Season 59 - 2026

 

Following the bold and daring storytelling of Season 58, anticipation was high for what Chris Clenshaw and his team had planned next. The Christmas Special had left fans both emotional and excited for the future, especially with the departure of Anya Chalotra as Ellie Sinclair in the finale and the return of Nick Berry’s Ninth Doctor for one final farewell.

Season 59 would now consist of ten episodes, along with a Christmas Special at the end of the year. Clenshaw described this season as one that would "push the Doctor to his limits like never before," 

With Ellie’s departure, the question of who would step aboard the TARDIS next loomed over the fandom, and in late 2025, the BBC confirmed that James Bye would join the cast as the Doctor’s new companion, Denver Russell. Denver was described as tough, loyal and willing to help the Doctor in any situation.

As for the writing team, the show continued to attract top-tier talent. Returning writers included Pete McTighe, Sharma Angel-Walfall, Scott Handcock and Charlie Brooker, who, after his successful Christmas Special, was given the opportunity to pen the season finale. New writers included Kate Herron, Alex Kurtzman, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Jack Thorne, James Graham and the writing duo of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.

Guest stars for the season included Keeley Hawes, Matthew Macfayden, Sam Riley, Jack Lowden, Ewan Mitchell, Alex Jennings, Timothy Dalton, Eddie Marsan, Anna Friel, Jonathan Groff, Kyle MacLachlan and Derek Thompson with Rupert Graves, Annabel Scholey and Ruth Madeley returning from the previous seasons.

There was also a Christmas Special which was kept secret and a lot of it was filmed in studio, with the trailers showing many shots of the Doctor and old archive footage alongside a few vfx shots.

At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Doctor Who showrunner Chris Clenshaw had an unplanned meeting with Akiva Goldsman, one of the key creative figures behind Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Their casual conversation about shared sci-fi influences quickly turned into a speculative “what if?” discussion about a crossover. Neither expected it to go further, but the connection opened a door.

Later in 2024, Sony Pictures Television and CBS Studios quietly explored whether a limited collaboration between Doctor Who and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was legally and logistically possible. Early talks were informal and low-pressure, focusing on a single episode rather than a full co-production. This kept expectations realistic and allowed both sides to consider the idea seriously.

In January–March 2025, formal negotiations began. Because Doctor Who is produced by BBC Studios and Sony and Star Trek by CBS Studios, all three companies had to approve character rights, asset usage and marketing terms. Bad Wolf, as Doctor Who’s production company, provided early assessments on how Starfleet sets and actors could be integrated into their Cardiff-based workflow. By mid-March 2025, a deal for one crossover episode was officially signed.

Writing began immediately in April 2025, with Kate Herron and Alex Kurtzman writing the story, with the script being finished by June. 

Season 59 began filming in February 2025 and the crossover episode was scheduled early enough to be shot in June–July 2025. During that period, key Star Trek cast members travelled to Cardiff for a two-week shooting block, while a second unit in Toronto recorded additional bridge footage. 

New Frontiers

By James Graham

The Doctor looks over the sea on a hillside, he’s calm as he watches the waves and the sound of the sea puts him at ease. The Man walks next to him, he asks the Doctor why he comes back here and the Doctor says that it’s peaceful and it gives him a chance to ask about his impending doom. The Man says that it will come soon when the sands blow over the wastelands of time and space and the devourer has killed all, but there’s someone else who's waiting and he will pose a threat before the Devourer wakes. The Doctor asks who he is and the Man says “You,” the Doctor is puzzled but the Man says specifically his darker side in between his 12th and 13th Incarnation, the body at the bottom of the cliff on Gallifrey. The Doctor’s eyes widen as the penny drops “The Valeyard?!” The Man says “one of the three” before he walks away smiling as the Doctor runs back to the TARDIS as he defiantly pulls the lever. 

Denver Russell wakes up and gets ready for work and he drives to UNIT HQ, where he meets with Wilson as he’s been given a post at UNIT. Wilson mentions that his father worked at UNIT many years ago, Denver confirms this and his father disappeared in the 90s and he’s never heard from him since.

He’s then shown to his office as Wilson gives him some good luck and the door closes, as the door’s sign reads “Head of Scientific Research”. A personnel officer arrives and Denver receives a briefing, the officer updates him on various government contacts and UNIT contracts. He nods absently as the personnel details the numerous funding that goes into the researches and other such things. 

The Doctor dashes around the TARDIS as he tries to get to Earth, fearing something may have happened. He arrives in the HQ and is greeted by Wilson, Hannah and Shirley. The Doctor says hello to them and says it was a false alarm, Wilson asks if everything’s ok and the Doctor says that it is. Wilson then says that the Doctor can stay for a while if he likes and the Doctor eventually agrees to do so.

The Doctor remained at UNIT HQ, but his mind lingered on the ominous warning about the Valeyard. While he dismissed the immediate threat, he remained vigilant, knowing dangers often lurked in his past. Meanwhile, Denver Russell adjusted to his role as Head of Scientific Research, uncovering classified files on extraterrestrial encounters and anomalous signals. One file in particular stood out: an intercepted signal of unknown origin, resembling a beacon rather than a message.

