Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy
- Publication: Radio Times
- Date: 2024-05-11
- Author: Russell T Davies
- Page: 24
- Language: English
Time-Lord-in-Chief Russell T Davies unleashes his exclusive episode guide
NEW VIEWERS, THIS WAY! Doctor Who should always have an open door for people who have never seen it before. We can rely on the faithful fans and that huge bedrock of casual viewers who think of the show with a smile but, beyond that, there's always a new generation being born, or people who have somehow looked the other way. And this time, with the programme being streamed on Disney+ outside the UK (where available), there are huge reefs of new viewers who might never have heard the word "Tardis" before.
So there's a new Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa. And a new companion, Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, who's there to ask all the questions you might want answering, like "Why do all these aliens speak English?" (It's the Tardis translation circuits, as we've always said, but this time we actually get to see them working!) And beyond that, I hope the show has a new energy. I want it to feel younger, wilder, more lively, a bit more bonkers, more capable of going anywhere. And bigger with its laughs and leaps and lunacy, while still holding tight to the old traditions, giving us scares that will fold themselves away into the unlit corners of our minds for the rest of our lives.
Walk this way, faithful reader, through these blue wooden doors, into this cavernous new console room, where we can set the controls for vistas far and wide.
And monsters! Don't forget the monsters!
1 Space Babies Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Julie Anne Robinson
Far away in time and space, on the colony world Pacifico del Rio, trouble is brewing in orbit, miles above the citizens' heads. And when the Doctor takes Ruby on her first trip to the far future, they discover not only the puzzle of the Space Babies, but a terrifying Bogeyman and a secret that needs unravelling before time runs out. Guest star Golda Rosheuvel steps out of Queen Charlotte's robes in Bridgerton to play Jocelyn, a mysterious woman who might help save the day... or bring disaster.
The last time we saw Ruby Sunday, she was stepping aboard the Tardis on Christmas Day 2023, with no idea who the Doctor is, or how or why or anything. So this is her baptism of fire, not to mention a crash course in the basics of Doctor Who.
In 1952, Ray Bradbury wrote A Sound of Thunder, a short story that suggested stepping on a butterfly in the past could change your destiny in the future. And Ruby's about to discover exactly what that means!
2 The Devil's Chord Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Ben Chessell
11 February 1963, the day the Beatles recorded their first album, Please Please Me, at the EMI Recording Studios, later to be renamed as Abbey Road Studios. And who's that pushing a tea trolley to spy on this famous event in history? Yes, it's the Doctor and Ruby, simply on a mission to have fun and enjoy a great moment in music.
Except, this is Doctor Who. And soon things are going wrong, not just for the Beatles, but for Cilia Black too. Waiting in the wings is the awesome and terrifying Maestro (below), a creature so powerful that even the Doctor must run and hide.
Welcome, Jinkx Monsoon, to the Whoniverse! Jinkx is an extraordinary actor and performer, selling out tickets on Broadway and being crowned All Star of All Stars on RuPaul's Drag Race. And now she brings power, menace and a lethal wit to Maestro, one of the greatest enemies the Doctor has ever faced.
As the Beatles might say, Help!
3 Boom Written by Steven Moffat Directed by Julie Anne Robinson
A war-torn world on the farthest edges of the galaxy, Kastarion 3 is all traps, smoke, mud, danger and ruins. The Kastarions themselves can't be seen, hiding in the fog. The Doctor finds himself trapped, Ruby's in more danger than ever before, and they're both about to meet someone who might, one day, change their lives for ever.
What could be better than terror and mystery written by the master himself? No, not that Master, I mean Steven Moffat, showrunner from the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi eras. Creator of the Weeping Angels, a stone-cold world-class genius, and the first person I called when I came back to Doctor Who. I begged for a new script. And when this arrived on my desk - that was one of the best days of all. And for the Doctor, the worst!
4 73 Yards Written by Russell T Davies 73 Yards Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams
Welsh folk horror. The Tardis lands on the clifftops of west Wales. The Doctor looks at the waves crashing below and says, "It never ends, the war between the land and the sea." But in the village pub, Y Pren Marw, the local wise
*-
woman, Enid, has dire warnings. "It's said that he walks through the gaps. The Spiteful One." With the villagers living in fear of a scroll bearing the legend, "Rest in peace, Mad Jack," it's a tale of terror like never before.
