BBC Doctor Who - The Stories BBC
QuickNav to a Season: 
QuickNav to a Story: 
 
The Previous Story
The Return of Doctor Mysterio
 The Previous Story
The Previous Story
(The Husbands of River Song)
 The Next Story
(The Pilot)
Season
Details
SynopsisGeneral
Information
The
Episodes
Audience
Appreciation
ArchivesNotesFirst and LastThe PlotQuote of
the Story
Release
Information
In PrintPhoto
Gallery
 

Peter Capaldi
The Return of Doctor Mysterio
Twelfth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Comic Strip Start
Comic Strip Start
 The Doctor joins forces with a masked superhero for an epic New York adventure.

 With brain-swapping aliens poised to attack, The Doctor and Nardole link up with an investigative reporter and a mysterious figure known only as The Ghost.

 Can The Doctor save Manhattan?

Source: BBC Website


General Information

Season: Thirty Six (New Series 10)
Production Code: 10-X1
Story Number: 264 (New Series: 108)
Episode Number:827 (New Series: 131)
Number of Episodes: 1
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Production Dates:
Broadcast Date: 25 December 2016
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: BBC Wales (Roath Lock Studios, Cardiff)
Location:
Writer:Steven Moffat
Director:Ed Bazalgette
Producer:Peter Bennett
Executive Producers:Brian Minchin and Steven Moffat
Assistant Directors:Lauren Pate and Rhun Llewelyn
Script Executive:Lindsey Alford
Script Supervisor:Nicki Coles
Script Editors:Nick Lambon and Emma Genders (Assistant)
Editors:Adam Green and Becky Trotman (Assistant)
Head of Production:Gordon Ronald
Production Executive:Tracie Simpson
Production Manager:Adam Knopf
Production Assistants:Jamie Shaw and Virginia Bonet
Post Production Supervisor:Samantha Price
Production Designer:Michael Pickwoad
Director of Photography:Ashley Rowe
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG
Line Producer:Steffan Morris
Costume Designer:Hayley Nebauer
Make-Up Designer:Barbara Southcott
Cameramen:Dan Patounas (Assistant), Drew Marsden (Assistant), Gethin Williams (Assistant) and Mark McQuoid (Operator)
Visual Effects:BBC Wales VFX and MILK
Special Effects:Real SFX
Prosthetics:Millennium FX
Special Creature Effects:Millennium FX
Stunt Co-ordinators:Crispin Layfield, Derek Lea and Jo McLaren
Stunt Performers:Claire Lawrence, Robbie Keane and Troy Kenchington
Incidental Music:Murray Gold
Special Sounds (SFX Editor):Harry Barnes
Sound Recordist:Deian Llyr Humphreys
Music Orchestrated By:Alastair King
Music Conducted By:Alastair King
Music Performed By:The BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music Recorded By:Gerry O'Riordan
Music Mixed By:Jake Jackson
Title Sequence:Billy Hanshaw
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor: Peter Capaldi (The Twelfth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 1The Companion: Matt Lucas (Nardole) (Joins) Additional Cast: Justin Chatwin (Grant), Charity Wakefield (Lucy), Tomiwa Edun (Mr Brock), Aleksandar Jovanovic (Dr Sim), Logan Hoffman (Young Grant), Daniel Lorente (Teen Grant), Sandra Teles (Reporter), Tanroh Ishida (Operator), Vaughn Johseph (Soldier)Setting: New York, USA (1990's and 2010's) Villains:Dr Sim and Shoal of the Winter Harmony

The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
827The Return of Doctor Mysterio25 December 201660'23"7.8Yes

Total Duration 1 Hour


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 7.8
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2017)67.10%  (Position = 9 out of 12)
Doctor Who Magazine Poll (2023) Position = 26 out of 35


Archives


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



Return to the top of this page
 


Notes


For Christmas 2016 The Doctor teamed up with a comic-book superhero in New York for a heroic special titled "The Return of Doctor Mysterio". It is written by Steven Moffat and directed by Ed Bazalgette.

This is the twelfth Christmas special, since the show was revived in 2005, and the third full Christmas special with Peter Capaldi, as the Twelfth Doctor, and the first story not to feature any Eleventh Doctor companion since the 2009/2010 Tenth Doctor story "The End of Time".

