The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:02, 19 February 2024

The Return of Doctor Mysterio

Key crew

Writer:

Steven Moffat

Director:

Ed Bazalgette

Producer:

Peter Bennett

Release details

Story number:

264

Premiere broadcast:

25 December 2016

Premiere network:

BBC One

Format:

1x60 minute special

Production code:

10.X

Official trailer

Memorable moment

Another memorable moment

One more memorable moment

Behind the scenes video

More behind the scenes stuff

Another behind the scenes moment

*Doctor Who* television stories
← Previous	Next →
The Husbands of River Song	The Pilot

Christmas specials
← Previous	Next →
The Husbands of River Song	Twice Upon a Time

Production order
← Previous	Next →
Knock Knock	Oxygen

The Return of Doctor Mysterio was the 2016 Christmas Special of Doctor Who. It was the show's twelfth Christmas special since its revival and the third Christmas special starring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor.

It saw the return of Nardole from the previous Christmas special, this time as the Doctor's companion. The circumstances leading to Nardole's return were not explained until 2017's Extremis. Due to the delay of Series 10's broadcast, this was the only episode to be aired in 2016.

Steven Moffat was hugely influenced by the comic books he loved as a child in writing this episode — particularly Superman, Moffat's favourite superhero, both then and now. By his own account, he took particular inspiration from the Christopher Reeve Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s. Though clearly humorous in tone, The Return of Doctor Mysterio explores many common superhero themes, such as the hero's secret identity, his origin story, and a love triangle involving both the hero and the man behind the mask.

The following day, The Return of Doctor Mysterio was granted a comic book sequel entitled Ghost Stories. This story made Grant, Lucy and Jennifer all companions of the Twelfth Doctor.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Twelfth Doctor once more faces off with an alien species that wishes to conquer the planet: the Harmony Shoal. This time, however, he has more backup than usual, and with a little twist: a real-life superhero called the Ghost.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

On Christmas Eve, 1990s, New York City, a boy named Grant wakes up during the middle of the night to find the Doctor swinging from his ankles in front of his bedroom window. He asks to be let in, and Grant goes to ask his mother; Grant lets the Doctor in. Confused, the Doctor asks what Grant told his mother; Grant said there was "an old guy" at the window. Realising that Grant has mistaken him for Santa, the Doctor gives a "ho ho ho."

Reading through some comics Grant has, the Doctor is given milk and cookies. He draws Grant's attention to a Superman comic; the Doctor points out how ridiculous it is that no-one can tell that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person, just because of a pair of glasses. They head to the roof, with the Doctor now confused about Spider-Man, whom Grant tells the origin story of; however, the Doctor believes getting bitten by a radioactive spider would result in radiation poisoning.

The Doctor reveals a device he is unable to describe in simpler terms than a "time distortion equaliser thingy". There has been a lot of temporal problems in New York, and he's trying to straighten them out. Hearing Grant cough, the Doctor hands him a glass of water from his pocket; when asked how that's possible, the Doctor states he has "skills." He also hands him a red gem.

Grant asks why the Doctor is working on the device; he thought he was setting a trap. The Doctor explains that he accidentally fell into a trap he set to protect from people who would mistake it for a Christmas tree and steal it; it's science, it's supposed to look like something somebody already knows about. When asked for his name, the Doctor states that he is the original Doctor that started the title; "now anyone who wants to be called clever, calls them-self a doctor." Amused, Grant tells the Doctor that if he was a comic book character, he'd be called "Doctor Mysterio". The Doctor is likewise impressed with the title, saying it himself in a dramatic voice.

He asks Grant if he wants to turn on the machine, showing him a slot for a gemstone he handed him. He explains that it's called the Hazandra or the "Ghost of Love and Wishes". It takes power from the nearest star to make the wisher's dream come true. The Doctor instructs Grant to put the gemstone inside the device. However, Grant reveals that he thought the gem was medicine for his cough and swallowed it. Grant begins to levitate, as the Doctor tries getting Grant to calm down, but the boy does the opposite, launching them into the air.

Years later, a man awakens to the sound of a crying baby. He rushes out of bed and tends to the little girl. He calls the mother, whom he works for as a nanny, assuring her that her daughter is safe and sound. A red glow from his chest reveals him to be Grant as an adult.

On top of the Empire State Building, Grant asks what is happening, and the Doctor tells him that the gem has granted what it thinks he wants: superpowers.

Sometime later, a conference is held at Harmony Shoal Institute, where Mr Brock is questioned by Lucy Fletcher as to where the benefactors for the organisation are. Brock jokes that he killed them all and buried them in his backyard. Nardole asks where the little boys' room is but becomes confused by the American terminology. Brock is approached by Dr Sim, who tells him something is wrong. He tells Sim to meet him at midnight. Lucy speaks to a woman on the cleaning staff at the same time.

Come midnight, Dr Sim leads Brock to a vault where brains are being held; unbeknownst to them, Lucy has followed, having disguised herself as a janitor. Brock tells Sim that he knows that the brains were donated by the benefactors for a secret project that even he is not allowed to know; Dr Sim then tells him that there are more brains in there despite no deliveries being made to Harmony Shoal.

Mr Brock discovers the true identities of the "benefactors".

Outside the vault, Lucy hears someone eating and turns to find the Doctor next to her. The Doctor tells her he broke in too, and has brought sushi; according to him, bringing a snack is the mark of a pro.

Told to tap the glass of a container, Brock complies and suddenly the brain inside sprouts eyes. Scared, Brock punches Sim in the face, dislodging the right side of his face, and spilling some blue liquid; Sim puts his head back in place, showing he's not human. Sim points to tank without liquid, which he says is the brain of the real Sim; they switched "containers". Brock asks what happened, and Sim states it's the same thing that's about to happen to him: "a change of mind." Surgeons emerge from hidden compartments and surround Brock, and Sim locks the screaming man inside of the vault.

The Doctor and Lucy run away, with her revealing her true identity to him; after her shock, the Doctor jokes it's spooky how that happens. When asked for his identity, the Doctor calls himself "Dan Dangerous of Scotland Yard." He looks at a map showing where Harmony Shoal has set up shop, which is every capital city on the planet. Nardole arrives, noting that New York is not a capital city. Annoyed, the Doctor tells Nardole that he's not there to point out his mistakes; he then realises Nardole was right.

Sim confronts them with a gun, intending to kill them as security might leave them alive; it would leave too many questions. However, the Doctor makes the situation a stalemate as no-one will believe he shot three people in the back in self-defence, making Nardole and Lucy turn their backs to Sim with him. The situation gets stranger as they hear knocking on the window of the 100th floor. Lucy turns around in shock; it's the Ghost, a superhero vigilante. The Ghost snaps his fingers and the window shatters; Sim is impressed, as that window was designed to withstand the force of four nuclear bombs.

Sim shoots the Ghost, but the bullets fly off of him; the Ghost picks up Sim and tosses him into the map, stating he doesn't like causing long-term harm, but moderate harm is fine with him. He reveals that he knows Lucy's work for the Daily Chronicle, stating its opinions are too biased; she says she'll have a word with her boss. The Ghost asks about the Doctor and Nardole, to which the Ghost and Doctor exchange greetings that seem to identify themselves to each other. Asking Lucy if she needs a lift, the Ghost carries her out the window and flies into the sky. Heading to the window, the Doctor scowls after the Ghost, muttering "Grant."

In the past, on top of the building, the Doctor tells Grant that once the gem is gone from his body, his powers would go away, and makes him promise to never use his powers.

The Ghost drops Lucy off, before noticing a monitor flashing on his belt. She jokingly asks if the "Bat signal" was an app now, before the Ghost flies off. The Ghost returns home, changing out of his uniform and back into his civilian clothes. He heads to the nursery, where he finds the Doctor cradling the baby, revealing that he tracked him by the gem fused to him. He also states that no superhero should leave a baby unattended; Grant defends this as being able to be back faster than most parents can get to their children. The Doctor hands the baby to Grant, who reveals that he works as a nanny; "got to make a buck somehow; you don't get paid for saving the world." The Doctor tells him that he thinks this is insane, and that's saying something coming from him. Nardole agrees, giving Grant a bottle for the baby. When asked how complicated he needs his life to be, Grant tells them less than it's about to as the mother of the child comes home: it's Lucy!

To keep Grant's identity a secret, the Doctor lies that he came to see how she was out of concern; he got to Lucy's home before she did as a show of how concerned. Lucy accepts this, taking her daughter from Grant to put her back to sleep. The Doctor and Grant talk out on the fire escape. Grant has been in love with Lucy for 24 years but never had the courage to confess to her. Then a few years back, they met again; however, Grant's best friend was with him as well, and Lucy married him instead. However, once baby Jennifer came along, the father ran off with another woman; Grant saw his chance to get close the Lucy again, becoming Jennifer's nanny. Amused, the Doctor points out Grant left the field open for others to try dating Lucy instead of him. The Doctor yells "Thank you!" to the sky, confusing Grant; the Doctor states that he is thanking the universe for letting him meet someone who is worse at having a normal life than him. Hearing a siren, Grant takes off as the Ghost, leaving his glasses behind.

Lucy realises the Doctor isn't an agent.

Lucy arrives moments later, asking the Doctor to come in for an interview. Using the squeaking noise of a Mr Huffle to torture the Doctor, Lucy gets him to confess to not working for any agencies and that the Ghost is not involved with the goings-on at Harmony Shoal. Catching sight of the Ghost on TV, the Doctor directs Lucy's attention to it; the Ghost is being interviewed after helping stop a fire, telling the viewers to get smoke detectors for fire safety.