Doctor Who is made in Cardiff, so it's an honour to welcome the finest of Welsh talent through our studio doors. This episode stars Dame Sian Phillips as Enid Meadows, and it's remarkable that she hasn't been in the show until now. She said to me, "I've never been asked!" Well, now a wrong has been righted, in an episode that might haunt your dreams for a very long time.
5 Dot and Bubble Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams
Lindy Pepper-Bean has the best life. Every day, she works hard, then goes to Club Aqua with her friends Hoochy Pie, Alan K Sullivan, Jimbo Fennell and the gang. But sometimes, Lindy catches something in the corner of her eye. What's that gurgling, slobbering, munching sound from round the corner? And where has poor Jimbo gone? Maybe the Doctor and Ruby can help. But they're facing dangers of their own.
I first pitched this Doctor Who story to Steven Moffat, way back in 2010. "Impossible to achieve," we both agreed. But now technology has moved on, and here it is at last, with Callie Cooke giving a barnstorming performance, and another fine Welsh actor,
Tom Rhys Harries, playing possibly the nicest man in the world, Ricky September.
6 Rogue Written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman Directed by Ben Chessell
"Oh my Bridgerton!" says Lady Ruby Sunday of the Notting Hill Estate. It's 1813, and there's a Grand Ball at the Duchess of Pemberton's country manor. Dancing, dalliances and deadly danger, as desiccated bodies pop up at the most inconvenient times. But when the Doctor spots a mysterious stranger known only as Rogue, the dance gets more complicated than ever before.
It's packed with star quality - from the writers (Kate Herron, fresh from showrunning Loki) to the guest cast: Indira Varma as the most dazzling villain, and Broadway and movie star Jonathan Groff as the perfectly named Rogue himself. I can promise spaceships, Kylie, flashbacks and surprises galore in our most sumptuous production yet.
7 The Legend of Ruby Sunday Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Jamie Donoughue
The Tardis is on a top-secret mission, heading straight for the UNIT Tower in the middle of modern-day London. But ten floors below, a long-buried secret has been waiting since the era of the third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), and Ruby's mother holds a vital clue that might change her daughter's story for ever.
This is the first part of a two-episode season finale, and oh my, the vultures are coming home to roost. Plots, hints, secrets, lies and twists that have been muttering in the shadows since Christmas now rise up and unleash an absolute snowstorm of horror. Sometimes, late at night, I play this episode just for myself. So I can imagine being eight years old. And terrified. Because this one is the stuff of nightmares...
8 Empire of Death Written by Russell T Davies Directed by Jamie Donoughue
Terror. Devastation. Apocalypse. Tragedy. Horror. Revenge. The world reels from the most terrifying revelations and everything is lost. Apparently, Doctor Who is coming back at Christmas, but it might just be a blank screen on BBC1 for an hour, because, trust me - not everyone is getting out of this alive.
See Feedback: page 144
BABY MONITOR Golda Rosheuvel — famous as Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte — heads into space as Jocelyn in episode one
LIVER BOYS In episode two the Beatles need Help!
HOLD ONTO YOUR BRITCHES Jonathan Groff plays the eponymous Rogue as Ruby and the Doctor dress for a Regency ball
DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby (Millie Gibson) take the 60s in their stride
Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org
- APA 6th ed.: Davies, Russell T (2024-05-11). Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy. Radio Times p. 24.
- MLA 7th ed.: Davies, Russell T. "Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy." Radio Times [add city] 2024-05-11, 24. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Davies, Russell T. "Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy." Radio Times, edition, sec., 2024-05-11
- Turabian: Davies, Russell T. "Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy." Radio Times, 2024-05-11, section, 24 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Laughs,_Leaps_%26_Lunacy | work=Radio Times | pages=24 | date=2024-05-11 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Laughs, Leaps & Lunacy | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Laughs,_Leaps_%26_Lunacy | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=5 December 2025}}</ref>
