Series 14, Episode 2 | 1 part | First broadcast: 11 May 2024 | Writer: Russell T Davies | Director: Ben Chessell
Cast
- Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor
- Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
- Jinkx Monsoon as Maestro
- Susan Twist as the Tea Lady
Summary
The Doctor takes Ruby to witness the Beatles recording their first album in 1963, only to discover that music itself has been drained from the world by Maestro, a music-devouring entity revealed to be a child of the Toymaker, and after a battle spanning 1963 and a devastated future 2024, John Lennon and Paul McCartney complete a musical chord that traps Maestro inside a piano and restores music to the universe, though Maestro leaves behind an ominous warning about “the One Who Waits.”
Interesting Facts
- The episode reveals Maestro as the child of the Toymaker, first seen in 2023’s “The Giggle,” continuing a season-long arc involving godlike beings warring over reality.
- Jinkx Monsoon’s performance as Maestro was widely praised by critics, and the episode scored 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
- The episode features cameo appearances from Strictly Come Dancing’s Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe, and composer Murray Gold appears playing piano in the climax.
- It contains callbacks to 1963’s “An Unearthly Child” and the Doctor’s granddaughter, Susan Foreman.
- The episode drew 3.91 million consolidated viewers.
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