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Ncuti Gatwa
Lucky Day
Fifteenth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


Conrad Clark
Conrad Clark
 Ruby Sunday faces life back on Earth without The Doctor.

 She has got a loving family and a handsome new man in her life but she still misses her best friend.

 But when a savage alien creature from Ruby's past brings terror to a remote English village can Ruby and UNIT save her new boyfriend Conrad from the terrifying Shreek?

 UNIT is forced into a deadly battle that will push Kate Lethbridge-Stewart to her limits…



General Information

Season: Forty Two (New Series 15)
Production Code: 15-4
Story Number: 316 (New Series: 160)
Episode Number:888 (New Series: 192)
Number of Episodes: 1
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Working Titles:"Meanwhile"
Production Dates: November - December 2023
Broadcast Date: 03 May 2025
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: Wolf Studios (Cardiff, Wales)
Location:
Cardiff (City Centre and Howells Department Store); Newton, Porthcawl
Writer:Pete McTighe
Director:Peter Hoar
Producer:Vicki Delow
Executive Producers:Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson and Russell T Davies
Brand Director for BBC Studios:Vanessa Hamilton
Production Executive for BBC Studios:John Hamer
Executive Producer for the BBC:Nick Lambon
Co-Producer:Sharon King
Assistant Directors:Geraint Havard Jones (1st), Charlie Campbell (2nd), Jennifer Day (3rd) and Rosey-Pepper Mortley (Crowd 2nd)
Director's Assistant:Abdoul Razak Ceesay
Producer's Assistant:Jamie McKee
Script Supervisors:Nicki Coles and Ines Mayorga (Assistant)
Script Editors:David Cheung and Rasheed Bello (Assistant)
Editors:Ben Drury, Emily Lawrence (Assistant), Joseph Keirle (Assistant), Yas Downess (Assistant), Freddie Heppell (VFX) and Catrin Rees (VFX Assistant)
Colourist:Gareth Spensley
Production Executive:Steffan Morris
Junior Production Executive:Charlotte Cox
Production Manager:Jenny Morgan
Production Assistant:Lisa Elena Williams
Post Production Producer:Ceres Doyle
Post Production Supervisor:Louise Sutton
Location Managers:Alex Moore and Shuaib Said (Assistant)
Supervising Location Manager:Iwan Roberts
Studio Managers:Richard Balshaw and Lloyd Di Mauro (Assistant)
Unit Manager:Kyle Yates
Production Designer:Phil Sims
Director of Production:Emily Russell
Director of Photography:Sam Core
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG/CSA
Online Editors:Joshua Williams and Monika Bednarczyk (Assistant)
Line Producer:Angela Phillips
Costume Designer:Pam Downe
Hair & Make-Up Designer:Julie Kendrick
Cameramen:Andrea Jovanovska (Clapper Loader), Sarah MacLeod (Clapper Loader), James Chesterton ACO (Operator), Steve Rees (Operator), Chai Lee Tan (Trainee) and Salma Salah (Trainee)
Visual Effects:Automatik VFX
VFX Producer:Anne Akande
VFX Supervisors:Dave Houghton and Sebastian Barker
Additional VFX:BBC Wales Graphics
Special Effects:Real SFX
Creature FX:Millenium FX
Stunt Co-ordinator:Derek Lea
Stunt Performers:George Harris, George Surry, Joel Conlan and Tom Barnett
Puppeteer:Rachel Wansker
Creature Movement:Paul Kasey
Creature Choreographer:Paul Kasey
Incidental Music:Murray Gold
Sound Recordist:Alex Thompson
Re-recording Mixer:Paul McFadden
Music Performed By:BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music Conducted By:Alastair King
Assistant to Composer:Sam Dinley
Music Mixed By:Jake Jackson
Score Preperation By:Dave Foster
Music Supervisors:Ollie White and Estera Dabrowska (Assistant)
Music Editor:Marnie Davidge
Title Sequence:Painting Practice & Realtime Visualisation
Title Music:Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Arranged by Murray Gold
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor:
Ncuti Gatwa (The Fifteenth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 2
The Companions:
Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) and Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra)
Guest Cast:
Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart), Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood)
Additional Cast:
Benjamin Chivers (Young Conrad), Kirsty Hoiles (Moira Clark), Jonah Hauer-King (Conrad Clark), Gethin Alderman (The Shreek), Kareem Alexander (Jordan Lang), Michelle Greenidge (Carla Sunday), Angela Wynter (Cherry Sunday), Faye McKeever (Louise Miller), Madison Stock (Elsa), Paddy Stafford (Sparky), Blake Anderson (Jack), Aoife Gaston (Michelle), Paul Jerricho (Alfie), Michael Woodford (Derek), Alexander Devrient (Colonel Christofer Ibrahim), Tina Gray (Audrey), Ruth Madeley (Shirley Bingham), Lachele Carl (Trinity Wells), Reeta Chakrabarti (Herself), Joel Dommett (Himself), Alex Jones (Herself), Calypso Cragg (Influencer 2), James Craven (Influencer 3), Selorm Adonu (Influencer 1), Aidan Cook (The Vlinx), Nicholas Briggs (Voice of the Vlinx)
Setting:
London (2007, 2024 and 2025)
Villains:Conrad Clark and The Shreek


