Dot and Bubble is Doctor Who’s "clearest step into Black Mirror" says showrunner
Russell T Davies originally pitched the episode to Steven Moffat for his era of the show.
Now that we're at the halfway point through Doctor Who season 14, Russell T Davies has teased that the show's next episode will be taking a leaf out of another sci-fi favourite's book: Black Mirror.
Dot and Bubble will see the Doctor and Ruby trying to help the citizens of Finetime, a world which seems happy and harmonious, but where an awful terror is preying on the citizens.
Black Mirror is of course known for its portrayal of the downsides of futuristic technology and its representation of dystopian societies, and, speaking in this month's issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies has said any comparison between Dot and Bubble and the Netflix series is perfectly welcome.
He explained: "This is probably our clearest step into Black Mirror territory, which I love. I’m a huge fan of Charlie Brooker. He’s immensely brilliant. But there’s a little bit more freedom and Doctor Who madness in Dot and Bubble. There’s a sense of fun. And monsters in the middle of it.
"So although it’s Black Mirror-like, it’s more Doctor Who. It’s got the bones and the blood of our favourite show. I hoot a lot when I watch it."
Davies also revealed two of the episode's working titles – irl and Monsters, Monsters Everywhere – and said he originally pitched the idea for the episode to Steven Moffat for when he was running the show.
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He said: "I thought of it way back when, around 2009, when I was still working on Doctor Who, because I pitched it to Steven Moffat in a restaurant in Los Angeles. He was saying, 'Would you come back and write for the programme?' Every year, he’d ask me. How lovely.
"So I pitched this episode [in April 2010], in a restaurant called Hal’s on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Karen Gillan [who played Amy Pond] was there. They were in LA to launch their first series, and I remember pitching – I used to call this – 'visible Twitter'.
"We didn’t go very far with the conversation, because the idea was literally too expensive. But you wait 15 years and here we are."
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Anthology sci-fi series Black Mirror first started airing in 2011, and was originally broadcast on Channel 4. It moved to Netflix for its third season in 2016, and most recently released its sixth season last year. A seventh is in development now, expected to be released in 2025.
The latest issue of Doctor Who magazine is out now.
Doctor Who continues on Saturday 1st June 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.
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Authors
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.
