Everything you need to know about Doctor Who series 10 episode 10 – The Eaters of Light
A proper Scottish story sees the Doctor, Bill and Nardole solve an ancient mystery
This week’s episode of Doctor Who sees the Doctor head to the wilds of Aberdeen – but what else can we expect?
What’s it called?
This episode is entitled The Eaters of Light, presumably a reference to the story’s monster and not the diets of the featured characters.
When is it on TV?
The Eaters of Light will air on BBC1 on Saturday 17th June at 6.45pm.
What happens in it?
On a quest to solve the real-life mystery of the missing Roman Ninth Legion, the Doctor and his friends run into trouble with a terrifying new monster that could cast humanity into the dark forever.
As series showrunner Steven Moffat exclusively told us:
“Now you have a choice. You can all keep on slaughtering each other till there’s no one left standing, or you can grow the hell up!”
A long time ago, the Roman legion of the ninth vanished into the mists of Scotland. Bill has a theory about what happened, and the Doctor has a time machine. But when they arrive in ancient Aberdeenshire, what they find is a far greater threat than any army. In a cairn, on a hillside, is a doorway leading to the end of the world.
Who’s in it?
Peter Capaldi, Pearl Mackie and Matt Lucas return as the Doctor, Bill and Nardole, with Michelle Gomez continuing her recurring role as Missy. Guest stars include Rebecca Benson, Daniel Kerr, Brian Vernel, Rohan Nedd, Ben Hunted and Sam Adewunmi.
Who’s written it?
Veteran scribe Rona Munro, who previously wrote an episode for Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor during the classic series (1989’s Survival) and so holds the rare distinction of writing for both the original and new versions of Doctor Who. The director is Charles Palmer.
Who are the baddies?
Presumably this scary creature, though if this series of Doctor Who has taught us anything it’s that we shouldn’t always assume the aliens are the villains of the piece…
Anything else?
Well, considering this episode is the last before we approach the two-part finale (and therefore the endgame for both star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat, who are leaving after the Christmas special), we wouldn’t be surprised to find some hint at what’s to come towards the end of this standalone episode.
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