UNIT analysts struggled to decode the signal, and Denver found himself drawn deeper into the mystery. The Doctor, reviewing satellite feeds, identified a rhythmic energy pattern in low orbit, recognising it as an ancient distress call or an invitation to something far worse. Before he could investigate further, alarms blared across UNIT HQ, signaling the arrival of unidentified aircraft breaching Earth's atmosphere.

As large black warships descended, bearing symbols of the long-forgotten Varathane Dominion, it became clear that Earth was under siege. Explosions rocked the city, and UNIT forces mobilised to respond. The Doctor, Denver, and the UNIT team worked quickly to assess the threat, realising the Varathane Dominion, a lost empire wiped from history, had returned.

With UNIT scrambling to defend against the invasion, the Doctor formulated a plan. He suspected the beacon signal had acted as a summoning device, reawakening the Dominion. To counter the threat, UNIT needed to shut down the transmission at its source. Denver and a team of scientists worked to locate the origin of the signal while the Doctor prepared to confront the Varathane forces directly.

As the battle spread across the city, UNIT’s defenses struggled against the overwhelming power of the invaders. The Doctor, determined to uncover the truth behind the Dominion’s return, ventured to a hidden facility beneath UNIT HQ, where he believed the answers lay. Denver and his team discovered that the signal had originated from deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean, suggesting an ancient structure buried beneath the seabed.

With time running out, the Doctor led an expedition to the oceanic site, using a specialised UNIT submersible to reach the depths. There, they discovered a massive ancient construct, pulsing with the same energy signature as the beacon. As they explored the facility, they encountered dormant Varathane technology, suggesting the Dominion had never truly been destroyed but merely placed in stasis, waiting for a signal to awaken them.

Realising the signal must be deactivated before the Dominion’s full forces arrived, the Doctor and Denver worked against time to shut it down. Meanwhile, UNIT engaged the invading forces in a desperate battle on the surface. As the Doctor navigated the ancient technology, he uncovered a shocking revelation, the Varathane Dominion had not reawakened on its own. Someone had activated the beacon intentionally.

With this new knowledge, the Doctor faced an even greater mystery. Who had triggered the return of the Dominion, and for what purpose? As he worked to disable the signal, an unknown presence watched from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

The Doctor and Denver fought through the corridors of the ancient facility, evading automated defenses and collapsing structures. With the Dominion warships continuing their assault on Earth, UNIT’s forces waged a desperate fight to hold them back. Finally, the Doctor and Denver reached the beacon’s core, a pulsating energy sphere connected to a control console of alien origin.

As the Doctor deciphered the controls, he realised that shutting down the beacon alone would not be enough, it had already transmitted its signal into the depths of space. Instead, he devised a plan to reverse the signal’s polarity, creating an energy feedback loop that would overload the Dominion’s technology. Denver assisted in reconfiguring the power conduits, ensuring the plan would succeed.

With only moments to spare, the Doctor activated the sequence, causing the ancient construct to tremble violently. Across the planet, Dominion warships lost power, their systems failing as the feedback loop spread through their fleet. One by one, the ships fell from the sky, crashing harmlessly into the ocean or vanishing into hyperspace as their emergency protocols activated. The invasion had been stopped.

As UNIT celebrated their hard-earned victory, Denver stood alongside the Doctor, watching the remaining Dominion vessels retreat into the void. The realisation of what he had accomplished struck him deeply, he had helped save the world, but more than that, he had glimpsed something greater.

With UNIT stabilising the situation, the Doctor prepared to leave, but Denver hesitated. He had spent years searching for meaning in his father’s disappearance, looking for something beyond the ordinary. Here, with the Doctor, he had found it. Seeing his determination, the Doctor offered him a place aboard the TARDIS. Without hesitation, Denver accepted.

As the TARDIS doors closed behind them, UNIT watched as the blue box faded into the vortex, carrying Denver Russell into the adventure of a lifetime.

The Epsom Conspiracy

By Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson

In the early 20th century, the Doctor and his new companion, Denver Russell, arrive at Epsom Downs on June 4, 1913, during the 134th running of the Epsom Derby, historically referred to as the "Suffragette Derby." The event is notably marked by the tragic incident involving suffragette Emily Davison, who stepped onto the racetrack in a protest for women's voting rights and was fatally injured by King George V's horse, Anmer.

As they navigate the bustling crowds, the Doctor and Denver sense an unusual disturbance in the temporal fabric, indicating the presence of alien technology. Their investigation leads them to uncover a plot orchestrated by the Terileptils, a reptilian species previously encountered by the Doctor. The Terileptils aim to exploit the political unrest of the era by using mind-control devices to manipulate key figures within the suffragette movement and the British government, intending to destabilise human society for their gain.

Realising the potential consequences, the Doctor and Denver work to thwart the Terileptils' scheme. They dismantle the alien technology, freeing those under its influence, and expose the extraterrestrial threat to the authorities. In doing so, they ensure that the course of history remains unaltered, preserving the integrity of the suffragette movement and its pivotal role in advancing women's rights.

They Shall Not Pass

By Pete McTighe

The TARDIS materialises in the heart of London’s East End on October 4, 1936, the day of the Battle of Cable Street. The Doctor and Denver step out to find a city on edge, tensions between the working-class communities and Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Fascists are at a boiling point. Mosley and his Blackshirt supporters plan to march through the heavily Jewish neighbourhood, provoking a massive counter-protest from Jewish residents, socialists, anarchists, and trade unionists determined to stop them.