The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
888Lucky Day03 May 202546'24"2.8Yes

Total Duration 46 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 2.8


Archives


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



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The Plot

WARNING: May Contain SpoilersHide Text
Belinda and The Doctor
Belinda and The Doctor

To enable The Doctor to take another reading on the Vindicator, so that he can return Belinda to Earth on the 24th May 2025, the TARDIS takes them both to London during a New Year's Eve celebrations.

After taking a reading on the Vindicator, they notice a young boy nearby who has become curious as to what The Doctor and Belinda are doing after he witnesses the TARDIS materialising. When they ask him what year it is the young boy, Conrad Clark, tells them that it is 2007. The Doctor hands him a coin, telling Conrad that it is his lucky day. Taking the coin Conrad runs off to find his mother, but she dismisses his story about the blue box appearing out of nowhere, urging him to stop lying.

Despite this Conrad continues to investigate sightings of The Doctor and the TARDIS. His curiosity leads him to another encounter in 2024 when he spots The Doctor again - but this time with Ruby Sunday - outside an abandoned building. Inside he witnesses The Doctor and Ruby confronting a monster, called a Shreek. As The Doctor and Ruby return to the TARDIS they are unaware that they are being observed and that Conrad has managed to take a photograph of Ruby outside of the TARDIS.

Young Conrad
Young Conrad

Conrad posts Ruby's image on social media and a year later, after having ended her travels with The Doctor, Ruby learns of Conrad’s search for her. Eager to share her experiences she offers to give him an interview, on her encounters with extraterrestrial life, for his podcast. During their conversation, Conrad recounts how he had first seen her and The Doctor. As the two chat, about her encounters with extraterrestrial beings and how The Doctor protects people from aliens, they also discuss the growing scepticism surrounding the organisation known as UNIT.

Ruby then shows Conrad footage of the Shreek, that she took after UNIT captured it. It is then that Ruby discovers that when Conrad saw her and The Doctor a year ago, he touched some of the monster's excrement, leaving a pheromone on him - marking him as the Shreek’s next target. To protect him, she hands Conrad a neutralising agent.

Conrad in 2024
Conrad in 2024

The two begin dating and their relationship continues to progress, much to Ruby's family's delight. She agrees to spend a weekend away at Conrad's home village and to meet his friends. However, on the day of their trip, Ruby notices strange flickers in the local power, reminiscent of when the Shreek hunt their prey. Worried about this Ruby calls up Kate Stewart, the head of UNIT, to check but Kate confirms that there is no cause for concern, confirming that the Shreek is still safely contained and that no alien activity has been detected in the area.

Thanks to Kate’s reassurance Ruby concludes it was just her anxiety, from past traumas following her experiences travelling with The Doctor, and so decides to brush it off and rejoin Conrad and his friends in the local pub. However, as they begin to chat more, enjoying each other's company, the power cuts off completely. Alarmed at this Ruby goes outside again and sees a pair of Shreeks. It is then that Conrad admits to her that he has not taken the antidote so making him their target.

Alarmed by this Ruby calls Kate again, who has a UNIT crew diverted to the village. Kate also has a UNIT helicopter take her and Shirley Anne Bingham, UNIT’s Scientific Advisor, to the village. Ruby and Conrad head outside again to confront the creatures, finding them just as UNIT arrives. Surrounded, the pair of Shreek reveal themselves and to Ruby’s surprise they remove their masks revealing two of Conrad's friends. This catches both Ruby and Kate off-guard when it becomes apparent that this is all part of a ruse orchestrated by Conrad. To heighten the spectacle the rest of Conrad's friends whip out their phones and begin livestreaming the UNIT soldiers, as Conrad pontificates about the lies UNIT, and the burden they have on taxpayers, all while pretending to be fighting so called aliens.

