the second episode of the fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It was written by Russell T Davies, the Doctor Who showrunner, from a concept first developed over two decades prior, and directed by Amanda Brotchie. In the episode, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion, Belinda Chandra, land in 1952 Miami, Florida, while trying to make their way back to 2025. After doing so, they discover a mysterious cinema where fifteen people have disappeared. The pair stay to investigate and ultimately confront an animated God, Lux (voiced by Alan Cumming), who traps them in film. "Lux" is unusual for the programme in that it features a mixed live-action and animated format. Filming for the episode took place in Penarth, Cardiff and at Wolf Studios Wales in January 2024. Some voice-over work took place internationally in New York City in June. Animation and other post-production work continued later into the year, with some tasks still being completed as late as September. The episode includes references to popular culture, fourth wall breaks and meta-references to its own fan base. It was released on BBC iPlayer, BBC One, and Disney+ on 19 April 2025. Reception to the episode was positive, with critics praising its use of animation in a live-action setting. A novelisation written by James Goss is set to be released in July 2025. Plot [edit] Unable to return to 24 May 2025, the TARDIS lands in 1952 Miami, where the Doctor and Belinda find a cinema that is chained shut. At a diner, they speak to the mother of one of fifteen people who disappeared from the cinema, which continues to play movies at night. Although racial segregation is still enforced, the waiter allows them to stay. Inside the cinema, the pair discover a living cartoon, Mr Ring-a-Ding, the embodiment of Lux Imperator, God of Light, is responsible. The projectionist, Reginald Pye, plays films for Lux, who uses his power to recreate Pye's dead wife. Lux has trapped the missing people in a film reel. He similarly traps the Doctor and Belinda, and turns them into cartoon characters, until they regain their usual forms. They flee to another false reality, where a racist NYPD cop challenges them. They escape through a television watched by Doctor Who fans. Though delighted to meet the Doctor they reveal that their world is the fake one, and encourage him to return and defeat Lux, even though they will then cease to exist. Back in the cinema, the Doctor heals his injured hand using residual regeneration energy. Lux steals the energy to create a solid body. Belinda attempts to burn film reels to cause an explosion, but encouraged by his wife, Pye sacrifices himself. The explosion exposes the cinema to sunlight causing Lux to expand infinitely until he becomes one with the universe. The missing people return. As the Doctor and Belinda leave, Mrs Flood encourages the bystanders to watch the TARDIS dematerialise, claiming this "show" is a "limited run" that ends on 24 May. The Doctor's fans critique the episode, realising that they still exist. Production [edit] Development and production design [edit] "Lux" was written by Russell T Davies.[1] He had wanted to do an episode that included a living cartoon for a long time,[2] but was unable to do one until now for funding reasons. He also revealed that he had considered variants of such an episode, including one two decades prior that would have featured a hologram rather than a legitimate animation as a result of the budgetary constraints.[3] The story also contains mentions of segregation and racism in which Davies said he added to address issues in present-day society. It was also used as a subversion to the Doctor usually situating themselves as the main authority figure. While including such themes, he didn't want it to be the dominant subject.[4] Among these are the NYPD officer saying the cinema is a space "reserved for white folk" and prejudicely assuming that Belinda is Caribbean.[5] Other motifs present explore grief, hope, friendship, and sadness.[3] Popular culture references to Rock Hudson and the Scooby Doo character Velma were included.[6] Additionally, Davies has continued a recent trend of breaking the fourth wall.[7] Also unusual for the show, the episode featured a mid-credits scene.[8] Costume designer Pam Downe created the Doctor's and Belinda's outfits using the complimentary colours of blue and yellow. Sethu's dress was inspired by a similar one worn by Anita (Ariana DeBose) and designed by Paul Tazewell in the 2021 adaptation of West Side Story.[2][9] Meanwhile, Gatwa's blue suit was influenced by American musical artists of the 1950s.[2] These hues were intended to further contrast with the red interior of the cinema by ultimately using all three primary colours.[10] Downe ultimately wanted to successfully convey movement during the episodes action scenes. As such, three different wigs were considered for Sethu to wear and her dress had multiple underskirts.[2] The concept of Mr. Ring-a-Ding was inspired by animations from Fleischer Studios. Ian Spendloff worked as a creative designer for the episode, and was the designer of Mr. Ring-a-Ding. Davies compared the concept of Mr. Ring-a-Ding to Fleischer animations from the 1930s.[2] Spendloff drafted thirty different sketches that were considered before finally settling on the one used in the episode.[4] Each one featured variations in noses, hair, and other elements. Mr. Ring-a-Ding was ultimately given a pig-like nose and blue skin to reflect characteristics of cartoon characters from the time period, with Davies wanting the character to look vaguely human but not be immediately identifiable as something else.[2] Meta-references to Doctor Who fans were also present in the episode because Davies recalled his enjoyment of cartoons while writing it, which made him consider people who loved the programme.[2] Within the episode, the fans wore Doctor Who apparel (including a Fourth Doctor scarf, another a Cyberman "Telos" sweatshirt) and declared "Blink" (2008) as their favourite episode.[6] One of them also mentioned the impending cancellation of the show.[11] They then point out the "obviousness" of the episode's foreshadowing, and made references to online leaks. The show's BBC ident appears on the screen of their television. Although they say they are too inconsequential to be given surnames, all three characters—Hassan Chowdry, Lizzie Abel and Robyn Gossage—are fully named in the credits.