As they walk through the bustling streets, the Doctor and Denver meet local organisers preparing for the inevitable confrontation. Conversations with Jewish shopkeepers, young radicals, and dockworkers reveal the deep fear and anger within the community. Some believe the police will protect them, while others are certain they will only aid the fascists.

When the Doctor and Denver witness police brutality against a group of anti-fascist demonstrators, they realise just how delicate the situation is. The Doctor, ever the observer of history, warns Denver that they must not interfere with the larger outcome but small actions can still make a difference. They offer medical aid, assist in barricade-building, and work alongside the protesters to hold the line.

As Mosley’s Blackshirts approach, escorted by mounted police, the East End unites. Makeshift barricades block the roads and cries of “They shall not pass!” echo through the streets. The police attempt to force a path for the fascists, leading to violent clashes. Bottles, stones, and refuse rain down from windows, while workers armed with sticks and bare fists defend their homes. Denver finds himself in the thick of the resistance, helping an injured protester to safety while the Doctor uses his quick thinking to misdirect police officers, ensuring that the march never reaches its intended path.

After hours of intense resistance, the police are forced to reroute the Blackshirts away from Cable Street. The people have won. As cheers ring out in the streets, the Doctor and Denver slip away, their presence unnoticed in the grand sweep of history.

Before departing, Denver reflects on what they witnessed, not just a battle, but a moment of unity against hatred. The Doctor reminds him that while history is often shaped by great events, it is the courage of ordinary people that makes the difference. With that, they step back into the TARDIS, leaving behind a city that stood its ground, victorious.

The Wyrd of Dunsinane

By Jack Thorne

The TARDIS materialises near Dunsinane Hill in Scotland, 1054, amid the climactic moments of the Battle of Dunsinane. The Doctor and Denver find themselves amidst the chaos of combat between King Macbeth's forces and the army led by Siward, Earl of Northumbria, supporting Malcolm Canmore's claim to the Scottish throne.

As they navigate the battlefield, the Doctor senses anachronistic disturbances, subtle manipulations of time and fate. Investigating further, they encounter three enigmatic figures: the Weird Sisters, reminiscent of the Three Witches from Shakespeare's Macbeth. These witches are orchestrating events, influencing key moments to ensure the fulfillment of their dark prophecies.

Realising that the witches are not mere mortals but powerful entities meddling with the fabric of time, the Doctor confronts them. The witches reveal that they are agents of chaos, thriving on the turmoil and bloodshed resulting from their manipulations. They have intertwined their existence with the fate of Macbeth, ensuring that the prophecies lead to his downfall and the ensuing disorder.

Determined to restore the natural order, the Doctor devises a plan to sever the witches' influence over the timeline. With Denver's assistance, they create a counter-spell using ancient rites and the TARDIS's temporal energies. They confront the witches during the height of the battle, disrupting their control and freeing the participants from supernatural manipulation.

With the witches' influence eradicated, the battle proceeds as history intended. Macbeth is defeated but not by predestined fate; rather, by the genuine efforts and valour of his opponents. The natural course of history is restored, leading to Malcolm Canmore's eventual ascension to the throne as Malcolm III.

The Doctor then sees the Man and asks him what he’s doing here, the Man says that he’s a historian of sorts. The Doctor asks the Man what his name is but he says he can’t remember, the Doctor tells him that he won’t be responsible for his actions if the Man keeps playing these games but the Man says that the Doctor will be. The Doctor damns him and the Man says “Many have tried,” as he leaves.

The Doctor and Denver leave in the TARDIS, reflecting on the resilience of humanity and the importance of free will. They acknowledge that while supernatural forces may attempt to sway destiny, the courage and choices of individuals ultimately shape the course of history.

Number 99

By Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton

The TARDIS lands on a rain-slicked, cobbled street in 1950s England. Fog rolls through the air, swallowing the dim glow of gas lamps. The Doctor and Denver step out, finding themselves outside Number 99, a derelict townhouse at the end of a forgotten road. The house seems… wrong. Its architecture is slightly off, as though the walls have shifted overnight. The air is heavy, thick with whispers that dissolve when listened to too closely.

A woman stands in the doorway, dressed in mourning black. She doesn’t seem surprised to see them. Mrs Whitaker, the housekeeper, speaks in hushed tones, her voice is low, her eyes darting around the room. She simply says that the two are expected, and the Doctor and Denver exchange glances but follow her inside.

Inside, the house is cavernous, stretching further than its exterior suggests. Shadows linger too long in corners. The ticking grandfather clock never strikes the hour. A single candle flickers on a dining table, illuminating a place setting for a guest that never arrives.

As the Doctor investigates, he finds a portrait of the Man on the wall and he asks Mrs Whitaker who he is. Mrs Whitaker says that it’s an old portrait she was given a few years back and she always liked it and she asks the Doctor whether it’s important, but the Doctor says no and he just says that he seemed familiar.

Denver notices the portraits lining the walls. Each face is blurred, as though moving beneath the paint. But one thing is clear, they’re all watching. Then comes the sound. A knocking from upstairs. Mrs Whitaker mutters that it’s best not to answer and the Doctor, naturally, does the opposite.

