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The Interstellar Song Contest
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Ncuti Gatwa
The Interstellar Song Contest
Fifteenth Doctor Logo


Synopsis


The Hosts
The Hosts
 The Doctor's quest to get Belinda back home to Earth leads to a space station hosting the famous song contest.

 It is 2925 and three trillion lifeforms from 40 million planets are watching the Interstellar Song Contest, broadcast live from the Harmony Arena space station.

 The Doctor and Belinda are looking forward to an evening of fun but this soon becomes a battle of survival when they encounter someone who is planning to hijack the event, putting trillions of lives in danger.

 The Doctor however, is unaware of a far greater threat when, in the audience, events take an unexpected turn for Mrs Flood.



General Information

Season: Forty Two (New Series 15)
Production Code: 15-6
Story Number: 318 (New Series: 162)
Episode Number:890 (New Series: 194)
Number of Episodes: 1
Percentage of Episodes Held:100%
Production Dates:
Broadcast Date: 17 May 2025
Colour Status: HD Colour
Studio: Wolf Studios (Cardiff, Wales)
Location:
Writer:Juno Dawson
Director:Ben A Williams
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 Assistants:Abdoul Razak Ceesay and Jamie McKee
Producer's Assistant:Jamie McKee
Script Supervisor:Nicki Coles
Script Editors:David Cheung and Hilla Hamidi (Assistant)
Editors:Tim Hodges BFE, Emily Lawrence (Assistant), Joseph Keirle (Assistant), Yas Downess (Assistant), Harri McAinsh (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 Misha James (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:Dale Elena McCready BSC NZCS
Casting Director:Andy Pryor CDG/CSA
Online Editors:Christine Kelly 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)
Virtual Production:Framesync
Visual Effects:Pixomondo
VFX Producer:Anne Akande
VFX Supervisor:Dave Houghton
Additional VFX:BBC Wales Graphics
Special Effects:Real SFX
Creature Design:Painting Practice
Creature FX:Millenium FX
Stunt Co-ordinator:Derek Lea
Stunt Performers:Andrius Davidenas, Ayesha Hussain, Christain Cole, David Cheung, Hannah Grant, Nadia Hansell and Paul Joseph
Dancers:Charlotte Bazeley, Hannah Veerapen and Nicole Alphonce
Creature Movement:Paul Kasey
Creature Choreographer:Paul Kasey
Choreographer:Jack Murphey (Dance)
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
The Rani Created By: Pip and Jane Baker
Number of Doctors: 1
The Doctor:
Ncuti Gatwa (The Fifteenth Doctor)
Number of Companions: 2
The Companions:
Carole Ann Ford (Susan) and Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra)
Guest Cast:
Anita Dobson (Mrs Flood), Rylan Clark (Himself), Graham Norton (Himself), Archie Panjabi (The Rani)
Additional Cast:
Julie Dray (Sabine), Imogen Kingsley-Smith (Runner), Kiruna Stamell (Nina Maxwell), Iona Anderson (Wynn Aura-Kin), Charlie Condou (Gary Gabbastone), Kadiff Kirwan (Mike Gabbastone), Freddie Fox (Kid), Miriam-Teak Lee (Cora Saint Bavier), Akemnji Ndifornyen (Len Kazah), Christina Rotondo (Liz Lizardine), Abdul Seesay (Jeddy Kine), Callum Owen, Harrison Pittard, Adam Bentley, Matthew Doman (Drone Guards)
Setting:
Harmony Arena (2925)
Villains:Kid and The Rani


The Episodes

No. Episodes Broadcast
(UK)
Duration Viewers
(Millions)
In Archive
890The Interstellar Song Contest17 May 202547'24"3.8Yes

Total Duration 47 Minutes


Audience Appreciation

Average Viewers (Millions) 3.8


Archives


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



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Story Images

 
Rylan Clark
Rylan Clark
The Doctor
The Doctor
Belinda
Belinda
Mrs Flood
Mrs Flood
 
Wynn And Kid
Wynn And Kid
Nina
Nina
Mike and Gary Gabbastone
Mike and Gary Gabbastone
Susan
Susan
 
Cora
Cora
Graham Norton Hologram
Graham Norton Hologram
Bi-Regeneration
Bi-Regeneration
The Rani
The Rani



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Release Information

FormatTitleRelease Date (UK)Code NumberCover ArtRemarks
Video
DVD
The Complete Fifteenth Series Box SetDue: August 2025Photo-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 SetDue: August 2025Photo-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)Due: August 2025Photo-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)

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Photo Gallery


The Doctor and Companions

 
Ncuti Gatwa
The Fifteenth Doctor

   

Carole Ann Ford
Susan
 
Varada Sethu
Belinda Chandra
   





Magazines

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

Marvel Comics
 
   

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