'Doctor Who' Breaks Canon With Interstellar Song Contest Preview Clip

Sing a song of Doctor, it may nearly be over

Thank you for the music. As I walk through the vale vale decem of death, I take a look at the date and realize Eurovision is underway. Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa had to withdraw as the UK’s Spokesperson due to unforeseen circumstances. A country’s Spokesperson distributes their Eurovision points to vote for a country. Gatwa has been replaced by “Murder on the Dancefloor” singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, but luckily his presence at the 803rd Interstellar Song Contest was prerecorded as the sixth episode of his second season of Doctor Who, airing Saturday, May 17 on Disney+, BBC iPlayer and BBC One. The former two are guaranteed 8 AM GMT / 3 AM Eastern releases. The latter has some variables in play. But indeed, the episode does have a preview clip released.

It’s a minute long, and the episode, written by Juno Dawson and showrunner Russell T. Davies and directed by Ben A. Williams, has already been urged by Davies to be watched ASAP and to stay offline as there are twists, turns and plot elements sure to set up the two-part season finale, so there was probably precision in finding the right scene to clip. It starts with the TARDIS landing in one of the…balconies? Audience pods? One might call the landing a lyricochet. The Doctor is eager to plant the vortex indicator, but companion Belinda Chandra is enraptured by the sights and sounds as the familiarity starts to register, especially the sight of host Rylan Clark. They soon learn it is the Interstellar Song Contest, and know in unison they’re not going anywhere. A synopsis given reads “The TARDIS bounces the Doctor and Belinda to the Harmony Arena, deep in outer space. It’s 2925 and the biggest night of the year. Three trillion lifeforms from 40 million planets are watching the The 803rd Interstellar Song Contest, a Eurovision-type contest, hosted by the very well-preserved Rylan, where planets from across the universe compete for the top prize. Someone is planning to hijack the event, putting everyone’s lives in danger and [the Doctor and Belinda’s] harmless night of fun soon becomes a battle to survive.”

Kadiff Kirwan Gets A Chew To 'Doctor Who'

Clark was one of the talent spoken to for this week’s interviews. He didn’t give a lot of information about the episode, but for my American audience it’s worth clarifying he’s worked Eurovision Song Contests but has yet to actually host. His co-host is Julie Dray as feline alien Sabine. Freddie Fox describes his villainous character, simply called Kid, as “a charismatic, devious, revolutionary leader of a group” trying to get justice for wrongs that he wants to raise awareness to the greater universe. He was also very pleased with the freedoms he had playing the character. Dawson says he looks good with horns, and that Davies was the one who pitched the bare bones Eurovision meets Die Hard concept, which she was familiar with, and she pitched plot: What would happen if an enemy faction planned an attack on the Eurovision Song Contest in space? She also reveals Sethu wasn’t cast as Belinda at the time she was writing. Director Williams, already astonished by the elevation of spectacle in present day Eurovision, did his darnedest to envision an evolution of intergalactic levels, with lights from drones, logos that can materialize in space, screens that appear out of thin air, and a 100,000 being audience.

Other details revealed include the roles for Charlie Condou and Kadiff Kirwan. They are a married couple, Gary and Mike on the verge of divorce, until the danger reminds them of what really matters. Christina Rotondo, who voiced “The Goblin Song” singer Janis Goblin in “The Church on Ruby Road” plays Liz Lizardine. Classic companion Turlough’s home planet Trion has a competing contestant Cora Saint Bavier (Miram-Teak Lee), who has her own secrets.

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Sources: Doctor Who, Cultbox