Doctor Who: Lux ★★★★

“We’re going 3D. And remember, whatever you do, don’t make me laugh.” – Mr Ring-a-Ding

1952, Miami: In the Palazzo cinema, the lively cartoon character Mr. Ring-a-Ding leaps off the screen and causes chaos among the viewers, who inexplicably disappear. Several months later, The Doctor and Belinda probe this enigma. They uncover that Mr. Ring-a-Ding is actually Lux, the deity of light, and a member of the malevolent Pantheon. Once turned into cartoons themselves, they must cleverly figure out how to return to their physical form.

First UK broadcastSaturday 19 April 2025

Here are the characters in this script, each with their respective actors:

* The Doctor – Ncuti Gatwa
* Belinda Chandra – Varada Sethu
* Mr. Ring-a-Ding – Alan Cumming
* Reginald Pye – Linus Roache
* Mrs. Flood – Anita Dobson
* Tommy Lee – Cassius Hackforth
* Husband – Ryan Speakman
* Sunshine Sally – Millie O’Connell
* Renée Lowenstein – Lucy Thackeray
* Logan Cheever – Lewis Cornay
* Helen Pye – Jane Hancock
* Hassan Chowdry – Samir Arrian
* Lizzie Abel – Bronté Barbé
* Robyn Gossage – Steph Lacey
* Policeman – William Meredith
* Newsreader – Ian Shaw

In this production, the Team of Writers is led by Russell T Davies. The Director is Amanda Brotchie. The beautiful music that fills the scenes was composed by Murray Gold. Chris May serves as the Producer, while Vicky Delow acts as the Series Producer. The Executive Producers are Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, and Phil Collinson.

RT review by Patrick Mulkern

Doctor Who shines brightest when it ventures into uncharted realms. Regularly, we’re amazed by the TARDIS’s abilities, but when the writers push the boundaries even more, as in The Mind Robber (1968) with its Land of Fiction or Flatline (2014) and its dimension-spanning force, both the Doctor and viewers are challenged to think outside the ordinary.

In a remarkable fashion, Lux manages to pull this off magnificently. By blending the essence of movie projection and film stock, and leveraging Disney’s resources for stunning animation (provided by the British VFX company Framestore), Lux introduces an original and increasingly unsettling antagonist in Mr Ring-a-Ding. He’s a unique blend of the Cat in the Hat and a yet-to-be-encountered pesky doctor.

The part where The Time Lord and Belinda get flattened into 2D cartoons, yet expressively return to their 3D world, is thoughtfully executed. This scene in Lux is reminiscent of how The Doctor has previously appeared as a cartoon character in comic books. However, this sequence harmonizes well with contemporary efforts to animate the lost 1960s Doctor Who episodes on screen.

In this work, Russell T Davies skillfully navigates the complex realm of breaking the fourth wall. On multiple occasions, we see Mr Ring-a-Ding step out from the movie screen into reality. The Doctor and Belinda cleverly alter and accelerate the frames within their confinement, ultimately bursting through a television screen and appearing in the living room of their most devoted fans. This daring move is both amusing and self-aware.

As a devoted cinema enthusiast, when the Doctor inquires, “So then, what’s your favorite adventure?”, I can’t help but exclaim, “Blink, every single time!” And when someone questions if it’s the one with the Goblins, I stand firm: “Blink!” It’s amusing to see Belinda scoff at the very foundation of Steven Moffat’s classic. Despite the sentimental ending of this ‘bubble’, it raises an intriguing question that resonates deeply – who is genuine and what is a mere figment of imagination? A topic we’ll undoubtedly delve into further this season.

Doctor Who has faced criticism for bringing up sensitive topics, but when approached delicately, there should be no issue. Thus, kudos to Belinda’s foresight (as a nurse) anticipating Rock Hudson’s future illness years before it happened. It’s chilling to think that, had this storyline unfolded during daylight hours due to racial segregation, the Doctor and his companions wouldn’t have been able to visit the diner and cinema in 1950s Miami freely.

In Lux, there’s a sense of delight even in the darkness. “Sweetheart, I’m Velma,” the Doctor says to Belinda (Fred), as they emulate Scooby-Doo to investigate an elderly caretaker in a supposedly haunted cinema. However, as they delve into the enigmas surrounding light, different realms, and individuals lost within film reels, the atmosphere shifts towards the supernatural series of yesteryears on ITV, Sapphire and Steel. With additional content, Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu could form a dynamic duo reminiscent of certain elements.