The Fifteenth Doctor Audition Piece (script)

The Fifteenth Doctor Audition Piece was a script written by Russell T Davies for the auditions for the role of the Fifteenth Doctor on 1 December 2021; it was given a public release on 14 February 2024 as part of the Whoniverse section on the BBC Writers Room website.^[1]

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Being chased by Spikes, the Fifteenth Doctor and Robin run into a plain room, with little but a lone computer inside; they become sealed within the space, and, after the Doctor probes the computer, discovers they merely have one hundred seconds of air left. They reassure Robin they'll return them home to their family.

Robin tries asking the Doctor several questions about the individual who trapped them inside and the "blue box" that appeared outside, although the Doctor excitedly tries to guess Robin’s questions first; they do explain what the blue box is, but is uncertain about the former question.

The Doctor frees him and Robin, offering a place in the TARDIS, but reveals that they had deduced that they were in fact not Robin but the Spikemaster and traps him inside the room with their sonic screwdriver, before departing in the TARDIS with their companion.

Characters[[edit] | [edit source]]

Fifteenth Doctor
The Spikemaster
Companion

Referenced only[[edit] | [edit source]]

Robin
Robin's mother
Robin's brother
Anne Hegerty
Phil Mitchell
Clarice

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Spikes and the Spikemaster[[edit] | [edit source]]

In their disguise, the Spikemaster appears to be a twenty-one year old human.
- The Doctor compliments "Robin's" hair.
- The Doctor claims to have sensed the existence of Robin's mother and brother in their eyes.
The Spikes are "spiky thoughts" — such as those one would have when they're angry, mad, had an idea, or in love — brought to life.
Robin asks "Doctor who?"

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

As they enter the room, the Doctor's mind races with five hundred thoughts at once.
The Doctor believes as the room they're trapped in doesn't have a door nor a lock, they therefore cannot be locked in, but rather sealed in.
The Doctor states that a word can change the world.
When "Robin" calls the Doctor pedantic, the Doctor pedantically points out that the word "pedant" comes from Italian for teacher.
The Doctor refuses to apologise for their love of knowledge.
The Doctor travels in a time machine through time and space.
The Doctor isn't from Earth and is a Time Lord.
- They explain that they came from another universe before arriving in this universe, where he was adopted by the Time Lords; they became their heritage after become the very last Time Lord in existence.
The Doctor travels so they can experience "every single thing that happens."
The Doctor knows that five hundred and five miles south-west of the North Pole there is a "mountain" of ice breaking away from a glacier into the sea, and that they are hurt by the fact they cannot witness it.

Cultural references[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor tries to guess "Robin's" questions with cultural references:
- They ask if their question is "Who put the bop in the bop shoo bop shoo bop?" and "Who put the ram in the rama langa ding dong?"
- They ask if their question is "why, why, why Delilah?"
- They ask if their question is "how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?"
- They ask if their question is "the Governess, Anne Hegarty?"
- They ask if their question is "who shot Phil Mitchell?"
- They ask if their question is "to be or not to be?"
- They ask if their question is "aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?"
- They ask if their question is "Have the lambs stopped screaming, Clarice[?]"

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Although it was only ever originally meant for internal use during the auditions for the Fifteenth Doctor, the script's later release in the Whoniverse section of the BBC Writers Room constituted an official release; however, as this story has only been released as a script, it is currently a non-valid source.
The companion in this script is kept vague: it's unlikely that they were intended to be any specific character such as Ruby Sunday, as Millie Gibson had yet to be cast when the auditions for the Fifteenth Doctor were performed.
The script does not reveal the gender of the Doctor, Robin or the companion.