BBC Doctor Who - The Stories BBC
QuickNav to a Season: 
QuickNav to a Story: 
 
The Previous Story
Kerblam!
 The Previous Story
The Previous Story
(Demons of the Punjab)
 The Next Story
(The Witchfinders)
Season
Details
SynopsisGeneral
Information
The
Episodes
Audience
Appreciation
ArchivesNotesFirst and LastStory ImagesQuote of
the Story
Release
Information
In PrintPhoto
Gallery
 

Jodie Whittaker
Kerblam!
Thirteenth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Kerblam! It..
Kerblam! It..
 A mysterious message arrives in a package addressed to The Doctor, leading her, Graham, Yaz and Ryan to investigate the warehouse moon orbiting Kandoka, and the home of the galaxy's largest retailer, Kerblam.

Source: BBC Website


General Information

Season: Thirty Seven (New Series 11)
Production Code: 11-7
Story Number: 283 (New Series: 127)
Episode Number:847 (New Series: 151)
Number of Episodes: 1
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Production Dates:
Broadcast Date: 18 November 2018
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: BBC Wales (Roath Lock Studios, Cardiff)
Location:
Writer:Pete McTighe
Director:Jennifer Perrott
Series Producer:Nikki Wilson
Producer:Alex Mercer
Executive Producers:Chris Chibnall and Matt Strevens
Co-Executive Producer:Sam Hoyle
Executive Producer for the BBC:Ben Irving
Assistant Directors:Lauren Pate and Sion Eirug
Script Supervisor:Nicki Coles
Script Editors:Fiona McAllister and Hannah Mason (Assistant)
Series Script Editor:Sheena Bucktowonsing
Editors:Ulrike Munch, David S J Davies (Assistant), Hayley Williams (Assistant) and Martyn Western (VFX)
Colourist:Gareth Spensley
Head of Production:Radford Neville
Production Executive:Tracie Simpson
Production Manager:James DeHaviland
Production Assistant:Alexandra Bahiyyih Wain
Post Production Supervisor:Ceres Doyle
Production Designer:Arwel Wyn Jones
Director of Photography:Simon Chapman
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG
Line Producer:Steffan Morris
Costume Designer:Ray Holman
Make-Up Designer:Claire Pritchard-Jones
Cameramen:Cai Stephens (Assistant), Gethin Williams (Assistant), Scott Waller (Assistant) and Mark McQuoid (Operator)
Visual Effects:DNEG
Special Effects:Real SFX
Stunt Co-ordinators:Crispin Layfield and Dani Biernat
Stunt Performer:Andrew Burfold
Incidental Music:Segun Akinola
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Harry Barnes
Sound Recordist:Deian Llyr Humphreys
Dubbing Mixer:Howard Bargroff
Music Recorded By:Olga Fitzroy
Music Mixed By:Olga Fitzroy
Title Sequence:Ben Pickles
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Segun Akinola
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Jodie Whittaker (The Thirteenth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 3The Companions: Bradley Walsh (Graham O'Brien), Tosin Cole (Ryan Sinclair) and Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan) Additional Cast: Julie Hesmondhalgh (Judy Maddox), Lee Mack (Dan Cooper), Callum Dixon (Jarva Slade), Claudia Jessie (Kira Arlo), Leo Flanagan (Charlie Duffy), Matthew Gravelle (Voice of Kerblam)Setting: Kerblam, Kandoka's Moon Villain:Charlie Duffy

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
847Kerblam!18 November 201848'50"7.2Yes

Total Duration 49 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 7.2
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 15 out of 24


Archives


 This story exists and is held in the BBC's Film and Videotape Library.



Return to the top of this page
 


Notes


This is the seventh story of Season Thirty Seven (New Series 11). It was written by Pete McTighe and directed by Jennifer Perrott.

Australian director Jennifer Perrott also helped with production of the fifth story "The Tsuranga Conundrum".

This story guest stars Julie Hesmondhalgh, Lee Mack, Callum Dixon, Claudia Jessie, Leo Flanagan and Matthew Gravelle.

This marks the first Doctor Who television story to have an exclamation mark in its title. Many other Doctor Who stories in other mediums have an exclamation mark in their titles - such as the BBC Books' The Past Doctors Stories novel "Byzantium!" written by Keith Topping, the Big Finish Productions audio stories "Bang-Bang-A-Boom!" and "Unregenerate!" and the comic strip stories "Doctor Conkerer!" and "Flood!!!".

After "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" and "Demons of the Punjab", this is the third story of Season Thirty Seven (New Series 11) to have a double meaning in its title. In this case, the title can either refer to the company Kerblam! or the onomatopoeia for an explosion, where in this episode people are exploded after they pop the bubble wrap packaging.