[12] The concept of Doctor Who existing within its own universe had previously been briefly explored in Remembrance of the Daleks (1988) and other expanded media. Following this instance, such an idea was considered quasi-canon.[13] This scene raised suspicion that Davies had potentially been planting spoilers online himself regarding upcoming episodes as well as rumours that the series would enter into another hiatus. When the fact that the episode was written and filmed well before the leaks began appearing was considered, it was compared to the futuristic predictions commonly seen in The Simpsons.[11] Casting [edit] The episode stars Ncuti Gatwa as the fifteenth incarnation of The Doctor and Varada Sethu as his companion, Belinda Chandra.[14] Alan Cumming voices the antagonist, Mr. Ring-a-Ding. It marks Cumming's second appearance in the show after his role as King James VI and I in the 2018 episode "The Witchfinders".[15] Davies said that he and the production team had considered whether it was too soon to cast Cumming again and that had it been a live action role, he likely would not have been.[4] Mr. Ring-a-Ding is the "God of Light" and part of the "Pantheon of Gods" that Davies has been developing since "The Giggle" (2023).[16][17] Linus Roache stars as Reginald Pye, the theatre's projectionist and Lewis Cornay plays a diner worker who helps the Doctor and Belinda investigate the disappearances. Anita Dobson also makes a brief appearance as recurring character Mrs. Flood.[18] The trio of fans were portrayed by Samir Arrian, Bronte Barbe, and Steph Lacey.[19] Filming and post-production [edit] Exterior shots for the theater were filmed at Penarth Pier Pavilion. The wooden ramp can be seen at the bottom of the photo. The story was filmed in the series' third production block, along with the following episode, "The Well".[20][21] It was directed by Amanda Brotchie and recorded in late-January 2024.[22][4] Location shooting took place in Penarth, Cardiff. The surrounding area was made up to look like an American city in the 1950s by adding vehicles and American flags. Penarth Pier pavilion was used for exterior shots of the theatre. The production team painted the building, added a period theatre sign, and removed a modern ramp at the front of the building. Its removal led to the discovery of rotting wood that had to be replaced at the show's expense. The episode was shot during Storm Jocelyn causing the cast and crew to struggle with unexpected rain and winds, requiring hot water bottles to keep warm during takes. Interior shots for the studio were filmed on soundstage 4 at Wolf Studios Wales. Pieces of that set were reused from "The Devil's Chord" (2024).[23][4] As a result of Mr. Ring-a-Ding being an animated creation, the performers had to interact with a two-foot acrylic cutout of the character or a thin green pole on set.The scenes were then edited during the post-production process. References for Mr. Ring-a-Ding's movement were filmed by crew, and then drawn directly into the scene by animators[4] from Framestore.[24] Cumming voiced his scenes in New York City on 28 June 2024. Elements of Cumming's facial expressions during this recording for were incorporated into Mr. Ring-a-Ding.[4] The scene where the Doctor and Belinda are turned into cartoons were first recorded on a green screen, in which Gatwa and Sethu had to portray the characters in a rigid and cartoon-like manner. The animators used this as a reference for interaction between the two characters when redrawing them as a cartoon.[2] Animations were done at twenty-five frames a second, requiring twenty-five drawings for each second of screen time, or fewer if characters' movement was limited.[4] Foley artists recorded sound effects at Bang Post Production in Cardiff, Wales on 4 September 2024.[4] The episode's soundtrack included two singles: "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry, and the Marlena Shaw rendition of "California Soul". Despite the episode taking place in 1952, the tracks were not released until 1956 and 1969, respectively.[6] Murray Gold, the show's composer, also included the song "The Sad Man With A Box", a piece that he originally composed for series 5.[25][26] Broadcast and reception [edit] Professional ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating Rotten Tomatoes (Tomatometer) 100%[27] Rotten Tomatoes (Average Score) 7.70/10[27] Review scores Source Rating The A.V. Club B[28] Bleeding Cool 10/10[29] The Daily Telegraph [30] Evening Standard [31] GamesRadar+ [32] IGN 9/10[24] Radio Times [33] Vulture [34] Broadcast [edit] "Lux" was simultaneously released on BBC iPlayer at 8 a.m. British Summer Time (BST) in the United Kingdom and on Disney+ in the United States at 12 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time on 12 April 2025.[35] A BBC One broadcast followed at 7:15 p.m. BST.[36] Disney also handled international distribution of the episode.[37] Ratings [edit] The episode received overnight viewing figures of 1.58 million, the lowest broadcast ratings in Doctor Who's history. It was the fourth most-watched programme of the day on BBC One, with one show on ITV1 also achieving higher numbers.[38] Critical reception [edit] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.70/10.[27] Robert Anderson, writing for IGN, praised the episode, highlighting Mr. Ring-a-Ding, several individual scenes, such as the fourth-wall-breaking scene, and the performances of Gatwa and Sethu.[24] The Guardian's Martin Belam responded positively to the episode, praising Cumming's performance and the fourth-wall-breaking scene.[39] Will Salmon, writing for GamesRadar+, highlighted Mr. Ring-a-Ding and Gatwa's performance, though felt Murray Gold's musical score "drowned out" some scenes.[32] Adi Tantimedh, writing for Bleeding Cool, found the episode to be the strongest out of the episodes headed by Davies in his second tenure as showrunner.[29] Andrew Blair, writing for Den of Geek, highlighted the characterization of Mr. Ring-a-Ding, but criticized the episode's similarities to "The Devil's Chord", which he felt made the episode feel repetitive and weaker than it should have. He also felt the episode's handling of race was not effective, as while he felt the episode's inclusion of the topic was commendable, he felt the Doctor's in-universe way of handling it "can't help but scrape awkwardly against our real-world knowledge."[25] Vicky Jessop, writing for the Evening Standard, criticized the inclusion of the scene featuring Doctor Who fans, stating that while it was initially entertaining, it quickly became "strained".[31]

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