Throughout the night, Grant takes off to help out. Lucy asks the Doctor if he can set up a meeting with the Ghost; that moment, Grant calls her, as the Ghost, setting up an interview the next night. Lucy catches Grant just after he hangs up, telling him that she needs him to watch Jennifer tomorrow; Grant tries to weakly protest he has a date but gives in.

The Doctor confronts Harmony Shoal.

At Harmony Shoal, Sim greets his brother alien, now in Brock's body. Despite Brock's skull being too small, Sim assures his brother that it will soften with wear. Sim shows him footage of the Ghost, who they believe is the finest "vehicle" available on the planet. They watch footage of the Doctor, who suddenly shouts "boo!" It turns out he's right in the next room. The Doctor tells the duo that he offers them mercy, and won't follow them off the planet if they leave now. Taking this as a declaration of war, "Brock" opens his head and pulls out a gun. The Doctor tells them that they are just another attempted invasion of the planet, which will fail like all the others.

The Doctor holds out a burger, which is confiscated by Sim. He reveals to them that he knows what their plan is: "unzip" the heads of the world leaders and place their alien comrades inside to conquer the world. However, the White House and the Kremlin would be the hardest places to break into due to "big fences, shouty people and cross dogs." Sim reveals that they plan to make the leaders come running to them. The Doctor whistles, telling that it won't work. Sim wonders what he took from the Doctor, to which he is told it's a burger; "Always carry a snack; don't want it now. He's put me off my lunch." The TARDIS materialises around the Doctor.

Tokyo Branch of Harmony Shoal.

Inside, the Doctor finds Nardole in robes from 12th century Constantinople; it took a few hit-and-miss tries to pick up the Doctor. The Doctor asks for the facts, as he's saving the planet; Nardole states that's what he does whenever the conversation becomes serious. Annoyed, the Doctor tells him to be nice to the person who "glued" his head back on. The Doctor pilots the TARDIS, landing "where they were, except not." They head outside, into the Tokyo branch, where everyone is rushing out of the room. The Doctor explains that he flooded the downstairs with Pokemon. The Doctor searches the computers, finding a signal being sent into space.

In New York, Grant wishes Lucy luck during her interview; she's wearing a trench coat, stating that it's not a date. When she leaves, he changes into the Ghost and heads to the roof with a picnic. To his surprise, Lucy arrives in a red dress she keeps for dates. They start the informal interview, with Lucy asking some too-personal questions, such as the Ghost's sexuality. The conversation then goes to the superpowers that the Ghost has: he has flight, super-strength, invulnerability, super-hearing, pyrokinesis, and x-ray vision. When asked if x-ray vision is tempting, the Ghost states adolescence was difficult because of it. The Ghost tries revealing he's Grant to Lucy, who keeps looking in the wrong direction when his mask is off; at the same time, Lucy reveals that she has been developing love towards Grant for always being there for her. When she turns back, the Ghost is masked again, telling her Grant must be admirable.

In space, the TARDIS floats outside of a ship. The Doctor states that it's empty because the lights are off. They land inside, only to be attacked by former bodies used by the Shoal, which are being controlled by a computer in place of a brain. They are chased to the bridge, where the Doctor locks them out. Sim contacts them via the monitor, with the Doctor curious as to why the ship is pre-programmed to fall on New York. Sim states that when the time is right, they will drop the ship on New York, destroying everything except the Harmony Shoal building; the world leaders will be tricked into thinking it's a safe haven and will get their brains replaced when they arrive. Seeing Sim just told him the time is wrong, the Doctor starts messing with the controls, which causes the ship to start falling towards Earth prematurely. Telling Nardole to say "Whee!", the Doctor smiles madly.

Brock smirks at his dark humour.

Back in New York, Brock arrives at the rooftop to switch the Ghost's brain with an alien. Brock assures that the procedure will be painless, before telling the Ghost that he was talking to his fellow alien. The Ghost flies off, leaving Lucy behind on her suggestion. Brock threatens to bring Jennifer up as another hostage as Grant arrives as himself, telling Brock he's not going to touch that baby. With another hostage, Brock calls for the Ghost to come back or Lucy will die. Suddenly, everything begins shaking; Brock looks up at the sky with horror, knowing it's his ship. Grant hears the Doctor; he's using the sonic screwdriver to speak to him on a frequency only he can hear. The Doctor tells Grant to stop the ship or all life in New York will perish. Seeing he can't keep his dual life secret anymore, Grant tells Lucy to duck in his Ghost voice.

Moments later, the Doctor shakes Nardole awake, telling him that a "shock-absorber" stopped the ship from blowing up. In the streets below, hundreds of people and police watch in amazement at the sight of a spaceship seemingly floating on a rooftop. On the roof, Grant tells Lucy he's sorry for not telling her, and to not slap him as he's holding a bomb. The TARDIS arrives, with a happy Doctor walking out, telling Brock they couldn't defeat Grant because he's left-handed; Grant never lets go of the baby monitor in his left hand out of habit. Lucy tells Grant she preferred him in his superhero outfit, putting his glasses back on and kissing him. The joy from this has Grant flying off with her. The Doctor tells Grant to toss the ship into the sun when they're done.

The Doctor reminds them that Jennifer is still in the apartment. Grant tosses the baby monitor to the Doctor, who hears Jennifer calling for something. Brock holds the Doctor at gunpoint, but is told to give up as a helicopter from UNIT has been sent to close their "head office". Brock warns that Harmony Shoal's vengeance is known and feared throughout five galaxies, the Doctor scoffs at this, telling him Jennifer needs changing "You're not the only one who's full of it."

At Harmony Shoal office, the workers are being forced to leave the premises. A UNIT soldier comes upon Sim's body, which is now empty of the alien that replaced his brain. He asks the soldier who found it if the body was already like this; he confirms it. The officer states that he'll put a call in to Osgood; UNIT needs to be on alert for the presence of this rogue alien. The soldier turns around after his superior leaves, revealing a long scar on his face; to avoid capture, Sim transferred himself into this soldier's body.

The city in safe hands.

Back at Lucy's apartment, she and Grant are now a couple; both now happy to have someone who truly cares for them. Grant has also decided to quit being the Ghost unless he is absolutely needed again. The Doctor heads for the TARDIS after giving some bitter-sweet advice. When asked if there's something bothering him, Nardole explains the situation to them. The Doctor is still grieving for the loss of his beloved wife River Song; for some time, the Doctor is going to be sad. However, Nardole is with him to make sure the Doctor doesn't stray from being who he really is. He leaves as well.

Lucy turns to Grant, telling him he never really explained who the Doctor was. Smiling, Grant tells her "Doctor... Mysterio". Having seemingly heard Grant, the Doctor smiles and starts up the TARDIS, showing the Mr Huffle that Lucy gave him resting on the console. The last scene of the episode shows New York at night, as the TARDIS flies away, taking the Doctor and Nardole off to their next adventure.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Executive Producers Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin


Written by Steven Moffat	Produced by Peter Bennett	Directed by Ed Bazalgette	Director of Photography Ashley Rowe	Production Designer Michael Pickwoad	Visual Effects Milk BBC Wales VFX

Make-up Designer Barbara Southcott	Casting Director Andy Pryor CDG	Music Murray Gold	Costume Designer Hayley Nebauer	Edited by Adam Green	Special Effects Real SFX
Original theme music by Ron Grainer • Titles by BBC Wales Graphics • With thanks to National Orchestra of Wales Music conducted & orchestrated by Alastair King • Music mixed by Jake Jackson • Music recorded by Gerry O'Riordan

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

VFX Editor - Dan Rawlings
Special Creature Effects & Prosthetics - Millennium FX
Wires - Bob Schofield
Colourist - Gareth Spensley

Sound


Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Young Grant accidentally swallows a gemstone known as the Hazandra, mistaking it for medicine. There are only four of its kind in the universe.
The Doctor tells the young Grant that he usually gets a cold or an invasion on Christmas.
Grant has prepared a Christmas stocking.
The Doctor mentions the Apocalypse monks of the Andurax.
Harmony Shoal Institute has offices in every capital city on Earth, as well as in New York City, which is not a capital city.
Lucy possesses a Mr Huffle.
Nardole mentions the Time Lord non-interference policy.
The Doctor tells Lucy he is "Dan Dangerous from Scotland Yard, Scotland".
Grant's gemstone granted him X-ray vision.
Nardole travelled to 12th century Constantinople where he "ruled firmly, but wisely".
The Tokyo Tower is seen when the Doctor travels to the Tokyo-branch of Harmony Shoal Institute.

Popular culture[[edit] | [edit source]]

Young Grant is a comic book fan, and becomes a superhero in their vein. He owns two Superman comics - #17 and #19 - and has posters on his wall of superheroes including the Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Silver Surfer, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash. His duvet depicts Captain America and Iron Man, among others. Another poster is for Mighty Marvel Comicon 1975, featuring several characters, including Daredevil, Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, and several others. He has several posters depicting specific issues of comics:
- The Defenders issue 61 - Marvel Comics Group.
- The Defenders issue 109 (July 1982) "Valkyrie's Vengeance" - Marvel Comics Group.
- Detective Comics issue 566 - DC Comics.
- The Amazing Spider-Man issue 185 - Marvel Comics Group.
- The Incredible Hulk issue 181 - Marvel Comics Group.
- More to be added
The Doctor said he used Pokémon as a distraction in Tokyo.
Grant owns A Classic Case of Dr Seuss.
When the baby monitor beeps, as the Ghost is about to take off, Lucy asks if "the Bat-Signal's an app now?"
The Doctor refers to the bomb ship as the Sword of Damocles.
The Mind of Evil plays in a cinema opposite Lucy's apartment.