This story also stars Matt Lucas as Nardole - reprising his role from the preceding story, "The Husbands of River Song". Set in New York City this story involves The Doctor and Nardole linking with investigative journalist Lucy, played by Charity Wakefield (Wolf Hall and The Player), and a superhero called The Ghost (Justin Chatwin) to save New York from a threat from deadly, brain-swapping aliens.

Steven Moffat, Writer and Executive Producer, has said: ‘I’ve always loved superheroes and this Christmas Doctor Who dives into that world. My favourite superhero is Clark Kent. Not Superman, Clark Kent’.

The part of Grant is played by Justin Chatwin (Orphan Black and War of the Worlds). He has commented on joining the Doctor Who team for the special: ‘Working with the amazing people at Doctor Who has been one of the most fun and rewarding projects I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved with’.

Following his hilarious appearance in the 2015 Christmas Special "The Husbands of River Song", Matt Lucas returns to Doctor Who again playing the part of Nardole , this time as The Doctor's companion.

Commenting on his return to Doctor Who, Matt Lucas, has said: ‘I’m chuffed to bits that Nardole is returning to the TARDIS for some more adventures’.

Steven Moffat, Lead Writer and Executive Producer, added: ‘Delighted and slightly amazed to be welcoming Matt Lucas back on to the TARDIS - and this time it’s not just for Christmas, he’s sticking around. One of the greatest comedy talents on planet Earth is being unleashed on all of time and space’.

On the 29th June 2016, the BBC posted a video of Matt Lucas alongside Pearl and Peter Capaldi. Matt Lucas has said, ‘I'm ecstatic because it's my first day back on Doctor Who! Originally I was just in the Christmas Special ("The Husbands of River Song"), and now I find myself returning for more adventures. And I'm very excited. We're at Cardiff University today, doing some running around. That's nice, trying to keep me fit. Maybe I'll lose some weight! My mother will be very happy! ’.

Matt Lucas is the first comedy writer to play a key character in a television story since James Corden as Craig Owens in the 2011 Eleventh Doctor story "Closing Time". The last comedian to play a full-time companion, though, was Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

Also appearing in this story are Tomiwa Edun (Lucifer and Bates Motel), Aleksandar Jovanovic, Logan Hoffman, Daniel Lorente, Sandra Teles, Tanroh Ishida and Vaughn Johseph.

At the beginning of this story, The Doctor is seen constructing a device to reverse the paradoxes created during his previous visit in the 2012 Tenth Doctor story "The Angels Take Manhattan".

The Doctor is heard to mention that he usually gets ‘an invasion’ every Christmas, a reference to the different invasions of Earth taking place during most of the previous Doctor Who Christmas specials.

The Doctor purports himself to be the original example of the title ‘Doctor’ (see "A Good Man Goes to War").

The Doctor is heard telling Lucy that he works for Scotland Yard, which he also did in the 2015 story "The Woman Who Lived". Previously, the Tenth Doctor told the guests at Lady Eddison's manor he was a chief inspector from Scotland Yard in the 2008 story "The Unicorn and the Wasp, while the Eleventh Doctor told President Richard Nixon he was an undercover operative from Scotland Yard (code-named 'The Doctor') in the 2011 story "The Impossible Astronaut/Day of the Moon".

When The Doctor complains that Grant promised him never to use his powers, Nardole is heard to refer to the Time Lord rule: ‘Never interfere in the affairs of other people or planets’. This was first mentioned in the 1969 Second Doctor story "The War Games" and previously acknowledged by Amy Pond in the 2010 Eleventh Doctor story "The Beast Below".

Grant nicknames The Doctor ‘Doctor Mysterio’ - the name could be a mix of the Spider-Man villains Doctor Octopus and Mysterio.

It has also been revealed that the name Doctor Mysterio comes from the name in Mexico for Doctor Who, Doctor Misterio, which Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi encountered when they visited there in the Doctor Who World Tour. Peter Capaldi in particular fell in love with the name and so Steven Moffat decided to use it in a story title.

Nardole joins The Doctor in his travels. When The Doctor first met Nardole, he was River Song's personal assistant (see "The Husbands of River Song").

