The BBC has released a rather lovely interview with Lucky Day writer, Pete McTighe, in which he says his enthusiasm for Doctor Who shines through — indeed, it’s the reason he’s a writer!
McTighe wrote two episodes for the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), but returns this weekend with Lucky Day, featuring the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Of course, he’s also co-written the upcoming spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea, and wrote all the fun teaser trailers for The Collection Blu-ray sets, so he’s well-versed in the franchise…
Welcome back to the Whoniverse! What is it like writing for Doctor Who?
Doctor Who is the reason I’m a writer, the reason I work in TV. It’s my favourite thing in the world. So, it feels like coming home. This was my lucky day! Working with Russell T Davies and the Bad Wolf team is always such a brilliant experience. I’ve created and showrun my own shows and written hundreds of hours of TV, but nothing beats Doctor Who – I’ve literally had the best couple of years of my career, working with Russell [T Davies, showrunner] on Tales of the TARDIS, Lucky Day, and The War Between The Land And The Sea. It’s been a total joy.
What can you tell us about Lucky Day?
What I loved about writing this episode was being able to explore what happens when the Doctor isn’t around, when he’s off saving other planets. Instantly, without the Doctor, there’s more jeopardy for the human characters, the stakes are higher, and they’re pushed to places they wouldn’t necessarily have to go if he was there to save the day. Of course, the Doctor is in the episode, in a very significant way, but really Lucky Day is Ruby’s story. I love what Millie Gibson did in her first season, so being able to come in and develop her character even further was really exciting.
Throughout all of Doctor Who – with the exception of Sarah Jane Smith – we’ve never really explored what happens to someone after they stop travelling with the Doctor, and how those adventures impacted them. I loved being able to delve into that aspect of the character. I also enjoyed developing Jonah Hauer-King’s character, Conrad, Ruby’s new boyfriend. He’s someone who adores Ruby and wants to be as brave and heroic as the Doctor, but in doing so he puts himself and Ruby in terrible danger.
We’ve got a great new monster in this episode as well, it’s savage and terrifying and cannot be reasoned with. It was also a massive treat to be able to write for UNIT; for Kate, Shirley and Colonel Ibrahim, who swoop in to help Ruby and Conrad from the horrors that have been unleashed. Oh, for classic series fans we also have Paul Jericho in the episode – he played the Castellan, an officious, shady Time Lord during Peter Davison’s era. He’s playing a new character now, publican Alfie. Or is he? Maybe the Castellan wasn’t killed in The Five Doctors (1983), escaped the destruction of Gallifrey and ended up running a pub in an English village? Much better, let’s go with that.
If you could travel in the TARDIS to any time and place in the universe, where would you go?
I would park myself on a comfy sofa in cold November 1963, and spend the next six years watching (and recording, to share with you guys) all the missing episodes of Doctor Who!
If you had to describe the episode in one word or phrase, what would it be?
Thrilling. Which is a good word for this whole season actually.
Lucky Day is available on BBC iPlayer and Disney+, and airs on BBC1 tomorrow (3rd May 2025).