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Mr. Brock jokes that his backyard is the size of Wyoming.
Mr. Brock mentions Miss Shuster and Miss Siegel. Superman was created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.
Lucy Fletcher is a reporter for the Daily Chronicle.

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

There's a Joe's Pizza under young Grant's apartment, which is situated on the corner of Macpherson Street.
Nardole mentions Washington.
The Doctor mentions the White House and the Kremlin.

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor builds a "time distortion equaliser thingy".
The Doctor mentions lightning conductors.

Food and drink[[edit] | [edit source]]

Grant serves the Doctor milk and cookies, believing him to be Santa Claus.
The Doctor is eating sushi while observing the room filled with brains.

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

The origins of The Return of Doctor Mysterio

The name Doctor Mysterio comes from the name in Mexico for Doctor Who, Doctor Misterio (as a literal translation of the title, "Doctor Quién", would make less sense in Spanish than in English), which Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi encountered when they visited there in the Doctor Who World Tour. Capaldi, in particular, fell in love with the name, so Moffat decided to use it in an episode title. Capaldi noted that he was quite taken by the deep voice that announced the title on the overdubbed soundtrack, and in fact, when the Doctor utters the name in the episode, this is Capaldi impersonating the delivery of the announcer.^[1]
Moffat has admitted to being heavily inspired by the Superman films starring Christopher Reeve, and the episode features several plot points similar to the 1978 film Superman in particular. Both Grant/The Ghost and Clark Kent/Superman wear glasses to hide their superhero identites, particularly when rescuing a reporter they are close to, and have feelings for, in their everyday life. They then arrange a rooftop interview in which they attempt to reveal their dual identities, and are also both contacted via a specific frequency which only they can hear.
Matt Lucas is the first comedy writer to play a companion in a television story since James Corden as Craig Owens in Closing Time. The last comedian to play a full-time companion was Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.
Daniel Lorente (Teen Grant), Sandra Teles (Reporter), Tanroh Ishida (Operator) and Vaughn Johseph (Soldier) are not credited in Radio Times.
The cold opening sequence was the longest in the history of the franchise, running a little over nine minutes, until Eve of the Daleks aired in 2022, which had a longer cold opening, running only 10 seconds after the start of the title sequence for this story.
The previous broadcast story, The Husbands of River Song, was also a Christmas special. This marks the first time two full consecutive television stories have both been broadcast on Christmas Day.
This is the first Christmas special since The Snowmen to have a coming soon trailer at the end.
This story was the first Christmas special not to feature any Eleventh Doctor companions since The End of Time, although Amy Pond and Rory Williams are obliquely referred to.
This is the first story set in Peter Capaldi's tenure to feature a companion original to his tenure, rather than being introduced during a previous Doctor's era.
Unlike the two previous Christmas specials, the title sequence has no Christmas-themed changes. Matt Lucas is also credited as "And Matt Lucas" before the show's title, as in his subsequent appearances in series 10, unlike previous companions whose actor's name immediately followed the Doctor's.
Keoki's "Pass It On" plays in the scene where the Doctor catches up with teenaged Grant in high school.
Several dioramas were released, the first being "The Return of Doctor Mysterio Diorama".
This is the only story in the entire show where the Doctor travels solely with a male companion throughout, excluding stories such as The Next Doctor or The End of Time where the Doctor was travelling alone and had help from a male character. This is also the first story since The Angels Take Manhattan to have a male companion at all. Though Nyssa was introduced in The Keeper of Traken, she was not established as a companion until Logopolis, and Adric was the only regular companion in the former story.
Discounting instances of the actor playing the Doctor receiving sole billing in the title sequence, this is the first TV story since TV: The End of Time in which all of the actors credited in the title sequence are men.
Weirdly, on the official BBC Doctor Who website, the episode credits DC Comics with "With thanks to DC Comics" however, they go uncredited in the actual broadcast.
The Superman issue the Doctor flips through is Superman Volume 2 Issue 19.

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

There are mistakes on the map in the 100th Floor Lobby of the Harmony Shoal offices. It is meant to show the capitals of every country, but there are many errors, for example: The pin showing capital city of South Africa is placed in accordance to the real city of Durban, which is not one of South Africa's three capitals.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

7.83 million (UK final)^[2]

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

Characters from Class would appear in a crossover. False.
Clara Oswald would appear or be referenced in a substantial way. False. Originated from fans interpreting comments made by Peter Capaldi at a June 2016 convention appearance in Washington, DC, that he had "just filmed something" involving Clara as an indication of an appearance or reference. This may have been referring to his appearance in the Class episode For Tonight We Might Die or the allusion to Clara in The Pilot.
Pearl Mackie would make her first appearance. False, the Series 10 trailer notwithstanding.
Alex Kingston would appear as River Song. False, though River is referenced.
Doctor Mysterio would be the name of the superhero in this episode. It was a nickname Grant, the superhero, gave the Doctor.

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor says he often gets an invasion at Christmas. (TV: The Unquiet Dead, The Christmas Invasion, The Runaway Bride, The Next Doctor, The Snowmen)
The Doctor guesses Peter Parker received radiation poisoning after being bitten by a radioactive spider. (TV: Planet of the Spiders)
The Doctor attempts to repair a temporal disruption he previously caused in New York. (TV: The Angels Take Manhattan)
The Doctor purports himself to be the original example of the title "Doctor". (TV: A Good Man Goes to War)
Grant states that him and Lucy have known each other for twenty-four years, to which the Doctor reacts. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
Nardole states that the Doctor cut him out of Hydroflax's body. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
Nardole refers to the Time Lord non-interference policy. (TV: Underworld)
The Doctor mentions his love for buttons and switches. (TV: The Christmas Invasion)
Nardole says the Doctor is out of his mind, and he asks how that can be news. Other people have said similar things. (TV: Smith and Jones, Journey's End)
The Doctor again says only one chance is needed. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice)
The Doctor uses a sonic frequency only Grant can hear. He previously created something similar to be able to talk to young Davros. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice)
The Doctor is still gently baffled by other people kissing. (TV: The Big Bang, A Christmas Carol)
Nardole mentions River's death in the Library. (TV: Forest of the Dead)
Nardole mentions that the Doctor has been away for twenty-four years. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
The Doctor tells his companion to say "Whee!" when falling. (TV: The Beast Below)
Lucy disguises herself as a cleaning lady to infiltrate Harmony Shoal; the Third Doctor previously did this to infiltrate Global Chemicals. (TV: The Green Death)

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD & Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This episode was released as a standalone DVD and Blu-Ray in in region 1/A on 21 February 2017, in region 2/B on 23 January 2017 and in region 4/B on 22 February 2017.
This episode was also released as part of the Complete Tenth Series DVD and Blu-ray boxsets in region 1/A on 7 November 2017, in region 2/B on 13 November 2017 and in region 4/B on 29 November 2017.

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

In the United Kingdom, this story is available on BBC iPlayer, as part of Series 9.

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

↑ Video: Doctor Who - Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi joke about 'Doctor Mysterio' Christmas special. Belfast Telegraph (14 October 2016). Retrieved on 25 December 2016.
↑ Ratings - DW News

[1] Video: Doctor Who - Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi joke about 'Doctor Mysterio' Christmas special. Belfast Telegraph (14 October 2016). Retrieved on 25 December 2016.

[2] Ratings - DW News

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Latest revision as of 20:02, 19 February 2024

Contents

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Popular culture[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

Locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Technology[[edit] | [edit source]]