Nardole is heard to mention that The Doctor cut him out of Hydroflax's body, referring to off-screen events following the "The Husbands of River Song" where he was decapitated and his head was placed inside the artificially intelligent robotic body of King Hydroflax.

Steven Moffat was hugely influenced by the comic books he loved as a child in writing this story - particularly Superman's Clark Kent, Steven Moffat's favourite superhero, both then and now. By his own account, he took particular inspiration from the Christopher Reeve Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s.

Though clearly humorous in tone, this story explores many common superhero themes, such as the hero's secret identity, his origin story, and a love triangle involving both the hero and the man behind the mask.

This story is heavily influenced by the 1978 film Superman in particular. Both Grant/The Ghost and Clark Kent/Superman wear glasses to hide their superhero identities, particularly when rescuing a reporter they are close to, and have feelings for, in their everyday life. They then arrange a rooftop interview in which they attempt to reveal their dual identities. Then are also contacted via a specific frequency which only they can hear.

The character of ‘The Ghost’ is a pastiche of the comic book superhero Superman. Several references to the character, his powers and his relationships are made. Namely: In an early scene, Mr. Brock refers the gathered reporters to ‘Miss Siegel and Miss Shuster for further questions’. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were the creators of Superman; Grant has roughly the same standard powers of Superman, including flight, super-strength, super-speed, being bulletproof, and possessing X-ray vision, along with other unconventional powers. He draws his power from a stellar-powered object (a gemstone made from a star, in the episode), much as Superman draws his from Earth's yellow sun; The Harmony Shoals building in New York has a large globe on top of it, making it resemble the Daily Planet building, a major setting of the Superman stories; Grant prefers being called 'mild-mannered', as Superman's alter ego is often characterised. He also follows the same moral code as Superman when operating as The Ghost, and transforms in a similar fashion by tearing open his shirt to reveal his superhero costume underneath; Lucy is named after Lois Lane's sister Lucy; The trope of Lois not realising that Clark Kent is Superman (which The Doctor mentions early on) is reflected in Lucy's not recognising her old high school friend and current nanny as a superhero.

Several characters from Marvel Comics line the walls of the young Grant's bedroom; The Doctor questions Spider-Man's unusual origin of being bitten by a radioactive spider - he opines that radiation poisoning would be the likely result; A Joe's Pizza is shown within the city, which is where Peter Parker worked at briefly in the movie Spider-Man 2.

The unnamed brain-swapping aliens last appeared in the 2015 Christmas special "The Husbands of River Song", where they were servants of King Hydroflax. Their main agent, Scratch, stated that they represented ‘the Shoal of the Winter Harmony’.

This story has a Marvel style comic book opening and when Grant phones Lucy the screen is divided, just like in a comic book.

The Doctor tells the young Grant that he usually gets a cold or an invasion on Christmas. This refers to previous Christmas specials.

Young Grant accidentally swallows a gemstone known as the Hazandra, mistaking it for medicine. The Doctor reveals that there are only four of its kind in the universe.

Young Grant is a comic book fan, and becomes a superhero in their vein. He owns a Superman comic, and has posters on his wall of superheroes including The Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Batman, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Superman and the Flash. His duvet depicts Captain America and Iron Man, among others.

One of the things The Doctor and the young Grant discuss is the comic book hero Spider-Man. In the 2007 Tenth Doctor story "Daleks in Manhattan/Evolution of the Daleks", the character of Frank is played by Andrew Garfield who played Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man movies.

To make the point of Superman and Clark Kent being the same, The Doctor draws glasses on Superman. Lois Lane did the same in Superman II from the 1980's.

The Doctor is seen eating sushi while observing the room filled with brains. Sushi is often referred to as a type of ‘brain food’.

Mr Brock jokes that his backyard is the size of Wyoming.

It is revealed that Harmony Shoal has offices in every capital city on Earth, as well as in New York City (which Nardole correctly points out is not a capital city).

Lucy is a reporter for the Daily Chronicle. She also possesses a Mr Huffle which she uses when questioning The Doctor.

Lucy is heard to ask the question, 'Doctor who?', perpetuating the 'Doctor Who?' running joke.

The Doctor tells Grant off for leaving the baby unattended, using the words ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’. These words were used by Uncle Ben to Peter Parker, and they later became Spider-Man's mantra.

