Series 11, Episode 7 | 1 part | First broadcast: 18 November 2018 | Writer: Pete McTighe | Director: Jennifer Perrott
Cast
- Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor
- Bradley Walsh as Graham O’Brien
- Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair
- Mandip Gill as Yasmin Khan
- Lee Mack as Dan Cooper
- Julie Hesmondhalgh as Judy Maddox
Summary
Responding to a hidden distress call embedded in a package, the Doctor and her friends go undercover at the warehouse of Kerblam!, a galaxy-spanning online retailer, where they discover a workforce of exploited humans and robotic “TeamMates” alongside a rogue employee planning a violent, deadly protest against automation-driven job losses, forcing the Doctor to navigate a morally complex situation where neither the corporation’s exploitative practices nor the saboteur’s murderous methods offer a clean solution.
Interesting Facts
- The episode is a clear satire of real-world automated fulfillment retailers, drawing both praise and criticism for its ultimately ambivalent stance on corporate labor practices.
- Comedian Lee Mack’s casting in the seemingly comic-relief but ultimately villainous role was noted as an atypical dramatic turn for the well-known stand-up performer.
- The title “Kerblam!” and its retail setting were partly inspired by real fulfillment center working conditions reported in contemporary news stories.
- It was one of the more divisive episodes of the season among critics, with some praising its satire and others critiquing its muddled political message about automation and labor.
- The episode features an extensive number of practical robot “TeamMate” costumes and puppetry rather than pure CGI creations.
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