Food and drink[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD & Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 {{real world}}
 {{ImageLinkTV}}
-{{Infobox Story
+{{Infobox Story SMW
-|name            = The Return of Doctor Mysterio
 |image           = The Return of Doctor Mysterio comic intro.jpg
-|series          = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
+|special         = [[Christmas Special]] 2016
-|season number   = [[Series 10 (Doctor Who)|10]]
+|story number    = 264
-|story number    = 262
 |doctor          = Twelfth Doctor
 |companions      = [[Nardole]]
-|featuring       = [[Grant Gordon|Grant/The Ghost]], [[Lucy Fletcher|Lucy]]
+|featuring       = Grant Gordon
-|enemy           = [[Shoal of the Winter Harmony]]
+|featuring2      = Lucy Fletcher
-|setting         = [[New York City]], [[1990s]], [[2010s]]
+|featuring3      = Jennifer Fletcher
-|writer          = [[Steven Moffat]]
+|enemy           = [[Harmony Shoal]]
+|setting         = [[New York City]], [[2010s]]
+|writer          = Steven Moffat
 |director        = [[Ed Bazalgette]]
 |producer        = [[Peter Bennett]]
-|broadcast date  = [[25 December (releases)|25 December]] [[2016 (releases)|2016]]
+|broadcast date  = 25 December 2016
-|network         = [[BBC One]]
+|network         = BBC One
 |format          = 1x60 minute special
 |production code = 10.X
+|series          = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
 |prev            = The Husbands of River Song (TV story)
-|next            = TBA
+|next            = The Pilot (TV story)
 |series2         = [[Christmas special]]s
 |prev2           = The Husbands of River Song (TV story)
-|next2           = TBA
+|next2 = Twice Upon a Time (TV story)
-|made prev       =
+|made prev       = Knock Knock (TV story)
-|made next       =
+|made next       = Oxygen (TV story)
 |trailer         = The Return Of Doctor Mysterio Trailer - Christmas Special 2016 - Doctor Who - BBC
-|trailer2        = Doctor Who Christmas Special The Return of Doctor Mysterio
+|trailer2        =
-|clip            = Who Is The Ghost? - The Return of Doctor Mysterio Preview - Doctor Who - BBC
+|clip            = Becoming A Superhero - The Return Of Doctor Mysterio - Doctor Who - BBC
-|clip2           =
+|clip2           = The Ghost Saves The Day The Return Of Doctor Mysterio Doctor Who
-|clip3           =
+|clip3           = Spaceship Crashing Into New York The Return Of Doctor Mysterio Doctor Who BBC
 |bts             = Doctor Who Christmas Closer Look - Secret Identities
 |bts2            = New York Rooftop Set Tour - The Return of Doctor Mysterio - Doctor Who
 |bts3            = Peter's Reaction To The Christmas Special - The Return of Doctor Mysterio - Doctor Who
-}}{{TV stub}}
+|epcount = }}
-'''''The Return of Doctor Mysterio''''' was the [[2016 (releases)|2016]] ''[[Doctor Who]]'' [[Christmas special]]. It was the show's twelfth Christmas special since its revival, and the third Christmas special starring [[Peter Capaldi]] as the [[Twelfth Doctor]]. It saw the return of [[Nardole]] from the [[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|previous Christmas special]], this time as the Doctor's [[companion]].
+'''''The Return of Doctor Mysterio''''' was the 2016 [[Christmas Special]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It was the show's twelfth Christmas special since its revival and the third Christmas special starring [[Peter Capaldi]] as [[Twelfth Doctor|the Doctor]].
-The following day, ''The Return of Doctor Mysterio'' was granted a sequel entitled ''[[Ghost Stories (comic story)|Ghost Stories]]''. This story made [[the Ghost]], [[Lucy Fletcher|Lucy]] and baby [[Jennifer Fletcher|Jennifer]] all companions of the Twelfth Doctor.
+It saw the return of Nardole from the [[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|previous Christmas special]], this time as the Doctor's [[companion]]. The circumstances leading to Nardole's return were not explained until [[2017 (releases)|2017]]'s ''[[Extremis (TV story)|Extremis]]''. Due to the delay of Series 10's broadcast, this was the only episode to be aired in [[2016 (releases)|2016]].
-[[Steven Moffat]] was hugely influenced by the [[comic book]]s he loved as a child in writing this episode—particularly Clark Kent, Moffat's favourite [[superhero]], both then and now. By his own account, he took particular inspiration from the {{w|Christopher Reeve}} Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s.
+[[Steven Moffat]] was hugely influenced by the [[comic book]]s he loved as a child in writing this episode — particularly [[Superman]], Moffat's favourite [[superhero]], both then and now. By his own account, he took particular inspiration from the {{w|Christopher Reeve}} Superman films of the 1970s and 1980s. Though clearly humorous in tone, ''The Return of Doctor Mysterio'' explores many common superhero themes, such as the hero's secret identity, his origin story, and a love triangle involving both the hero and the man behind the mask.
-Though clearly humorous in tone, ''The Return of Doctor Mysterio'' explores many common superhero themes, such as the hero's secret identity, his origin story, and a love triangle involving both the hero and the man behind the mask.
+The following day, ''The Return of Doctor Mysterio'' was granted a comic book sequel entitled ''[[Ghost Stories (comic story)|Ghost Stories]]''. This story made [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Grant]], [[Lucy Fletcher|Lucy]] and [[Jennifer Fletcher|Jennifer]] all companions of the Twelfth Doctor.
 == Synopsis ==
-''to be added''
+The [[Twelfth Doctor]] once more faces off with an alien species that wishes to conquer the planet: the [[Harmony Shoal]]. This time, however, he has more backup than usual, and with a little twist: a real-life superhero called [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|the Ghost]].
 == Plot ==
+On [[Christmas Eve]], [[1990s]], [[New York City]], a boy named [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Grant]] wakes up during the middle of the night to find [[Twelfth Doctor|the Doctor]] swinging from his ankles in front of his bedroom window. He asks to be let in, and Grant goes to ask his mother; Grant lets the Doctor in. Confused, the Doctor asks what Grant told his mother; Grant said there was "an old guy" at the window. Realising that Grant has mistaken him for Santa, the Doctor gives a "ho ho ho."
-'''Christmas Eve, 1992
+Reading through some comics Grant has, the Doctor is given milk and cookies. He draws Grant's attention to a ''Superman'' comic; the Doctor points out how ridiculous it is that no-one can tell that Clark Kent and Superman are the same person, just because of a pair of glasses. They head to the roof, with the Doctor now confused about ''Spider-Man'', whom Grant tells the origin story of; however, the Doctor believes getting bitten by [[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|a radioactive spider would result in radiation poisoning]].
-New York City'''
-A young boy named Grant wakes up during the middle of the night to find the Doctor swinging from his ankles in front of his bedroom window. Grant, believing the Doctor is Santa Claus, lets him in and feeds him cookies. The Doctor hands Grant a red gemstone and a glass of water, and two discuss superhero comics, of which Grant is a fan. The Doctor leads Grant to the roof of the apartment, where he reveals a device that he is unable to describe in simpler terms than a "[[time distortion equaliser thingy]]". He instructs Grant on how to power up the device, the final touch being the alien gemstone he had given Grant, which grants an individual his desires. However, Grant reveals that he thought the gem was medicine for his cough and swallowed it. Grant begins to levitate, as the Doctor realizes that Grant's love for superheroes has combined with the power of the gem, giving the young boy superpowers. Abandoning the device, the Doctor makes Grant promise to not use his new superpowers before he leaves.
+The Doctor reveals a device he is unable to describe in simpler terms than a "[[time distortion equaliser thingy]]". There has been a lot of temporal problems in New York, and he's trying to straighten them out. Hearing Grant cough, the Doctor hands him a glass of water from his pocket; when asked how that's possible, the Doctor states he has "skills." He also hands him a red gem.
-'''Present Day'''
+Grant asks why the Doctor is working on the device; he thought he was setting a trap. The Doctor explains that he accidentally fell into a trap he set to protect from people who would mistake it for a Christmas tree and steal it; it's science, it's supposed to look like something somebody already knows about. When asked for his name, the Doctor states that he is the original Doctor that started the title; "now anyone who wants to be called clever, calls them-self a doctor." Amused, Grant tells the Doctor that if he was a comic book character, he'd be called "Doctor Mysterio". The Doctor is likewise impressed with the title, saying it himself in a dramatic voice.
-The Doctor returns to New York City whilst being accompanied with [[Nardole]], whom The Doctor recovered from [[Hydroflax|King Hydroflax's]] robot body. The Doctor is conducting an investigation into Harmony Shoals, a multinational research company, and soon stumbles across Lucy Fletcher, an undercover newspaper reporter performing a similar investigation. The trio discover that the company is being secretly run by a group of living alien brains that transplant themselves into any living creature they need for their plans. Killing the company's owner, Mr Brock, for his body. Tracked down by Dr Sims, an employee the brains already took over, the group suddenly are rescued by a masked superhero named The Ghost, who carries Lucy close to her home. Returning to her apartment before her, Ghost transforms back into Grant, who works for Lucy as a nanny, only to be shocked to find the Doctor and Nardole waiting for him, having tracked him down via the gemstone fused to him.
+He asks Grant if he wants to turn on the machine, showing him a slot for a gemstone he handed him. He explains that it's called the [[Hazandra]] or the "Ghost of Love and Wishes". It takes power from the nearest star to make the wisher's dream come true. The Doctor instructs Grant to put the gemstone inside the device. However, Grant reveals that he thought the gem was medicine for his cough and swallowed it. Grant begins to levitate, as the Doctor tries getting Grant to calm down, but the boy does the opposite, launching them into the air.
+Years later, a man awakens to the sound of a crying baby. He rushes out of bed and tends to the little girl. He calls the mother, whom he works for as a [[nanny]], assuring her that her daughter is safe and sound. A red glow from his chest reveals him to be Grant as an adult.
+On top of the [[Empire State Building]], Grant asks what is happening, and the Doctor tells him that the gem has granted what it thinks he wants: [[Superpower (ability)|superpowers]].