The Doctor pulls a glass of water out of his pocket, suggesting that they may be bigger on the inside (see also the 2006 Christmas special "The Runaway Bride").

The Doctor uses a sonic frequency that only Grant can hear. He previously created something similar to be able to talk to young Davros in the 2015 story "The Magician's Apprentice/The Witch's Familiar".

A movie theatre across from Lucy's apartment features a film called The Mind of Evil. - a reference to the 1971 Third Doctor story of the same name.

After the Ghost drops Lucy off at her apartment building, the baby monitor he is carrying goes off. Lucy believes it to be a signal device and asks if the Bat-Signal is now an app.

The Doctor mentions the Apocalypse monks of the Andurax.

The Doctor refers to the bomb ship as the Sword of Damocles.

The Doctor uses the viral mobile game Pokémon Go to create a distraction at Harmony Shoal's Tokyo headquarters.

When clearing out the headquarters of Harmony Shoal, UNIT officers request that Osgood be brought to the scene, referring to this character who previously appeared in "The Day of The Doctor", "Death in Heaven" and "The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion".

Both The Doctor and Nardole refer to the final 24-year night The Doctor spent with River Song ("The Husbands of River Song") and her eventual death in the Library in the 2008 Tenth Doctor story "Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead".

This story marks the first time two full consecutive television stories have been broadcast on Christmas Day.

The first trailer for this story was shown at the 2016 New York Comic Con on the 7th October 2016. A preview clip was also shown as part of the Children in Need broadcast on the 18th November 2016.

This 60 minute Doctor Who Christmas Special aired on BBC One on Christmas Day and was written by Steven Moffat, Executive Produced by Brian Minchin, Produced by Peter Bennett and Directed by Ed Bazalgette (Poldark), it was recorded in Cardiff at BBC Wales Roath Lock Studios.

This story also received cinema screenings in Australia and New Zealand on the 26th December 2016, in Canada on the 26th and 28th December 2016, and in the United States on the 27th and 29th December 2016.

This is the first Christmas special since "The Snowmen" in 2012 to have a Coming Soon trailer at the end.



First and Last

The Firsts:

 Nardole's first story as The Doctor's travelling companion.

 The first story not to feature any Eleventh Doctor companions since the 2009/2010 Tenth Doctor story "The End of Time".

 The first time two full consecutive television stories have been broadcast on Christmas Day.

 The first Christmas special since "The Snowmen" in 2012 to have a Coming Soon trailer at the end.

 Emma Genders' first involvement in the show as Script Editor.

 Hayley Nebauer's first involvement in the show as Costume Designer.


Return to the top of this page
 


The Plot

WARNING: May Contain SpoilersHide Text
Young Grant
Young Grant

In New York City, on Christmas Eve of 1992, an 8 year-old boy named Grant wakes up to find The Doctor dangling outside the window of his family's apartment, and helps him into his bedroom, believing The Doctor is Santa Claus. Taking the boy to the rooftop, The Doctor reveals he accidentally set off a trap for a device he was building, and so enlists Grant to help him complete it. However, in doing so Grant mistakenly swallows a wish-granting gemstone that The Doctor needed for the device, believing it to be medicine given to him by The Doctor. This effectively grants the young boy his wish to be a superhero. Abandoning the device, The Doctor makes Grant promise to not use his new superpowers before he leaves.

Returning to New York in 2016 with travelling companion Nardole, whom he rebuilt from Hydroflax's body (see "The Husbands of River Song"), The Doctor conducts an investigation into Harmony Shoals, a multinational research company, discovering a news reporter named Lucy carrying out a similar investigation.

They discover that the company is being secretly run by a group of living alien brains that take over the bodies of any living creature they need for their plans. One of the employees, Mr Brock, is killed, after he discovers the alien brains residing in the building's vault, when he is tracked down by Dr Sim, another employee the brains have already taken over. Trapped and held at gun point The Doctor, Nardole and Lucy suddenly find themselves rescued from an unlikely source - a masked superhero named The Ghost.

