❚ We may earn commission from links on this page. Our editorial is always independent (learn more).

Doctor Who boss offers ominous warning about character in Steven Moffat's Boom

Russell T Davies teased the "great supporting character" Splice while speaking on The Official Doctor Who Podcast.

Caoilinn Springall in Doctor Who in a yellow outfit holding her temple with people running in the background

BBC Studios/Bad Wolf, James Pardon

Published: Monday, 13 May 2024 at 11:05 am

Subscribe to Radio Times – 5 weeks for £2

With two episodes of Doctor Who season 14 having now aired, fans are desperately awaiting Saturday's new instalment, the highly anticipated episode written by former showrunner Steven Moffat.

Ad

Moffat's episode is called Boom, and it will see the Doctor trapped when he steps on a landmine in the middle of a battlefield. He will then spend the rest of the episode stuck, trying to save both himself and Ruby without moving.

Now, while speaking on The Official Doctor Who Podcast for episodes 1 and 2, Space Babies and The Devil's Chord, showrunner Russell T Davies has teased what fans can expect from the episode, and offered up hints towards the wider plot and supporting characters.

"We're on war-torn planet Kastarion 3," he explained. "It's bleak, it's scary, it's muddy, it's foggy, it's dangerous, and that throws Ncuti's Doctor into the most extraordinary situation in which both he and Ruby have to act at the height of their powers and use all their wits to escape from this.

"There's a great supporting cast and there's a great supporting character called Splice, and one thing I would say in this story is be very careful about saying Splice's father's name out loud."

Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who standing on a green landmine looking shocked

Ncuti Gatwa in Doctor Who. BBC Studios/Bad Wolf, James Pardon

Splice is being played in the episode by Caoilinn Springall, who has previously had roles in The Midnight Sky, Citadel and Stopmotion – however, beyond that we know very little about the character or how Davies's warning will play out.

Read more:

Davies previously hyped up Moffat's new episode at a recent Q&A, saying that "people will be talking about that for years to come".

He explained: "At the very start of that, the Doctor stands on a landmine and can't move for the entire episode – that is absolutely a masterpiece of performance from [Ncuti and Millie], and in terms of tension, it's just incredible."

Want to see this content?

This page contains content provided by Google reCAPTCHA. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and other technologies. To view this content, choose 'Accept and continue' to allow Google reCAPTCHA and its required purposes.

Accept and continue

Meanwhile, Moffat himself has said that he thought the concept for the episode was "dynamite", adding that Davies emailed him back after he pitched it saying: "That’s it, go write that, I want that immediately."

He continued: "It’s a collaboration of enthusiasm… what we’re doing is giggling and laughing and shouting and bounding around the room about how clever and exciting all this is.

"If you're not doing that on a show like Doctor Who – or, frankly, any show – what's the point?"

Doctor Who continues on Saturday 18th May on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

Ad

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

Ad

Ad

Get the Christmas double issue

Too much to watch at Christmas? Let Radio Times do the choosing to find something the whole family will enjoy.

Subscribe by 3 Dec

Loading...

Ad

Loading...