At the top of the stairs, a single door stands ajar. A cold draught slithers from within. As they step inside, they find a room frozen in time, dust untouched, a child’s rocking horse swaying though no one has touched it. A cracked mirror sits in the corner, reflecting something else. A version of the room where the shadows are too deep, where a gaunt figure stands just out of view. Watching. Waiting.

Then, the whispering begins, the Doctor’s breath catches. They are not alone in the house.

The entity makes itself known. It has no name, only a presence, a parasite that feeds on grief and memory, trapping souls within the walls of Number 99. The house is its feeding ground, luring visitors who never leave. The blurred portraits in the hall are not paintings, but prisoners. Denver feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns…no one is there.

The Doctor, ever defiant, confronts the entity. He says that it’s nothing but a parasite, but the entity only laughs a dry, rasping sound that echoes through the house.

The walls begin to close in. Rooms shift, hallways stretch endlessly. Mrs Whitaker is gone. The Doctor realises too late she was never there. Just another echo, a memory of a victim long since consumed.

The Doctor and Denver are running now, the shadows reaching for them. The front door is gone. The TARDIS, swallowed by the house. The only way out is through the mirror.

With seconds to spare, the Doctor shatters the glass, disrupting the entity’s hold. The house screams. The trapped souls wail. The walls begin to crack and peel away, revealing something ancient beneath and then, silence. The Doctor and Denver find themselves outside in the rain once more. The house is gone. Not destroyed, simply never there at all. In its place stands an empty lot. And at the edge of the street, the Man watches them and only the Doctor notices. He gives a knowing smile, nods and disappears into the mist. Denver says that they’re never staying in a haunted house again.

The Doctor, still staring at where Number 99 once stood, simply says: "Who said it was a house?"

Light and Shadow

By Scott Handcock

The Doctor and Denver step out of the TARDIS into a realm that should not exist: a vast, infinite void where starlight glows without a source and the very air hums with unseen power. Before them stands a figure robed in brilliant white, eyes shining with the weight of eternity. The White Guardian.

He speaks in solemn tones: balance has been disturbed. The Black Guardian has enacted a plan to tip the cosmic scales permanently in his favour, twisting fate and time to serve his own ends. If he succeeds, chaos will consume all of creation, and neither the Time Lords nor any force in the universe will be able to stop him. The Doctor, ever wary of the Guardians’ machinations, is reluctant to get involved, but Denver, eager to prove himself, pushes forward.

Guided by the White Guardian, they arrive on Calibran Omega, a planet lost to myth, said to be the birthplace of the ancient forces of order and entropy. Here, beneath the crumbling ruins of a once-mighty citadel, the Black Guardian seeks a forbidden artefact: the Ecliption Core: a fragment of primal energy that, once infused with his essence, will render him untouchable by his counterpart.

The Doctor and Denver race through the labyrinthine city, encountering twisted echoes of time, broken moments where history plays out incorrectly, a sign of the Guardian’s interference. In one moment, they witness an alternate timeline where the Daleks rule Gallifrey; in another, the Earth’s sky is filled with unrecognisable constellations. The Black Guardian is already at work, unravelling reality to suit his own desires.

Finally, they reach the core chamber only to find they are too late. The Black Guardian stands before them, wreathed in shadow, the Ecliption Core thrumming in his outstretched hand. His voice is silk and venom as he taunts the Doctor, calling back to their long history, before turning his attention to Denver. He offers him a choice: power beyond imagining, the ability to rewrite his own past, or oblivion.

And then, a voice calls out from the darkness. A figure steps forward: tall, dishevelled, clad in tattered remnants of the 1990s UNIT uniform. His face is lined, his eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and pride: David Lyons.

Denver’s breath catches. His father. A man he has only known through faded memories, the Doctor is shocked as the joy of their old adventures flood back but the guilt he holds of David’s death.

The White Guardian, standing at the threshold, explains: for one moment, he has bent the laws of the universe to give father and son a fleeting reunion, a moment outside of time. But it is just that: a moment.

David looks to his son. He speaks of sacrifice, of duty, of the burden of standing beside the Doctor and the cost it exacts, he explains what happened and how he died and he told the Doctor what to do and tells Denver not to blame him. He tells Denver that he has done him proud. That he has always been proud. But he warns him too, power offered by the Black Guardian is never a gift. It is a trap. Torn between temptation and his father’s words, Denver makes his choice. He rejects the Black Guardian.

Furious, the Black Guardian attempts to seize the Ecliption Core’s power for himself, but the Doctor, with a flick of his sonic screwdriver and a knowing smirk, reveals that he has already inverted the energy flow. Instead of empowering the Black Guardian, the Core collapses in on itself, severing his connection to the mortal plane. With a final, agonised scream, the Black Guardian vanishes, cast back into the void from whence he came.

The balance restored, the White Guardian steps forward. He thanks the Doctor and Denver for their service, though they both know this will not be the last time the Guardians interfere. As time begins to correct itself, David has a brief conversation with the Doctor and he says that there were a few secrets he didn’t quite mention and the Doctor says that he was always full of surprises, David says thank you to the Doctor for all the great adventures they had and the Doctor says that even a soldier deserves a trip of a lifetime and a break from the wars. David looks at his son one last time. “I’ve got to go now, lad.”

