Alan Cumming will be returning to Doctor Who, this time playing an animated character briefly glimpsed in the Series 15 teaser trailer.
We saw Mr Ring-a-Ding crawling out of the cinema screen in the teaser released at the end of the previous episode, Joy to the World, i.e. last year’s Doctor Who Christmas special. He’s described as:
“[A] happy, funny, singalong cartoon, who lives in Sunny Town with his friend Sunshine Sally.
“However, in 1952, after years of repeats in cinemas across the land, Mr Ring-a-Ding suddenly looks beyond the screen and sees the real world outside — and the consequences are terrifying.”
We don’t know yet who is voicing Sunshine Sally. My money’s on Anita Dobson, who otherwise plays the mysterious Mrs Flood, a returning presence across the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) era.
Showrunner, Russell T Davies, said:
“Only Alan Cumming could give a runaway cartoon so much wit, malice, danger and fun. He makes the whole universe of Doctor Who wilder and madder than ever, and it’s an absolute honour to welcome him on board the TARDIS.”
While many will recognise Cumming for hosting the American version of The Traitors, and acting in films like X2 (i.e. X-Men 2), GoldenEye, and the Spy Kids franchise, Doctor Who fans will recognise him for playing King James in The Witchfinders.
Does this also mean that new companion, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), comes from the 1950s? There have been rumours based on on-location filming that she hails from the past…
I’ve some hopes for this episode, as it reminds me somewhat of From Out of the Rain, one of the better stories in Torchwood. So, with Series 15 beginning on 12th April 2025, we don’t have too long to wait.