+Sometime later, a conference is held at [[Harmony Shoal Institute]], where Mr Brock is questioned by Lucy Fletcher as to where the benefactors for the organisation are. Brock jokes that he killed them all and buried them in his backyard. [[Nardole]] asks where the little boys' room is but becomes confused by the American terminology. Brock is approached by Dr Sim, who tells him something is wrong. He tells Sim to meet him at midnight. Lucy speaks to a woman on the cleaning staff at the same time.
+Come midnight, Dr Sim leads Brock to a vault where brains are being held; unbeknownst to them, Lucy has followed, having disguised herself as a janitor. Brock tells Sim that he knows that the brains were donated by the benefactors for a secret project that even he is not allowed to know; Dr Sim then tells him that there are more brains in there despite no deliveries being made to Harmony Shoal.
+{{video|Brains With Eyes! The Return Of Doctor Mysterio Doctor Who|thumb|[[Brock (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Mr Brock]] discovers the true identities of the "benefactors".}}
+Outside the vault, Lucy hears someone eating and turns to find the Doctor next to her. The Doctor tells her he broke in too, and has brought sushi; according to him, bringing a snack is the mark of a pro.
+Told to tap the glass of a container, Brock complies and suddenly the brain inside sprouts eyes. Scared, Brock punches Sim in the face, dislodging the right side of his face, and spilling some blue liquid; Sim puts his head back in place, showing he's not human. Sim points to tank without liquid, which he says is the brain of the real Sim; they switched "containers". Brock asks what happened, and Sim states it's the same thing that's about to happen to him: "a change of mind." Surgeons emerge from hidden compartments and surround Brock, and Sim locks the screaming man inside of the vault.
+The Doctor and Lucy run away, with her revealing her true identity to him; after her shock, the Doctor jokes it's spooky how that happens. When asked for his identity, the Doctor calls himself "Dan Dangerous of Scotland Yard." He looks at a map showing where Harmony Shoal has set up shop, which is every capital city on the planet. Nardole arrives, noting that New York is not a capital city. Annoyed, the Doctor tells Nardole that he's not there to point out his mistakes; he then realises Nardole was right.
+Sim confronts them with a gun, intending to kill them as security might leave them alive; it would leave too many questions. However, the Doctor makes the situation a stalemate as no-one will believe he shot three people in the back in self-defence, making Nardole and Lucy turn their backs to Sim with him. The situation gets stranger as they hear knocking on the window of the 100th floor. Lucy turns around in shock; it's the Ghost, a superhero vigilante. The Ghost snaps his fingers and the window shatters; Sim is impressed, as that window was designed to withstand the force of four nuclear bombs.
+Sim shoots the Ghost, but the bullets fly off of him; the Ghost picks up Sim and tosses him into the map, stating he doesn't like causing long-term harm, but moderate harm is fine with him. He reveals that he knows Lucy's work for the ''[[Daily Chronicle (New York)|Daily Chronicle]]'', stating its opinions are too biased; she says she'll have a word with her boss. The Ghost asks about the Doctor and Nardole, to which the Ghost and Doctor exchange greetings that seem to identify themselves to each other. Asking Lucy if she needs a lift, the Ghost carries her out the window and flies into the sky. Heading to the window, the Doctor scowls after the Ghost, muttering "Grant."
+In the past, on top of the building, the Doctor tells Grant that once the gem is gone from his body, his powers would go away, and makes him promise to never use his powers.
+The Ghost drops Lucy off, before noticing a monitor flashing on his belt. She jokingly asks if the "Bat signal" was an app now, before the Ghost flies off. The Ghost returns home, changing out of his uniform and back into his civilian clothes. He heads to the nursery, where he finds the Doctor cradling the baby, revealing that he tracked him by the gem fused to him. He also states that no superhero should leave a baby unattended; Grant defends this as being able to be back faster than most parents can get to their children. The Doctor hands the baby to Grant, who reveals that he works as a nanny; "got to make a buck somehow; you don't get paid for saving the world." The Doctor tells him that he thinks this is insane, and that's saying something coming from ''him''. Nardole agrees, giving Grant a bottle for the baby. When asked how complicated he needs his life to be, Grant tells them less than it's about to as the mother of the child comes home: it's Lucy!
+To keep Grant's identity a secret, the Doctor lies that he came to see how she was out of concern; he got to Lucy's home before she did as a show of how concerned. Lucy accepts this, taking her daughter from Grant to put her back to sleep. The Doctor and Grant talk out on the [[fire escape]]. Grant has been in love with Lucy for 24 years but never had the courage to confess to her. Then a few years back, they met again; however, Grant's best friend was with him as well, and Lucy married him instead. However, once baby Jennifer came along, the father ran off with another woman; Grant saw his chance to get close the Lucy again, becoming Jennifer's nanny. Amused, the Doctor points out Grant left the field open for others to try dating Lucy instead of him. The Doctor yells "Thank you!" to the sky, confusing Grant; the Doctor states that he is thanking the universe for letting him meet someone who is worse at having a normal life than him. Hearing a siren, Grant takes off as the Ghost, leaving his glasses behind.
+[[File:Lucy Fletcher.jpg|left|thumb|Lucy realises the Doctor isn't an agent.]]
+Lucy arrives moments later, asking the Doctor to come in for an interview. Using the squeaking noise of a [[Mr Huffle]] to torture the Doctor, Lucy gets him to confess to not working for any agencies and that the Ghost is not involved with the goings-on at Harmony Shoal. Catching sight of the Ghost on TV, the Doctor directs Lucy's attention to it; the Ghost is being interviewed after helping stop a fire, telling the viewers to get smoke detectors for fire safety.
+Throughout the night, Grant takes off to help out. Lucy asks the Doctor if he can set up a meeting with the Ghost; that moment, Grant calls her, as the Ghost, setting up an interview the next night. Lucy catches Grant just after he hangs up, telling him that she needs him to watch Jennifer tomorrow; Grant tries to weakly protest he has a date but gives in.
+{{video|The Doctor Confronts The Harmony Shoal The Return Of Doctor Mysterio Doctor Who|thumb|The Doctor confronts Harmony Shoal.}}
+At Harmony Shoal, Sim greets his brother alien, now in Brock's body. Despite Brock's skull being too small, Sim assures his brother that it will soften with wear. Sim shows him footage of the Ghost, who they believe is the finest "vehicle" available on the planet. They watch footage of the Doctor, who suddenly shouts "boo!" It turns out he's right in the next room. The Doctor tells the duo that he offers them mercy, and won't follow them off the planet if they leave now. Taking this as a declaration of war, "Brock" opens his head and pulls out a gun. The Doctor tells them that they are just another attempted invasion of the planet, which will fail like all the others.
+The Doctor holds out a burger, which is confiscated by Sim. He reveals to them that he knows what their plan is: "unzip" the heads of the world leaders and place their alien comrades inside to conquer the world. However, the [[White House]] and the [[Kremlin]] would be the hardest places to break into due to "big fences, shouty people and cross dogs." Sim reveals that they plan to make the leaders come running to them. The Doctor whistles, telling that it won't work. Sim wonders what he took from the Doctor, to which he is told it's a burger; "Always carry a snack; don't want it now. He's put me off my lunch." The TARDIS materialises around the Doctor.
+[[File:Tokyo (The Return of Doctor Mysterio).jpg|thumb|Tokyo Branch of Harmony Shoal.]]
+Inside, the Doctor finds Nardole in robes from 12th century [[Constantinople]]; it took a few hit-and-miss tries to pick up the Doctor. The Doctor asks for the facts, as he's saving the planet; Nardole states that's what he does whenever the conversation becomes serious. Annoyed, the Doctor tells him to be nice to the person who "glued" his head back on. The Doctor pilots the TARDIS, landing "where they were, except not." They head outside, into the Tokyo branch, where everyone is rushing out of the room. The Doctor explains that he flooded the downstairs with Pokemon. The Doctor searches the computers, finding a signal being sent into space.
+In New York, Grant wishes Lucy luck during her interview; she's wearing a trench coat, stating that it's not a date. When she leaves, he changes into the Ghost and heads to the roof with a picnic. To his surprise, Lucy arrives in a red dress she keeps for dates. They start the informal interview, with Lucy asking some too-personal questions, such as the Ghost's sexuality. The conversation then goes to the superpowers that the Ghost has: he has flight, super-strength, invulnerability, super-hearing, pyrokinesis, and x-ray vision. When asked if x-ray vision is tempting, the Ghost states adolescence was difficult because of it. The Ghost tries revealing he's Grant to Lucy, who keeps looking in the wrong direction when his mask is off; at the same time, Lucy reveals that she has been developing love towards Grant for always being there for her. When she turns back, the Ghost is masked again, telling her Grant must be admirable.
+In space, the TARDIS floats outside of a ship. The Doctor states that it's empty because the lights are off. They land inside, only to be attacked by former bodies used by the Shoal, which are being controlled by a computer in place of a brain. They are chased to the bridge, where the Doctor locks them out. Sim contacts them via the monitor, with the Doctor curious as to why the ship is pre-programmed to fall on New York. Sim states that when the time is right, they will drop the ship on New York, destroying everything except the Harmony Shoal building; the world leaders will be tricked into thinking it's a safe haven and will get their brains replaced when they arrive. Seeing Sim just told him the time is wrong, the Doctor starts messing with the controls, which causes the ship to start falling towards Earth prematurely. Telling Nardole to say "Whee!", the Doctor smiles madly.
+[[File:Brock The Return of Doctor Mysterio.jpg|left|thumb|Brock smirks at his dark humour.]]