Denver reaches out, but his father is already fading, his form dissolving into light and then he is gone.

The ruins of Calibran Omega crumble as the Doctor and Denver race back to the TARDIS. As they dematerialise, Denver sits in silence, processing everything that has happened. The Doctor doesn’t press him. Some moments are too important for words. Instead, they disappear into the vortex, the universe safe, for now. But far away, in the deepest reaches of the cosmos, the Black Guardian lingers in the shadows, waiting for his next move. 

Because chaos never truly dies.

Boldly Go

By Kate Herron and Alex Kurtzman

The TARDIS shoots through the vortex on its way to a new destination. The Doctor and Denver talk about their most recent adventure being chased by Roman guards, Denver says that he’s always wanted to see Rome and the Doctor adds that maybe that wasn’t the best way to see it. Suddenly the lights in the TARDIS turn violet and the console sparks, the TARDIS has been caught in a temporal storm. The Doctor tries to control the TARDIS but to little success, he attempts a jump start for the TARDIS. As soon as the Doctor tries that, the TARDIS console sparks more and a panel is blown off, as the TARDIS falls out of the Time Vortex into a different universe.

The Doctor gets up and helps Denver, Denver asks where they are and the Doctor checks the console saying that they’re in a different universe and Denver asks where, the TARDIS then starts to receive a transmission and he checks the scanner and footage statics, until the Doctor adjusts it. He sees a man sitting in a chair with crew members around him, Denver says “But they can’t be, can they?” As the man sitting down says “This is Captain Christopher Pike of the Starship Enterprise. If you can hear us, identify yourself.”

The Doctor begins to laugh and Denver is just in disbelief, the Doctor says that he can’t believe they’ve met the crew of the Enterprise. Pike and the Enterprise crew try to communicate via the view screen but the TARDIS materialises on-board the bridge of the Enterprise. The Doctor and Denver hurries out and the Doctor shakes Pike’s hand and uses the Vulcan hand gesture  and says “Live long and prosper” to Spock, which he accepts as a friendly gesture. La’an Noonien-Singh raises her phaser, thinking the two are a threat, the Doctor begins waffling and asks La’an to put her gun down saying that he knows it’s random him turning up, but he’s really not harmful and Pike asks her to do so too. The Doctor then turns to Pike and tells him that they need to talk.

In the Ready Room, the Doctor explains all the usual info about him being a Time Lord and the TARDIS being a time machine. He then goes on to explain that he’s not from their universe as the TARDIS were caught in a temporal storm and they ended up here, Pike says that Spock also detected an anomaly and they were curious about it. 

The Doctor and Pike then return to the bridge, Pike allows the Doctor and Denver to explore the Enterprise. Whilst exploring Denver asks how can all this be real as in their universe this is a TV show and the Doctor thinks that a new universe must’ve been created with the Star Trek universe as a blueprint, Denver asks if it will have any negative effects, the Doctor says no but he is concerned about the being who made this universe.

Later we see the Enterprise suddenly ground to a halt and the only people on board the ship being the Doctor, Denver, Pike, Spock, La’an, Chrisitne, Uhura, Erica, Scotty, Joseph and Una.

The Trickster appears and welcomes the Doctor and Denver to this universe, he explains that by using gifts he acquired from an acquaintance he created the universe by using the Star Trek universe as a base. The Trickster explains that he hopes to merge both universes together and create a hybrid reality so nobody can tell what’s fiction and reality.

The Trickster then snaps his fingers and the Doctor and Pike disappear, leaving everybody else behind. The Trickster then snaps his fingers again and Denver is in a yellow command shirt and the screen changes to a 4:3 in a 1960s style.

The Doctor and Pike end up in a white void and the Doctor realises that maybe this is just a reality-bending illusion and they can escape, the Doctor and Pike then knock down a wall and exiting a television screen to a group of people sitting, having been watching the events unfold on their television.

These people, fans of both shows, explain to the Doctor and Pike that he's not real, that their lives is a television show and that even as he and Pike think they're real and have memories, they're just characters. Eventually, after discussing this for some time, the fans come to the opposite conclusion that, no, they're the ones who are fictional, that they're part of the trap the Trickster has created for the Doctor and Pike, and that he needs to return to defeat the Trickster, even though they'll vanish when he departs. The Doctor and Pike depart, saddened by their experience.

The Doctor and Pike then appear on the Enterprise in yellow uniforms and Pike takes over command, the Doctor and Pike work together as they try to destroy a Klingon warship and then try to destroy a Sontaran space pod. Eventually, everything resets back to normal but the Trickster reveals that a meteorite is heading towards Earth. The Doctor dashes into the TARDIS and says to Pike “I’ve seen the Enterprise, you can see the TARDIS…” Pike walks on board the TARDIS and is amazed by the size, the Doctor then tells Pike what to do as they pilot the TARDIS together and they knock the meteorite off course.

The TARDIS then lands back on the Enterprise and the Trickster is banished from the universe, the Doctor says that this universe can still exist on its own as the stability seems to be positive allowing the universe to exist outside of other multiverses. The Doctor and Denver say goodbye to everyone as they leave, Pike then receives a transmission from Captain Kirk asking for some assistance and Pike gives the command for the Enterprise to set a course for Kirk’s location as the Enterprise and TARDIS fly side by side in space before both disappear.