The Doctor previously visited a warehouse which also contained a mystery in the Big Finish Productions Seventh Doctor audio story "The Warehouse".

The Doctor receives a fez in the post (see the 2010 story "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang").

Two previous incarnations of The Doctor have also received mail delivered directly to the TARDIS. The Seventh Doctor encountered an advertising drone promoting the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax in the 1988/89 story "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy", while the Eleventh Doctor received a hypercube from his old friend, The Corsair in the 2011 story "The Doctor's Wife".

The Doctor is seen again using the psychic paper as a reference (see "The Vampires of Venice" and "The Lodger").

The Doctor is heard to comment that ‘some of her best friends are robots’. These include: K9, Kamelion and Handles.

The Doctor mentions having met Agatha Christie in an encounter with wasps (see the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "The Unicorn and the Wasp").

The Doctor is again seen using Venusian Aikido as she had done before in "The Ghost Monument". (see also "Inferno", "The Sea Devils", "Robot of Sherwood", "World Enough and Time/The Doctor Falls" and the Big Finish Productions audio stories "Faith Stealer" and "Last of the Cybermen").

Twirly notes that The Doctor has high blood pressure (see the 2017 Twelfth Doctor story "Smile").

The Doctor still has not got used to the TARDIS' new controls (see "Rosa").

Graham O'Brien is heard again calling The Doctor ‘Doc’ as he has done in previous stories in this season.

The missing Kerblam! employees include: Rhys Fenjh, Arien Elgyum, Jax Harkall, Irsa Moyner, Zoff Pillax, Ra Mon Sheshter, Bagola Thotum, Basog Thotum, Kamel Wmoyna and Chirzello Zoogul.

The Doctor describes the prejudice against robots as being ‘robophobia’ – this was a theme covered in the 1977 Fourth Doctor story "The Robots of Death".

Prior to this story being broadcast, a preview of its opening scenes was shown during the Children In Need telethon on the 16th November 2018.



First and Last

The Firsts:

 The first Doctor Who story to be written by Pete McTighe.

 The first Doctor Who television story to have an exclamation mark in its title.


Return to the top of this page
 


Story Images

Show Text
You Have Mail
You Have Mail
The Doctor's Gift
The Doctor's Gift
Arrival at Kerblam!
Arrival at Kerblam!
Judy Maddox
Judy Maddox
 
Working In Dispatch
Working In Dispatch
Kira Arlo
Kira Arlo
A Rogue Robot
A Rogue Robot
Charlie Duffy
Charlie Duffy
 
Attacked by a Robot
Attacked by a Robot
Kira Arlo Receives a Bonus
Kira Arlo Receives a Bonus
Deliveries Waiting To Be Sent
Deliveries Waiting To Be Sent
Charlie Activates His Plan
Charlie Activates His Plan




Quote of the Story


 'The systems aren't the problem. How people use and exploit the system — that's the problem.'

The Doctor



Return to the top of this page
 


Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
The Complete Eleventh Series Box SetJanuary 2019BBCDVD 4296Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing 10 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Eleventh Series Box SetJanuary 2019BBCBD 0437Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing 10 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Eleventh Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)January 2019BBCBD 0455Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 10 stories
Audio
CD
Original Television Soundtrack - Series 11January 2019Photo-montageMusic by Segun Akinola


In Print

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)PublisherAuthorCover ArtRemarks
Novel
Novel
Kerblam!July 2023BBC BooksPeter McTigheTarget Collection. ISBN: 978-1-78594-823-7
CD
CD
Kerblam!August 2023BBC AudioPeter McTigheAudio version of the BBC Books Target Novel read by Julie Hesmondhalgh.
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 532 (Released: Winter 2018/2019)
Doctor Who Magazine - ReviewIssue 533 (Released: January 2019)

Return to the top of this page
 


Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companions

 
Jodie Whittaker
The Thirteenth Doctor

   

Bradley Walsh
Graham O'Brien
Tosin Cole
Ryan Sinclair
Mandip Gill
Yasmin Khan
   




On Release

Complete Series DVD Box Set
Complete Series DVD Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition Steelbook Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
Original Television Soundtrack Cover
Original Television Soundtrack Cover

BBC
AUDIO
   



In Print

BBC Books Target Collection Cover
BBC Books Target Collection Cover

BBC
NOVEL
 
BBC Audio CD Cover
BBC Audio CD Cover

BBC
CD
   


Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 532
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 532

Marvel Comics
 
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 533
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 533

Marvel Comics
   

Return to the top of this page
 
 
Who's Who
KJ Software
Who Me
Episodes of the
Thirteenth Doctor


Season 37 (New Series 11) Press to go back to the previous visited page References
 
 
Doctor Who is the copyright of the British Broadcasting Corporation. No infringements intended. This site is not endorsed by the BBC or any representatives thereof.