Ruby Sunday and The Doctor
Ruby Sunday and The Doctor

Back in UNIT’s headquarters chaos ensues as Conrad and his friends continue to spread falsehoods about the non-existence of aliens, attempting to tarnish UNIT's reputation even further. With Conrad becoming a media sensation, he releases the names and addresses of every person working for UNIT. Amidst the turmoil of this unwanted attention and a significant security threat, UNIT comes under further attack when protestors surround UNIT’s headquarters. In the confusion Jordan Lang, a UNIT employee, but who is actually working for Conrad, is able to let Conrad into the building. But after letting him into the building Jordan is killed by Conrad so alerting Kate to his presence. Kate allows Conrad to reach the command floor, where he revels in his livestreamed intrusion, mocking UNIT's legacy and belittling Kate’s father, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.

In a tense standoff with the UNIT soldiers, Conrad demands that UNIT publicly admit on camera to the whole world that they have been lying. To dismantle Conrad’s bravado with the truth Kate releases the Shreek, that UNIT has been keeping imprisoned prompting it to begin hunting Conrad. The Shreek soon arrives and faced with the real alien creature Conrad’s confidence quickly crumbles away. As the Shreek approaches Conrad he pleads for assistance, confessing on his livestream that he had lied about UNIT. Seeing that no one is forthcoming to help him, Ruby steps in to stun the creature and so save him. Despite this Conrad quicky regains his composure and brazenly claims that the monster is merely a special effect. However, just the Shreek recovers from being stunned it lunges forward and bites Conrad’s arm.

Conrad is taken into custody and is confined to a prison cell. While there The Doctor's TARDIS materialises around him. The Doctor chastises him for his lies and for endangering Ruby and his friends in UNIT. The Doctor tells him that he will die alone and embittered in his cell and will be forgotten by history. Unfazed by this, Conrad asserts that he rejects this fate and orders The Doctor to leave his world.

Conrad then finds himself back in his cell as a prison guard approaches. She introduces herself as the Governor. However, the figure is none other than Mrs Flood. As she reveals a set of keys, Mrs Flood declares to Conrad that this is his ‘lucky day’.

 
Ruby and Conrad
Ruby and Conrad
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
A Distraught Ruby
A Distraught Ruby
Conrad Attacks UNIT
Conrad Attacks UNIT
 
The Shreek
The Shreek
Conrad in Jail
Conrad in Jail
The Doctor Confronts Conrad
The Doctor Confronts Conrad
Mrs Flood Releases Conrad
Mrs Flood Releases Conrad




Quote of the Story


 'You have to be invited into my TARDIS, Conrad. To be special. But you... you're special for all the wrong reasons. You see, I am fighting a battle on behalf of everyday people who just wanna get through their day and feel safe. And warm. And fed. And then along comes this noise. All day long, this relentless noise! Cowards like you weaponizing lies, taking people's insecurity and fear and making it currency. You are exhausting. You stamp on the truth, choke our bandwidth and shred our patience because the only strategy you have is to wear us down. But the thing is, Conrad, I have energy to burn and all the time in the universe.'

The Doctor



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Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
The Complete Fifteenth Series Box SetAugust 2025BBCDVD 4621Photo-montageDVD boxed set containing 7 stories from New Series 15 along with the 2024 Christmas Special "Joy to the World"
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Fifteenth Series Box SetAugust 2025BBCBD 0627Photo-montageBlu-Ray boxed set containing 7 stories from New Series 15 along with the 2024 Christmas Special "Joy to the World"
Video
Blu-Ray
The Complete Fifteenth Series Box Set (Limited Edition Steelbook)August 2025BBCBD 0626Photo-montageLimited Edition Blu-Ray Steelbook boxed set containing 7 stories from New Series 15 along with the 2024 Christmas Special "Joy to the World"


In Print

No Book Release
Doctor Who Magazine - PreviewIssue 616 (Released: May 2025)
Doctor Who Magazine - After ImageIssue 620 (Released: September 2025)

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Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companions

 
Ncuti Gatwa
The Fifteenth Doctor

   

Millie Gibson
Ruby Sunday
 
Varada Sethu
Belinda Chandra
   




On Release

DVD Cover
DVD Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Blu-Ray Cover
Blu-Ray Cover

BBC
VIDEO
Blu-Ray Steelbook Cover
Blu-Ray Steelbook Cover

BBC
VIDEO
   


Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 616
Doctor Who Magazine - Preview: Issue 616

Marvel Comics
 
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 620
Doctor Who Magazine - After Image: Issue 620

Marvel Comics
   

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