'Nanny' Grant
'Nanny' Grant

The Doctor realises that The Ghost is in fact Grant - who transports Lucy close to her home. Out of her sight The Ghost transforms back into Grant and returns to her apartment, arriving just before her so that she is not aware of who saved her, as her babysitter. Grant is though shocked to find The Doctor and Nardole waiting for him, having tracked him down via the gemstone that is fused within him.

When Lucy sees The Doctor he reveals to her that the alien brains they saw at Harmony Shoals plan to take control of the world's leaders and so pave the way for their species to colonise Earth.

Lucy
Lucy

Grant, concerned that The Doctor is about to reveal the truth about who he is, arranges for The Ghost to meet Lucy. Leaving her to prepare for her interview with The Ghost, The Doctor and Nardole return to the TARDIS and track down the alien's spaceship in a low orbit and board it. There they discover that the spaceship's nuclear reactor is in a critical state, and The Doctor realises from Dr Sim that he intends to use the spaceship as a missile – crashing it on New York.

Remembering an observation made by Nardole, The Doctor realises the city would be vaporised except for the Harmony Shoals building (which has been built to survive a nuclear blast), and that the world leaders would then take shelter in the company's other buildings within each capital city, effectively allowing the alien brains to take them over. After Dr Sim lets slip that the spaceship is to be dropped at a designated time, The Doctor reprograms it to begin descending ahead of schedule.

During his interview Grant, as The Ghost, very nearly reveals who he is but they become captured by the alien brains who intend to transplant themselves into The Ghost's body. Breaking free and secretly returning as himself, Grant picks up a message from The Doctor requesting his help to stop the alien's spaceship from crashing into the city after being unable to change its course during its descent.

The Ghost
The Ghost

Revealing himself as The Ghost to Lucy, when he stops the spaceship crashing onto the rooftop, Grant finally manages to win her over and takes her in tow as he disposes of the spaceship. The Doctor alerts UNIT, who shut down Harmony Shoals. However, they are unaware that the alien brain, that was Dr Sim, has taken over one of the UNIT soldiers so enabling the alien to escape.

Back at Lucy's apartment, Grant informs The Doctor that he will no longer use his powers. As The Doctor leaves, Lucy asks him why he is sad. The Doctor though chooses not to answer. Before following him back to the TARDIS Nardole reveals to Lucy that he is suffering from the loss of River Song but he will hopefully soon recover.

 
Mr Brock and Dr Sim
Mr Brock and Dr Sim
Lucy Meets The Doctor
Lucy Meets The Doctor
The Ghost to the Rescue
The Ghost to the Rescue
Nardole
Nardole
 
Lucy
Lucy
Grant Stops the Missile
Grant Stops the Missile
Dr Sim Escapes
Dr Sim Escapes
Lucy and Grant Together at Last
Lucy and Grant Together at Last




Quote of the Story


 'Things end. That's all. Everything ends, and it's always sad. But everything begins again too, and that's... always happy. Be happy. I'll look after everything else.'

The Doctor



Return to the top of this page
 


Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
The Return of Doctor MysterioJanuary 2017BBCDVD 4190Photo-montage
Video
Blu-Ray
The Return of Doctor MysterioJanuary 2017BBCBD 0391Photo-montage
Video
DVD
The Complete Tenth Series Box SetNovember 2017BBCDVD 4224Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Tenth Series Box SetNovember 2017BBCBD 0406Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Tenth Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)November 2017BBCBD 0421Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 12 stories
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Tenth Series Box Set (Limited Edition UK Exclusive Steelbook)November 2017BBCBD 0421Photo-montageLimited Edition (UK Exclusive) Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 12 stories


In Print

No Book Release
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 507 (Released: January 2017)
Doctor Who Magazine - ReviewIssue 508 (Released: February 2017)

Return to the top of this page
 


Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companion

 
Peter Capaldi
The Twelfth Doctor

   

 
Matt Lucas
Nardole
 
   




On Release

DVD Cover
DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Blu-Ray Cover
Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
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
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition (UK Exclusive) Steelbook Box Set
Complete Series Blu-Ray Limited Edition (UK Exclusive) Steelbook Box Set

BBC
VIDEO
   


Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 507
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 507

Marvel Comics
 
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 508
Doctor Who Magazine - Review: Issue 508

Marvel Comics
   

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


Season 36 (New Series 10) 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.