Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord – A Doctor Who double bill!

After a few months, Doctor Who has returned, and for the first time since 2020, we’re getting a regular episodic season of adventures of the week. Since then, all we’ve had are specials or big story arcs. It’s nice to be getting back to basics! And with an insanely charismatic and charming Doctor and some intriguing story arcs established with the routinely excellent Church on Ruby Road, last Saturday (yes I am a live viewer purist, yes I know they dropped at midnight, no I don’t think the switch will last more than a season) saw the Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Sunday’s adventures begin in earnest with, for the first time ever, a bonafide double bill, starting with, in the very, VERY overused words of the Doctor – “SPACE BABIES!!!!!”

Yeah I can see why a double bill was needed with this one.

Every Doctor has that one weird one early on in the era that doesn’t really reflect the rest of the run. From Patrick Troughton in a pure historical to Tom Baker fighting rubbish Cybermen, Peter Davison in a racist ship run by a giant frog or Peter Capaldi getting into spoon fights with Robin Hood, “that episode” is a necessary hurdle for most eras to get past, and Space Babies is one of the most “that episode” of all “that episode” stories. Granted, we don’t know what the rest of the era will be like tonally, but even by RTD standards, this one is WEIRD.

Somophore Who stories – The second outings of the Doctors

This time next week… SPACE BABIES! I’ve wanted to write an article about second stories for ages, as whilst post-regeneration stories get all the attention, it’s the follow-up that’s arguably more important. Would the first time be a fluke, or a false start? With introductions out of the way, what’s this new Doctor REALLY going to be like? The audience have interest, now it’s time to maintain their attention and really get going with what the creative team want. Second stories have introduced iconic producers, villains, companions, story arcs and concepts that drive the entire rest of the run, and even the whole show. So with SPACE BABIES on the way (I love that title), let’s look at the somophore outings of Doctors past, excluding Paul McGann (obviously) and David Tennant’s second go, as with Fourteen’s episodes now past they really don’t feel like a full era at all. With those caveats out of the way, let’s take a deep dive…

The Daleks –

It’s late December 1963. The new sci-fi show is only a few weeks old, and it shows promise. Children up and down the country sit down to see an old police box arrive on a dead planet, a radiated jungle, and a mechanical city, when suddenly, the door closes and Barbara is attacked by a sink plunger…