Strax Saves the Day (webcast)
Strax Saves the Day was a short webcast introduction to The Day of the Doctor produced by Emily Cook in 2020 to go along with a scheduled screening of Day of the Doctor as part of the Who at Home programme.
Written by Steven Moffat, it was of a similar format to the Strax-focused portion of the original cinema introduction to The Day of the Doctor and featured the return of Dan Starkey as Strax as well as Moffat's first written work for the Doctor Who universe since his novelisation of Day of the Doctor in 2018.
Since, like the original introduction, it features Strax breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the audience, it is not considered a valid source on this Wiki.
Publisher's summary
Thank you Strax for introducing today's viewing of The Day of the Doctor.
Plot
A shrunken, doll-like Strax walks on-screen, greets the "human scum" in his audience, and explains that he has just come from "deadly combat" with the Spy Master. He is confident that he escaped unscathed, but rather confused about why all the furniture in Vastra's house suddenly appears so much bigger.
Strax moves on to explain that the version of The Day of the Doctor they are about to see has been "enhanced" from the original 3D into advanced 2D. If anyone wishes to experience the story in its original format, they are welcome to put on some glasses and poke themselves in the eye, he claims.
The Sontaran butler explains that "as you know, all the original Doctors assembled to make this episode" before admitting that this is "except for most of them", and advises viewers to look out for "John Hurt's return to the role and Billie Piper's long-awaited return to a completely different role" as well as Tom Baker, appearing as "who was that supposed to be, anyway?!".
Finally, Strax expresses doubts as to whether history was actually changed by this story, but professes perhaps-unfounded faith in the fact that one thing is known for sure: the Time Lords are back for good…
Madame Vastra then calls from another room for Strax to put the kettle on, to which Strax hurries off.
References
- Strax has ostensibly experienced tissue compression following his face-off with the Spy Master.
- Strax refers to the Master as the Doctor's archenemy.
- The "Morbius" Doctors appear on screen when Strax mentions that "most" of the Doctor's faces are missing from the special.
Cast
Crew
- Writer - Steven Moffat
- Producer - Emily Cook
- Assistant to Mr. Strax - Dan Starkey
- With Thanks To — Brian Minchin, Peter Ware, Doctor Who Magazine
Story notes
- Strax's point that in the end, only a small fraction of all the past Doctors appeared in The Day of the Doctor (a point illustrated by photographs of the "Morbius" Doctors) rode the wave of the controversial reinstatement in the then-latest televised Doctor Who story, The Timeless Children, that showed lives before being the First Doctor and that the faces seen in The Brain of Morbius were indeed the Doctor's.
- For the sake of comedy, images of John Hurt and Billie Piper from other roles entirely than Day of the Doctor are used when Strax mentions them. The picture of the Curator is, meanwhile, one of an action figure rather than of Tom Baker in costume.