As credits roll, the fans comment on the episode, criticizing aspects of it, such as lackluster ending and an easy defeat for the villain. They then look at each other, realising they're still alive.

The Mind Cage

By Sharma Angel-Walfall

The TARDIS materialises in the year 4200 on Earth, a planet shrouded in the shadow of an all-powerful cult known as The Cult of Sanctus. The Doctor and Denver step out into a city dominated by towering statues of a hooded figure, screens broadcasting sermons of submission, and people speaking in hushed, fearful tones. The Cult has a grip on every aspect of life, enforcing unwavering devotion through insidious psychological control, the Doctor notices the Man and walks over whilst Denver is looking around and asks why he’s being watched and the Man says that he’s been watching him since the days he left Gallifrey, only now the Doctor has noticed as the Man walks away, Denver asks the Doctor who he was talking with and the Doctor says “An old acquaintance.”.

Almost immediately, the Doctor and Denver are captured by the Cult’s enforcers, accused of heresy, and transported to The Maw, a sprawling, high-security labyrinth designed not just to imprison but to break the minds of its inmates. Within its shifting corridors and ever-changing pathways, prisoners are subjected to illusions, paranoia, and unseen tormentors lurking in the shadows.

Amidst the chaos, they encounter Rogue, the dashing bounty hunter last seen in 1813 Bath. He is battle-worn but alive, having miraculously escaped the doomed pocket dimension he was trapped in. He explains that as the dimension collapsed, it momentarily overlapped with a temporal rift, allowing him to slip through, but not before being stranded here on Earth, where he’s been fighting against the Cult and their prison. Though pleased to see the Doctor, there’s an unspoken tension between them: old wounds, unfinished business.

As the trio navigates the mind-bending labyrinth, Deusmalus, the rogue god believed to have perished in a confrontation with the Doctor, makes his grand return. He appears before the Doctor in a shadowy chamber, taunting him with cryptic hints of an even greater threat: the Valeyard is coming. Intercut with this tense conversation, Rogue and Denver take on the Cult’s guards in a thrilling sequence, demonstrating their sharp combat skills and unwavering resolve.

Deusmalus reveals that he has been watching from the fringes of existence, waiting for the opportune moment to return and now, with the Valeyard’s resurgence looming, he sees the perfect storm brewing. The Doctor, though defiant, is visibly shaken. The echoes of his darkest self threaten to resurface.

Meanwhile, Rogue and Denver break into the prison’s control centre, disabling the psychological traps and freeing the inmates. Reuniting with the Doctor, Rogue and the Time Lord finally share a quiet moment amidst the chaos. They talk, honestly and openly, about what happened between them about trust, regret, and second chances. The Doctor, for once, lets his guard down. Before departing, he gives Rogue a spare vortex manipulator from the TARDIS, allowing him the freedom to travel once more. In a moment charged with emotion, the two share a heartfelt kiss: a rekindling of something that never truly faded.

The Doctor and Denver depart, victorious in the battle but haunted by the war to come. Alone in the TARDIS, the Doctor stares at his reflection, his own face briefly distorting into something darker, a fleeting glimpse of the Valeyard’s return. As the time rotor hums, the Doctor exhales. He’s afraid.

Deusmalus walks alone in the now empty prison, but a man speaks saying that the Doctor is a problem for them. He walks out of the shadows and extends his hand, Deusmalus shakes it and asks who he is and he says that all will be revealed in time and then another man steps out - The Valeyard. The Valeyard says we are three of the most powerful beings in the universe, but the man cuts in “Ah, not the universe…The Multiverse.”

All three of them laugh.

The Marvelous Adventures of Dr. Who

By Charlie Brooker

The Doctor stares blankly at the Time Rotor, scared about the oncoming return of the Valeyard. Denver asks him if he’s ok, but the Doctor just nods and says that if the Valeyard is returning then they are all in trouble, Denver says that they can stop him and the Doctor looks at him and smiles “Of course we can.” and pulls the dematerialisation lever. As he does so, however, the Cloister Bell chimes, and the TARDIS groans, an explosion rocking the TARDIS doors off their hinges.

We then see a news reel of 1959, it details an event for the TV show “The Marvelous Adventures of Dr. Who”, starring John Smith as Dr. Who, a Time Lord who travels through space and time. As the news reel ends, we see a man in a dark suit and combed hair watches from a retro-futuristic fortress perched over an American city.

Meanwhile, in a sun-flooded neighbourhood, John Smith wakes up in a floral-patterned bed, he rises from bed with a smile on his face as today was another day of shooting The Marvelous Adventures of Dr. Who, the world outside is bright with illusion. The television flickered on by itself. Deusmalus, going under the name ‘Des Maul’ appeared, smiling wide. “Perfect weather across America, everyone. A perfect morning,” he said, narrating in tones that were both reassuring and unnerving as the TV flickers, an old episode playing “Dr. Who and The War Games.”

John leaves his house, bumping into a woman, she asks if he’s the Doctor, but he says that his real name is John Smith and as the woman protests, insisting that he's the Doctor, that he doesn't have an acting career, he becomes offended. She apologises, introducing herself as Hannah and then leaving. William Beaumont, who plays Denver Brennan, asks what that was about and he says that he doesn’t know, Beaumont offers to drive John to work and he accepts.