+Back in New York, Brock arrives at the rooftop to switch the Ghost's brain with an alien. Brock assures that the procedure will be painless, before telling the Ghost that he was talking to his fellow alien. The Ghost flies off, leaving Lucy behind on her suggestion. Brock threatens to bring Jennifer up as another hostage as Grant arrives as himself, telling Brock he's not going to touch that baby. With another hostage, Brock calls for the Ghost to come back or Lucy will die. Suddenly, everything begins shaking; Brock looks up at the sky with horror, knowing it's his ship. Grant hears the Doctor; he's using the [[the Doctor's sonic screwdriver|sonic screwdriver]] to speak to him on a frequency only he can hear. The Doctor tells Grant to stop the ship or all life in New York will perish. Seeing he can't keep his dual life secret anymore, Grant tells Lucy to duck in his Ghost voice.
+Moments later, the Doctor shakes Nardole awake, telling him that a "shock-absorber" stopped the ship from blowing up. In the streets below, hundreds of people and police watch in amazement at the sight of a spaceship seemingly floating on a rooftop. On the roof, Grant tells Lucy he's sorry for not telling her, and to not slap him as he's holding a bomb. The TARDIS arrives, with a happy Doctor walking out, telling Brock they couldn't defeat Grant because he's left-handed; Grant never lets go of the baby monitor in his left hand out of habit. Lucy tells Grant she preferred him in his superhero outfit, putting his glasses back on and kissing him. The joy from this has Grant flying off with her. The Doctor tells Grant to toss the ship into the sun when they're done.
+The Doctor reminds them that Jennifer is still in the apartment. Grant tosses the baby monitor to the Doctor, who hears Jennifer calling for something. Brock holds the Doctor at gunpoint, but is told to give up as a helicopter from [[UNIT North America|UNIT]] has been sent to close their "head office". Brock warns that Harmony Shoal's vengeance is known and feared throughout five galaxies, the Doctor scoffs at this, telling him Jennifer needs changing "You're not the only one who's full of it."
+At Harmony Shoal office, the workers are being forced to leave the premises. A UNIT soldier comes upon Sim's body, which is now empty of the alien that replaced his brain. He asks the soldier who found it if the body was already like this; he confirms it. The officer states that he'll put a call in to [[Petronella Osgood|Osgood]]; UNIT needs to be on alert for the presence of this rogue alien. The soldier turns around after his superior leaves, revealing a long scar on his face; to avoid capture, Sim transferred himself into this soldier's body.
+[[File:New York (The Return of Doctor Mysterio).jpg|left|thumb|The city in safe hands.]]
+Back at Lucy's apartment, she and Grant are now a couple; both now happy to have someone who truly cares for them. Grant has also decided to quit being the Ghost unless he is absolutely needed again. The Doctor heads for the TARDIS after giving some bitter-sweet advice. When asked if there's something bothering him, Nardole explains the situation to them. The Doctor is still grieving for the loss of his beloved wife River Song; for some time, the Doctor is going to be sad. However, Nardole is with him to make sure the Doctor doesn't stray from being who he really is. He leaves as well.
+Lucy turns to Grant, telling him he never really explained who the Doctor was. Smiling, Grant tells her "Doctor... Mysterio". Having seemingly heard Grant, the Doctor smiles and starts up the TARDIS, showing the Mr Huffle that Lucy gave him resting on the console. The last scene of the episode shows New York at night, as the TARDIS flies away, taking the Doctor and Nardole off to their next adventure.
 == Cast ==
 * [[Twelfth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Peter Capaldi]]
 * [[Nardole]] - [[Matt Lucas]]
-* [[Grant Gordon|Grant]] - [[Justin Chatwin]]
+* [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Grant]] - [[Justin Chatwin]]
+* [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|The Ghost]] - [[Justin Chatwin]]
 * [[Lucy Fletcher|Lucy]] - [[Charity Wakefield]]
 * [[Brock (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Mr Brock]] - [[Tomiwa Edun]]
 * [[Sim (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Dr Sim]] - [[Aleksandar Jovanovic]]
-* [[Grant Gordon|Young Grant]] - [[Logan Hoffman]]
+* [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Young Grant]] - [[Logan Hoffman]]
-* [[Grant Gordon|Teen Grant]] - [[Daniel Lorente]]
+* [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Teen Grant]] - [[Daniel Lorente]]
 * [[Reporter (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Reporter]] - [[Sandra Teles]]
 * [[Operator (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Operator]] - [[Tanroh Ishida]]
@@ Line 72: / Line 128: @@
 == Crew ==
-''to be added''
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+<!--There are note variables from Note2 to Note20, but these are probably only necessary for the odd case of "The End of Time".  This set of variables are the only ones which aren't automatically linked; it's just a freeform note field.  All Notes mass together in a single paragraph at the end of the table created by this template.  Thus, each individual note should be a full sentence ending with a period, and should have any links enclosed in [[brackets]].
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-== References ==
+== Worldbuilding ==
-* There's a [[Joe's Pizza]] under young Grant's apartment, which is situated on the corner of [[Macpherson Street]].
 * Young Grant accidentally swallows a gemstone known as the [[Hazandra]], mistaking it for [[medicine]]. There are only four of its kind in the universe.
-* The Doctor tells the young [[Grant Gordon]] that he usually gets a [[common cold|cold]] or an [[invasion]] on Christmas. This refers to previous [[Christmas special]]s.
+* The Doctor tells the young Grant that he usually gets a [[common cold|cold]] or an [[Alien invasion|invasion]] on Christmas.
-* Grant gets a [[Common cold|cold]] at Christmas.
-* The Doctor builds a [[time distortion equaliser thingy]].
-* Grant serves the Doctor [[milk]] and [[cookies]], believing him to be [[Santa Claus]]. In response, the Doctor utters "Ho. Ho. Ho."
-* Grant owns [[A Classic Case of Dr Seuss]].
 * Grant has prepared a [[Christmas stocking]].
-* The Doctor mentions [[Lightning conductor]]s.
 * The Doctor mentions the [[Apocalypse monks of the Andurax]].
-* [[Brock (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Mr Brock]] jokes that his backyard is the size of [[Wyoming]].
+* [[Harmony Shoal Institute]] has offices in every [[capital city]] on [[Earth]], as well as in [[New York City]], which is not a capital city.
-* [[Lucy Fletcher]] is a reporter for the ''[[Daily Chronicle (New York)|Daily Chronicle]]''.
-* [[Harmony Shoal]] has offices in every [[capital city]] on [[Earth]], as well as in [[New York City]], which is not a capital city.
-* Brock says that no one at the [[Harmony Shoal Institute (New York)|Harmony Shoal Institute]] are allowed to talk or even know about what the benefactors are doing.
 * Lucy possesses a [[Mr Huffle]].
-* A cinema opposite the apartment where Lucy and Grant live is showing a film entitled ''[[The Mind of Evil]]'', likely a reference to the [[The Mind of Evil (TV story)|''Doctor Who'' serial of the same name]].
 * Nardole mentions the [[Time Lord]] [[non-interference policy]].
-* The Doctor said he used [[Pokémon]] as a distraction in Tokyo.
-* The Doctor is eating [[sushi]] while observing the room filled with brains. Sushi is often referred to as a type of "brain food".
 * The Doctor tells Lucy he is "Dan Dangerous from [[Scotland Yard]], [[Scotland]]".
-* The episode takes place in [[New York]].
+* Grant's gemstone granted him [[X-ray vision]].
-* Nardole mentions [[Washington DC|Washington]].
-* When the baby monitor beeps, as the Ghost is about to take off, Lucy asks if "the [[Bat Signal]]'s an app now?".
-* Grant's gemstone granted him [[X-ray vision]]. According to his teen self, "naked hell".
-* The Doctor mention the [[White House]] and the [[Kremlin]].
-* The Doctor gives the Shoal a burger.
 * Nardole travelled to [[12th century]] [[Constantinople]] where he "ruled firmly, but wisely".
-* The [[Tokyo Tower]] is seen when the Doctor travel to the [[Tokyo]]-branch of [[Harmony Shoal Institute (Tokyo)|Harmony Shoal]].
+* The [[Tokyo Tower]] is seen when the Doctor travels to the [[Tokyo]]-branch of [[Harmony Shoal Institute]].
+=== Popular culture ===
+* Young [[Grant (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Grant]] is a [[comic book]] fan, and becomes a [[superhero]] in their vein. He owns two ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' comics - [[Superman Volume 2 Issue 7|#17]] and [[Superman Volume 2 Issue 19|#19]] - and has [[poster]]s on his wall of superheroes including the [[Hulk]], [[Thor (superhero)|Thor]], [[Spider-Man]], [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]], [[Silver Surfer]], [[Superman]], [[Batman]], [[Wonder Woman]], and the [[Flash (superhero)|Flash]]. His [[duvet]] depicts [[Captain America]] and [[Iron Man]], among others. Another poster is for [[Mighty Marvel Comicon 1975]], featuring several characters, including [[Daredevil]], [[Doctor Doom]], [[Mister Fantastic]], and several others. He has several posters depicting specific issues of comics:
+** [[The Defenders|''The Defenders'']] [[The Defenders Issue 61|issue 61]] - [[Marvel Comics Group (in-universe)|Marvel Comics Group]].
+** ''The Defenders'' [[The Defenders Issue 109|issue 109]] ([[July]] [[1982]]) "[[Valkyrie (The Defenders)|Valkyrie]]'s [[Vengeance]]" - Marvel Comics Group.
+** ''[[Detective Comics]]'' [[Detective Comics Volume 1 Issue 566|issue 566]] - [[DC Comics]].
+** ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' [[The Amazing Spider-Man Volume 1 Issue 185|issue 185]] - Marvel Comics Group.
+** ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' [[The Incredible Hulk Volume 1 Issue 181|issue 181]] - Marvel Comics Group.
+** ''More to be added''
+* The Doctor said he used [[Pokémon]] as a distraction in Tokyo.
+* Grant owns ''[[A Classic Case of Dr Seuss]]''.
+* When the baby monitor beeps, as the Ghost is about to take off, Lucy asks if "the [[Bat-Signal]]'s an app now?"
 * The Doctor refers to the bomb ship as the [[Sword of Damocles]].
-* When the teen Grant is asked "Who he likes" romantic wise, by the Doctor, Grant replies that he "likes everyone". This may suggest that Grant is either [[bisexual]] or pansexual.
+* ''[[The Mind of Evil (film)|The Mind of Evil]]'' plays in a cinema opposite Lucy's apartment.
+=== Individuals ===
+* [[Brock (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Mr. Brock]] jokes that his backyard is the size of [[Wyoming]].
+* Mr. Brock mentions [[Shuster (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Miss Shuster]] and [[Siegel (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Miss Siegel]]. Superman was created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.
+* [[Lucy Fletcher]] is a reporter for the ''[[Daily Chronicle (New York)|Daily Chronicle]]''.
+=== Locations ===
