The Return of Doctor Mysterio (TV story)
The Return of Doctor Mysterio was the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas special. It was the show's twelfth Christmas special since its revival, and the third full Christmas special with Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor. It saw the return of Nardole from the previous Christmas special, this time as the Doctor's companion.
Steven Moffat was hugely influenced by the comic books he loved as a child in writing this episode—particularly Superman's Clark Kent, 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, 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.
Synopsis
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Plot
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Cast
- The Doctor - Peter Capaldi
- Nardole - Matt Lucas
- Grant - Justin Chatwin
- Lucy - Charity Wakefield
- Mr Brock - Tomiwa Edun
- Dr Sim - Aleksandar Jovanovic
- Young Grant - Logan Hoffman
- Teen Grant - Daniel Lorente
- Reporter - Sandra Teles
- Operator - Tanroh Ishida
- Soldier - Vaughn Johseph
Crew
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References
- Young Grant is a comic book fan, and becomes a superhero in their vein.
- Young Grant owns a Superman comic, and has posters on his wall of superheroes including the Hulk. His duvet depicts Captain America, among others.
- Young Grant accidentally swallows a gemstone known as the Hazandra, mistaking it for medicine.
- There's a Joe's Pizza under young Grant's apartment.
- The Doctor tells the young Grant Gordon that he usually gets a cold or an invasion on Christmas. This refers to previous Christmas specials.
- The Doctor builds a time distortion equaliser thingy.
- Lucy Fletcher is a reporter from the 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.
- 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 Doctor Who serial of the same name.
- Nardole mentions the Time Lord non-interference policy.
Story notes
- The name Doctor Mysterio comes from the name in Mexico for Doctor Who, Doctor Misterio, 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.[1]
- This story marks the first time two full consecutive television stories have been broadcast on Christmas Day.
- This story was the third Christmas special to star Peter Capaldi and the first not feature any Eleventh Doctor companion since The End of Time.
- Matt Lucas is the first comedian 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, though, was Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.
Production errors
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Ratings
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Filming locations
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Continuity
- 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)
- 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)
- Nardole states that the Doctor cut him out of Hydroflax's body. (TV: The Husbands of River Song)
- Nardole refers to a Time Lord rule: "Never interfere in the affairs of other people or planets". This was previously acknowledged by Amy Pond. (TV: The Beast Below)
- Nardole mentions River's death in the Library. (TV: Forest of the Dead)
Home video releases
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Footnotes
- ↑ Video: Doctor Who - Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi joke about 'Doctor Mysterio' Christmas special. Belfast Telegraph (14 October 2016). Retrieved on 25 December 2016.
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