In the car, John and William discussed the schedule for the day, May 2nd - the studio’s “Mayday Special”. They later arrive at Newman Studios, meeting with their director, Wilson. They continue discussing in the dressing room, but soon a prop slips through the table, creating confusion and unease.

Everyone performs but an extra in a scene messes up, one too many takes and is sacked, which sees her removed from set and unknowingly killed.

Later, the mysterious man entered the retro-futuristic, suspended impossibly over the city, meeting Valeyard. The mysterious man and the Valeyard talk about the results and says that soon they will be ready, but time is key. Deusmalus walks in taking another book off the shelf and says that he’s getting tired of this, the man says that he must have patience.

Hannah wandered the streets, meeting a woman in a wheelchair. One of the giant puppet figures of the Toymaker moved across the lot, casting no shadow, leaving no footprints, Hannah realises the woman is Shirley. 

Shirley leads her to an encampment hidden in storage rooms and backlot warehouses, a collection of actors and extras forgotten by the studio. Their lives were fragments, memories of something else, slightly off-kilter, like a reel running too fast. 

At night, John sat alone in a dressing room, flicking through broken props. The television flickered with a man - Rogue calling to the Doctor, saying there was only time for a brief message telling him props don’t do that, then disappearing. John tested each prop, each piece of the set, the props and tables refusing their ordinary laws. He becomes worried, he recognised the doubt creeping into him and the studio police seized both him and later William.

They’re taken to the retro-futuristic tower where the man confronts John Smith, showing him various things in an attempt to jog his memory, saying that they're old acquaintances. William demands that they’re both let go immediately, telling them that they both have careers as actors - but the man dismisses this as false. The Man then snaps his fingers as music plays, he says that they have met many times, insisting that they were never truly enemies - but rivals, introducing himself as the Toymaker. The Valeyard then walks out of the corridors, telling John that he is very happy to see him again and Deusmalus walks out of another, putting a book back, telling John that this is where his story ends.

The Toymaker then shows John a hologram of the multiverse, John says that the universal planes, once rigid, keeping dimensions sealed from one another are shifting, merging into a singular universe, then he slaps his head and questions how he knew that.

The Toymaker then drags John out onto a balcony to show him the world outside, a world fractured and tearing itself apart, buildings sinking into cracks. He tells him that using fractured reality he'll find someone in the Underverse, Azal.

As the name echoes throughout his mind, the Doctor remembers who he is, and begins to move, finding himself locked outside, watching as buildings collapse all over the city. William is evicted from the structure and he vanishes. The Toymaker, Deusmalus and The Valeyard give a toast to their success as they collapse the balcony outside, sending the Doctor spiraling below. As he careens downward he shouts to the Toymaker that they have no idea what they have done.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!

The Edge of Forever

By Charlie Brooker

As the Doctor falls into the abyss, a door to the Time Hotel opens up behind him and Anita Benn beckons him inside. The clock strikes midnight and time resets, Hannah and Denver waking up on May the 1st, remembering everything. The Toymaker and Valeyard hover over a suspended globe of static, tuning a lock onto Azal’s energy signature in the Underverse. Deusmalus watches from the reflection of the screen, hands clasped.

Anita and the Doctor return to the neighbourhood, Denver rushes out remembering everything and the Doctor says that if they remembered then the others can remember too. The Doctor and Denver travel to Newman Studios through the Time Hotel, Actors stare in confusion as he storms in. “Listen to me,” he says. “You’re real people in a fake world. Wake up.”

Wilson’s memories are restored alongside the cast and crew who were UNIT soldiers, Hannah and Shirley arrive. 

As the studio walls ripple and hum with static, the Doctor tells Wilson that the multiverse is collapsing. Memories crash back into place as the cast and crew recall their other lives: battles with Daleks, Cybermen and invasions that never were. The air thickens with static as the studio floor begins to fracture, revealing flickering fragments of alternate worlds beneath. Hannah feels herself split between timelines, seeing every version of her life at once, as does Denver and the others.

Deusmalus appears across every screen, announcing that “the recursion is complete,” and that fiction and reality are merging into a singular, perfect continuity. In the Underverse, the Toymaker and Valeyard harness Azal’s growing power, shaping the convergence to their design: a single, remastered universe authored by them. The static globe pulses violently, cracks of golden light running through it as the Underverse begins to bleed into the false world.

Anita guides the Doctor and co. back through the Time Hotel, its corridors now distorting into endless copies of themselves. He realises the entire universe has become a loop, every moment repeating, every story rewritten, time itself functioning as broadcast television. 

The Doctor and Denver return to the surface as the sky tears open, revealing the fractured city beyond the studio with Victorian streets beside modern towers, Alternate version of Daleks gliding past Roman legions, fragments of every reality fighting for dominance. The Doctor declares that the only way to stop the collapse is to reach the Underverse and cut the signal. With Hannah, Shirley, Anita, and Denver, he opens the TARDIS door inside the Time Hotel, its console flickering between different designs, different incarnations and the Doctor declares it’s too unstable.

In the Underverse, the Toymaker toasts to “the end of imagination’s limits,” as the Valeyard watches the static globe rupture. Azal stirs within, his roar shaking the foundations of every world. Deusmalus smiles from the reflection of the cracked glass, whispering, “It’s beautiful.”