+* There's a [[Joe's Pizza]] under young Grant's apartment, which is situated on the corner of [[Macpherson Street]].
+* Nardole mentions [[Washington DC|Washington]].
+* The Doctor mentions the [[White House]] and the [[Kremlin]].
+=== Technology ===
+* The Doctor builds a "[[time distortion equaliser thingy]]".
+* The Doctor mentions [[lightning conductor]]s.
-== Popular culture ==
+=== Food and drink ===
-* Young [[Grant Gordon]] is a [[comic book]] fan, and becomes a [[superhero]] in their vein. He owns a ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' comic, and has posters on his wall of superheroes including [[Hulk]], [[Thor (superhero)|Thor]], [[Spider-Man]], [[Batman]], [[Wolverine (superhero)|Wolverine]], [[Silver Surfer]], [[Superman]] and the [[Flash (superhero)|Flash]]. His duvet depicts [[Captain America]] and [[Iron Man]], among others.
+* Grant serves the Doctor [[milk]] and [[cookie]]s, believing him to be [[Santa Claus]].
-** He also has an [[The Defenders]] poster published by [[Marvel Comics Group]]. The issue showed "[[Valkyrie (The Defenders)|Valkyrie]]'s Vengeance".
+* The Doctor is eating [[sushi]] while observing the room filled with brains.
-* Gordon nicknames the Doctor "Doctor Mysterio"; the name appears to be a mix of the Spider-Man villains Doctor Octopus and Mysterio.
-* Grant Gordon's name is alliterative, like Clark Kent, [[Lois Lane]], Lana Lang, and many other ''Superman'' characters. Alliteration was even more frequently used by Marvel's [[wikipedia:Stan Lee|Stan Lee]] when naming superheroes such as Peter Parker, Bruce Banner, and Stephen Strange.
-* To make the point of Superman and Clark Kent being the same, the Doctor draws glasses on Superman. Lois Lane did the same in "''Superman II''" from the 1980's.
-* Mr. Brock mention [[Shuster (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Miss Shuster]] and [[Siegel (The Return of Doctor Mysterio)|Miss Siegel]]. This is a reference to the creators of Superman, Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel.
-* The episode has a Marvel style comic book opening.
-* Below Lucy's apartment, a [[Joe's Pizza]] is situated. A pizza parlor of this name featured in 2004's ''Spider-Man 2, ''and was where Peter Parker worked.
-* The Harmony Shoal building has a globe on top with the name. This is a reference to the ''Daily Planet'' building from ''Superman'', which is also topped with a globe with its name on it.
-* The episode was also heavily influenced by the 1978 film ''Superman'' in particular. Both [[Grant Gordon]]/The Ghost and Clark Kent/Superman wear glasses to hide their superhero identities, particularly when rescuing a reporter they are close to, and have feelings for, in their everyday life. They then arrange a rooftop interview in which they attempt to reveal their dual identities. Then are also contacted via a specific frequency which only they can hear.
-* The Doctor tells Grant off for leaving the baby unattended, using the words ''"With great power, comes great responsibility"''. These words were used by Uncle Ben to Peter Parker, and they later became Spider-Man's mantra.
-* The Ghost tells Lucy "I hope this unpleasant experience hasn't put you off a career in journalism". This is a wonky reference to Christopher Reeve's Superman saying in the 1978 film, "Well, I certainly hope this little incident hasn’t put you off flying, miss. Statistically speaking, it’s still the safest way to travel."
-* In the 1960's Batman TV series, Adam West's caped-crusader would often give very heavy-handed PSA-style speeches to Robin, and seemingly, the audience. This is referenced when the Ghost tells a reporter that every good citizen should "get a smoke detector."
-* When the Doctor accidentally gives Grant a gemstone, which Grant swallows, the Doctor says the gemstone is giving him "what he always wanted". The ''first'' Captain Marvel (later known as "Shazam") was actually a child named Billy Batson who can become a superhero. The metafictional influence in "''The Return of Doctor Mysterio''" may also be a reference to the Mark Millar comic series ''Superior'' in which a young boy ''literally'' becomes a popular fictional flying hero.
-* When Grant calls Lucy as the Ghost, the screen is divided, just like in a comic book.
 == Story notes ==
-* The name ''Doctor Mysterio'' comes from the name in [[Mexico]] for ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''Doctor Misterio'' (as a literal translation of the title, "Doctor Qué", would make less sense in Spanish than in English), which [[Steven Moffat]] and [[Peter Capaldi]] encountered when they visited there in the ''[[Doctor Who World Tour]]''. Capaldi in particular fell in love with the name, so Moffat decided to use it in an episode title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-news/video-doctor-who-steven-moffat-and-peter-capaldi-joke-about-doctor-mysterio-christmas-special-35130423.html|title=Video: Doctor Who - Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi joke about 'Doctor Mysterio' Christmas special|date of source=14 October 2016|website name=Belfast Telegraph|accessdate=25 December 2016}}</ref>  Capaldi noted that he was quite taken by the deep voice that announced the title on the overdubbed soundtrack, and in fact when the Doctor utters the name in the episode, this is Capaldi impersonating the delivery of the announcer.
+{{video|Writing Doctor Who Part 1, the 2016 Christmas Special|thumb|The origins of ''The Return of Doctor Mysterio''}}
-* [[Matt Lucas]] is the first comedy writer to play a companion in a television story since [[James Corden]] as [[Craig Owens]] in ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]''. The last comedian to play a full-time companion, though, was [[Catherine Tate]] as [[Donna Noble]].
+* The name ''Doctor Mysterio'' comes from the name in [[Mexico]] for ''[[Doctor Who]]'', ''Doctor Misterio'' (as a literal translation of the title, "Doctor Quién", would make less sense in Spanish than in English), which [[Steven Moffat]] and [[Peter Capaldi]] encountered when they visited there in the ''[[Doctor Who World Tour]]''. Capaldi, in particular, fell in love with the name, so Moffat decided to use it in an episode title. Capaldi noted that he was quite taken by the deep voice that announced the title on the overdubbed soundtrack, and in fact, when the Doctor utters the name in the episode, this is Capaldi impersonating the delivery of the announcer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/video-news/video-doctor-who-steven-moffat-and-peter-capaldi-joke-about-doctor-mysterio-christmas-special-35130423.html|title=Video: Doctor Who - Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi joke about 'Doctor Mysterio' Christmas special|date of source=14 October 2016|website name=Belfast Telegraph|accessdate=25 December 2016}}</ref>
+* Moffat has admitted to being heavily inspired by the ''Superman'' films starring Christopher Reeve, and the episode features several plot points similar to the 1978 film ''Superman'' in particular. Both Grant/The Ghost and Clark Kent/Superman wear glasses to hide their superhero identites, particularly when rescuing a reporter they are close to, and have feelings for, in their everyday life. They then arrange a rooftop interview in which they attempt to reveal their dual identities, and are also both contacted via a specific frequency which only they can hear.
+* [[Matt Lucas]] is the first comedy writer to play a companion in a television story since [[James Corden]] as [[Craig Owens]] in ''[[Closing Time (TV story)|Closing Time]]''. The last comedian to play a full-time companion was [[Catherine Tate]] as [[Donna Noble]].
 * [[Daniel Lorente]] (Teen Grant), [[Sandra Teles]] (Reporter), [[Tanroh Ishida]] (Operator) and [[Vaughn Johseph]] (Soldier) are not credited in ''Radio Times''.
-* This story marks the first time two full consecutive television stories have both been broadcast on [[Christmas Day]].
+* The cold opening sequence was the longest in the history of the franchise, running a little over nine minutes, until ''[[Eve of the Daleks (TV story)|Eve of the Daleks]]'' aired in 2022, which had a longer cold opening, running only 10 seconds after the start of the title sequence for this story.
-* This is the first Christmas special since ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'' in 2012 to have a coming soon trailer at the end.
+* The previous broadcast story, ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'', was also a [[Christmas special]]. This marks the first time two full consecutive television stories have both been broadcast on [[25 December (releases)|Christmas Day]].
-* This story was the third Christmas special to star [[Peter Capaldi]] and the first not to feature any [[Eleventh Doctor]] companion since ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]''.
+* This is the first Christmas special since ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'' to have a coming soon trailer at the end.
+* This story was the first Christmas special not to feature any [[Eleventh Doctor]] companions since ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'', although [[Amy Pond]] and [[Rory Williams]] are obliquely referred to.
+* This is the first story set in Peter Capaldi's tenure to feature a companion original to his tenure, rather than being introduced during a previous Doctor's era.
+* Unlike the two previous Christmas specials, the title sequence has no Christmas-themed changes. Matt Lucas is also credited as "And Matt Lucas" before the show's title, as in his subsequent appearances in series 10, unlike previous companions whose actor's name immediately followed the Doctor's.
 * [[Keoki]]'s "[[Pass It On (song)|Pass It On]]" plays in the scene where the Doctor catches up with teenaged Grant in high school.
-* One of the things the Doctor and the young Grant discuss is [[Spider-Man]]. In ''[[Daleks in Manhattan (TV story)|Daleks in Manhattan]]'' and ''[[Evolution of the Daleks (TV story)|Evolution of the Daleks]]'', the character of [[Frank (Daleks in Manhattan)|Frank]] is played by [[Andrew Garfield]] who played Spider-Man in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' movies.
+* Several [[diorama]]s were released, the first being "''The Return of Doctor Mysterio'' Diorama".
+* This is the only story in the entire show where the Doctor travels solely with a male companion throughout, excluding stories such as ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'' or ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'' where the Doctor was travelling alone and had help from a male character. This is also the first story since ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'' to have a male companion at all. Though [[Nyssa]] was introduced in ''[[The Keeper of Traken (TV story)|The Keeper of Traken]]'', she was not established as a companion until ''[[Logopolis (TV story)|Logopolis]]'', and [[Adric]] was the only regular companion in the former story.
+* Discounting instances of the actor playing the Doctor receiving sole billing in the title sequence, this is the first TV story since [[TV]]: ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'' in which all of the actors credited in the title sequence are men.
+* Weirdly, on the official BBC Doctor Who website, the episode credits DC Comics with "With thanks to DC Comics" however, they go uncredited in the actual broadcast.
+* The ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' issue the Doctor flips through is ''[[Superman Volume 2 Issue 19]]''.
 === Production errors ===
-{{discontinuity}}
+* There are mistakes on the map in the 100th Floor Lobby of the Harmony Shoal offices. It is meant to show the capitals of every country, but there are many errors, for example: The pin showing capital city of [[South Africa]] is placed in accordance to the real city of Durban, which is not one of South Africa's three capitals.
-''to be added''
 === Ratings ===
-''to be added''
+* 7.83 million (UK final)<ref>[http://www.doctorwhonews.net/2018/01/twice-upon-time-official-rating.html Ratings - DW News]</ref>
 === Myths ===
 * Characters from ''[[Class (TV series)|Class]]'' would appear in a crossover. ''False''.
-* [[Clara Oswald]] would appear or be referenced in a substantial way. ''False. Originated from fans interpreting comments made by [[Peter Capaldi]] at a June 2016 convention appearance in Washington, DC, that he had "just filmed something" involving Clara as indication of an appearance or reference. Ultimately, this ended up being a reference to his appearance in the ''Class'' episode [TV]]: ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'', which also featured a Clara reference.''
+* [[Clara Oswald]] would appear or be referenced in a substantial way. ''False. Originated from fans interpreting comments made by [[Peter Capaldi]] at a June 2016 convention appearance in Washington, DC, that he had "just filmed something" involving Clara as an indication of an appearance or reference. This may have been referring to his appearance in the ''Class'' episode ''[[For Tonight We Might Die (TV story)|For Tonight We Might Die]]'' or the allusion to Clara in ''[[The Pilot (TV story)|The Pilot]]''.''
 * [[Pearl Mackie]] would make her first appearance. ''False, the Series 10 trailer notwithstanding.''
 * [[Alex Kingston]] would appear as [[River Song]]. ''False, though River is referenced.''
+* Doctor Mysterio would be the name of the superhero in this episode. ''It was a nickname Grant, the superhero, gave the Doctor.''
 === Filming locations ===
@@ Line 150: / Line 573: @@
 == Continuity ==
-* The Doctor says he often gets an invasion at Christmas. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Unquiet Dead (TV story)|The Unquiet Dead]]'', ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'', ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'', ''[[The End of Time (TV story)|The End of Time]]'', ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'', ''[[The Time of the Doctor (TV story)|The Time of the Doctor]]'', ''[[Last Christmas (TV story)|Last Christmas]]'')
+* The Doctor says he often gets an invasion at Christmas. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Unquiet Dead (TV story)|The Unquiet Dead]]'', ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'', ''[[The Runaway Bride (TV story)|The Runaway Bride]]'', ''[[The Next Doctor (TV story)|The Next Doctor]]'', ''[[The Snowmen (TV story)|The Snowmen]]'')
-* The Doctor guesses that Peter Parker received radiation poisoning after being bitten by a radioactive spider. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|Planet of the Spiders]]'')
+* The Doctor guesses Peter Parker received radiation poisoning after being bitten by a radioactive spider. ([[TV]]: ''[[Planet of the Spiders (TV story)|Planet of the Spiders]]'')
-* The Doctor pulls a glass of water out of his pocket, suggesting that they may be bigger on the inside. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Runaway Bride]]''). This is not the first time he's suddenly produced a drink. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Witch's Familiar (TV story)|The Witch's Familiar]]'')
+* The Doctor attempts to repair a temporal disruption he previously caused in New York. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan (TV story)|The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')
-* The Doctor attempts to repair a temporal disruption he previously caused in New York. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Angels Take Manhattan]]'')
+* The Doctor purports himself to be the original example of the title "[[Doctor]]". ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)|A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
-* The Doctor purports himself to be the original example of the title ''[[doctor]]''. ([[TV]]: ''[[A Good Man Goes to War (TV story)|A Good Man Goes to War]]'')
+* Grant states that him and Lucy have known each other for twenty-four years, to which the Doctor reacts. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]])''
-* This incarnation of the Doctor still exhibits an inability to determine the age of humans, even children. (TV: ''[[Deep Breath (TV story)|Deep Breath]]'', ''[[Last Christmas (TV story)|Last Christmas]]'')
-* The [[Shoal of the Winter Harmony]] returns. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
-* [[Nardole]] joins the Doctor in his travels. When the Doctor first met Nardole, he was [[River Song]]'s personal assistant. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
-* The Doctor once again proves his credentials to an aggressive foe by mentioning the numerous failed attempts by alien races to conquer the Earth. ([[TV]]: ''[[Rose (TV story)|Rose]]'' et.al.)
 * Nardole states that the Doctor cut him out of [[Hydroflax]]'s body. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
-* Nardole refers to the [[Time Lord]] [[non-interference policy]]: "Never interfere in the affairs of other people or planets". ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld (TV story)|Underworld]]'', et al.) This was previously acknowledged by [[Amy Pond]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below (TV story)|The Beast Below]]'')
+* Nardole refers to the [[Time Lord]] [[non-interference policy]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Underworld (TV story)|Underworld]]'')
-* The Doctor mention his love for buttons and switches. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'')
+* The Doctor mentions his love for buttons and switches. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Christmas Invasion (TV story)|The Christmas Invasion]]'')
 * Nardole says the Doctor is out of his mind, and he asks how that can be news. Other people have said similar things. ([[TV]]: ''[[Smith and Jones (TV story)|Smith and Jones]]'', ''[[Journey's End (TV story)|Journey's End]]'')
 * The Doctor again says only one chance is needed. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'')
 * The Doctor uses a sonic frequency only Grant can hear. He previously created something similar to be able to talk to young [[Davros]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Magician's Apprentice (TV story)|The Magician's Apprentice]]'')
 * The Doctor is still gently baffled by other people kissing. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Big Bang (TV story)|The Big Bang]]'', ''[[A Christmas Carol (TV story)|A Christmas Carol]]'')
-* [[Unified Intelligence Taskforce|UNIT]] reappears. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]'', et al.) Specifically, their New York division is seen, suggesting it was not entirely destroyed, or has been reestablished since its destruction in 2009. (TV: ''[[The Stolen Earth (TV story)|The Stolen Earth]]'')
-* [[Osgood (The Day of the Doctor)|Osgood]] is mentioned. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Day of the Doctor (TV story)|The Day of the Doctor]]'', ''[[Death in Heaven (TV story)|Death in Heaven]]'', ''[[The Zygon Invasion (TV story)|The Zygon Invasion]]''/''[[The Zygon Inversion (TV story)|The Zygon Inversion]]'')
 * Nardole mentions River's death in [[the Library]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Forest of the Dead (TV story)|Forest of the Dead]]'')
-* Nardole mentions that the Twelfth Doctor has been away for twenty-four years. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
+* Nardole mentions that the Doctor has been away for twenty-four years. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Husbands of River Song (TV story)|The Husbands of River Song]]'')
-* Lucy asks the question, "Doctor who?", perpetuating [[the "Doctor Who?" running joke]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]] et.al.)
+* The Doctor tells his companion to say "Whee!" when falling. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Beast Below (TV story)|The Beast Below]]'')
+* Lucy disguises herself as a cleaning lady to infiltrate Harmony Shoal; the [[Third Doctor]] previously did this to infiltrate [[Global Chemicals]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Green Death (TV story)|The Green Death]]'')
 == Home video releases ==
-''to be added''
+===DVD & Blu-ray releases===
+* This episode was released as a standalone DVD and Blu-Ray in in region 1/A on [[21 February (releases)|21 February]] [[2017 (releases)|2017]], in region 2/B on [[23 January (releases)|23 January]] 2017 and in region 4/B on [[22 February (releases)|22 February]] 2017.
+* This episode was also released as part of the Complete Tenth Series DVD and Blu-ray boxsets in region 1/A on [[7 November (releases)|7 November]] 2017, in region 2/B on [[13 November (releases)|13 November]] 2017 and in region 4/B on [[29 November (releases)|29 November]] 2017.
+===Digital releases===
+* In the United Kingdom, this story is available on [[BBC iPlayer]], as part of Series 9.
 == Footnotes ==
 {{reflist}}
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+{{Christmas specials}}<!--
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+{{UNIT stories}}
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+<!--interwiki-->
-<!--interwiki-->
-[[de:290 - The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]
 [[Category:Doctor Who (2005) television stories]]
 [[Category:2016 television stories]]
-[[Category:Twelfth Doctor television stories]]
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-[[Category:Christmas specials]]
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@@ Line 194: / Line 618: @@
 [[Category:Stories set in Tokyo]]
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-[[Category:Television stories that use Murray Gold's 5th main theme]]
+[[Category:Doctor Who Christmas specials]]
+[[de:290 - The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]
+[[es:The Return of Doctor Mysterio]]
+[[fr:The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV)]]
+[[he:שובו של דוקטור מיסטיריו (סיפור טלוויזיה)]]

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The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 20:02, 19 February 2024

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