As Azal rises from the molten static of the Underverse, the Toymaker and Deusmalus stand at the heart of creation, shaping reality with every gesture. Worlds fold into origami before their hands; time and matter merge into stories. The Valeyard stands beside them, overseeing the transformation with clinical detachment. “We are gods,” Deusmalus says, his voice echoing through infinite versions of existence. “This is the end of chaos.”

But the Doctor and his companions burst through the collapsing doorway of the Time Hotel, stepping into the storm of uncreation. The Doctor raises his sonic towards the fractured globe of static, his voice cutting through the distortion: “You’ve forgotten the one rule of the universe. Stories don’t belong to the writer. But belong to those who live them.”

Reality buckles. Every world flickers: the 1950s studio set, the burning city, UNIT HQ, Gallifrey, the void between universes, all layered over each other like frames of decaying film. Denver grabs Wilson as he starts to fade, his body caught between memories of soldier and actor. 

The Doctor raises the sonic, focusing its energy into the fractured globe of static. Waves of temporal force ripple outward, shaking the collapsing city and freezing fragments of reality mid-motion. Azal screams, thrashing within the molten core of the Underverse, but the Doctor’s pulse locks him into a self-contained loop, trapping him where he can no longer escape.

The Toymaker and Deusmalus reach for the Doctor, attempting to reshape the storm with godlike power, while the Valeyard tries to seize the collapsing timelines, Hannah punches him three times one for Mike, one for her Doctor and one for her. The Doctor’s voice cuts through the chaos: “You wanted control. You forgot who reality belongs to!” The sonic amplifies his declaration, binding the Toymaker, Deusmalus and the Valeyard in a swirling vortex outside all timelines, a dimension of nonexistence, where their godlike influence can no longer threaten the multiverse.

As the pulse spreads, the overlapping worlds begin to snap back into order. Victorian streets retract, Alternate Daleks vanish and UNIT HQ, the studio sets and all fractured realities fold neatly into their proper timelines. Hannah rushes to help Denver to try and help Wilson regain his form, his memories settling into a single coherent life. Shirley steadies herself as fragments of her alternate existences fade, as a white light emits around them.

The Doctor, Denver, Hannah, Wilson and Shirley all wake up in the UNIT tower, they all rush to the helipad as they see the world completely normal. Anita wakes up on the floor in the Time Hotel, happy that everything and everyone is safe.

The group all celebrate with Cups of Tea and biscuits in the UNIT tower, they all talk about the recent events and the Doctor says that everything is as it should be and the Underverse is sealed “What could possibly go wrong?” he asks. Then the Cloister Bell rings, the Doctor rushes into the TARDIS and reads the computer, he says that multiverses are still bleeding into each other and if they collapse the fabric of time and space will snap and nothing can save it, he bids everyone goodbye and promises to return. Denver argues saying they can help but the Doctor firmly tells them that he’s doing this on his own. The TARDIS arrives back in UNIT HQ, but the three are still in the TARDIS. The Doctor says that he’s not even been here that long and he’s already had an impact on him, Denver says that he’s learned to dream bigger thanks to the Doctor and the two hug. He then shakes hands with Wilson, saying an old friend named Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart would’ve loved him and then he hugs Shirley.

Hannah and the Doctor then have a nice chat, before Hannah asks if she’s gonna see him again and the Doctor says that he doesn’t know and this is the only way to save the innocent and the trillions who may perish across the universe. They hug as the Doctor leaves and dematerialises.

The Doctor rushes around the console, needing to shift the multiverses to save everyone knowing it could kill him. The computer then shows him all of his incarnations from One - Him, he says that he was the best, but then a familiar voice echoes from the TARDIS stairwell “OK, best as in most recent, but we’ll keep that between us shall we?” It’s the Fifteenth Doctor.

The Fifteenth Doctor attempts to talk him out of it, but he quickly relents, and instead helps him with the calculations needed. He departs, and he unleashes regeneration energy into the vortex. He then collapses as the doors close.

The Doctor wakes up in a white void, meeting with the White Guardian. He explains to the Doctor that he saved the universe from the Ion storm, the Doctor asks if he’s dead or not. The White Guardian says that he’s not dead but he should be, he says he’ll transport the Doctor’s TARDIS into UNIT HQ and he’ll live to see another day. Before he goes the Doctor asks about a rhyme he’s been hearing and the White Guardian says “Time will tell…but be careful.”

Wilson, Denver, Hannah and Shirley enter the TARDIS as they help the Doctor up, the Doctor explains what happened and the multiverse may be normal now. The Doctor offers Denver more adventures, but decides he wants to stay for a while on Earth and the Doctor says he’ll be back for him as he leaves.

The Doctor arrives back on the hill overlooking the sea, the Man says he was very lucky this time and the Doctor says that he’s out of touch, to which the Man says he’ll be out of time soon. The Doctor asks who’s coming back and the Man says “Oh Doctor, that would be telling.” The Doctor shouts at him to tell him who’s coming back as the Man walks away, the Doctor then looks at the sea as thunder and lightning strikes. The Man turns around and says “It’s getting closer, the Doctor looks at the sea and then the Man again, but realises he’s gone and he decides to go back inside the TARDIS and he dematerialises.