Doctor: Ncuti Gatwa
Companion: Millie Gibson – Ruby Sunday
Others
Hilary Hobson – The Woman
Susan Twist – Hiker
Maxine Evans – Lowri Palin
Siân Phillips – Enid Meadows
Sion Pritchard – Joshua Steele
Gwion Morris Jones – Ifor Jones
Elan Davies – Thin Lucy
Glyn Pritchard – Eddie Jones
Michelle Greenidge – Carla Sunday
Angela Wynter – Cherry Sunday
Anita Dobson – Mrs Flood
Jemma Redgrave – Kate Lethbridge-Stewart
Graham Butler – Frank Hinchey
Ali Ariaie – Sanjay Miah
Albey Brookes – Rufus Bray
Aneurin Barnard – Roger ap Gwilliam
Miles Yekinni – Craig Deloach
Amol Rajan – Himself
Sophie Ablett – Marti Bridges
Shane David-Joseph – Akhim Patil
Jason May – Groundsman
Dylan Baldwin – Security Officer
David Constant – Armed Policeman
Deeviya Meir – Newsreader
Amanda Walker – Old Ruby
Rhyanna Alexander-Davis – Elizabeth Campbell
Vee Vimolmal – Nurse
Production
Directed by Dylan Holmes Williams
Written by Russell T Davies
Script editor: Scott Handcock
Produced by Vicki Delow
Executive producer(s): Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson
Music by Murray Gold
Series 14
Running time: 47 minutes
First broadcast 25 May 2024
The Doctor and Ruby arrive at a cliffside in Wales. The Doctor accidentally steps on a "fairy circle" and Ruby reads aloud a message written on it, saying "Rest in Peace, Mad Jack." Shortly afterwards, the Doctor vanishes. Ruby sees a mysterious woman has appeared exactly 73 yards away from her, no matter where she is standing. Ruby realizes the woman moves when she moves towards her, and every person she requests talk to her instead flees in terror.
Ruby returns home, where she requests her mother, Carla's aid. Carla talks to the woman, but also flees in terror. Carla disowns Ruby and leaves her homeless, where Ruby eventually meets up with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart of UNIT. She states the Doctor was never seen again after disappearing in Wales, and comments on the increase in magical activity tracked by UNIT of late. She speculates the TARDIS’ perception filter on the fairy circle may have created the phenomenon. Several UNIT soldiers attempt to capture the woman, but upon getting close to her, she speaks to them and they leave. Ruby spends the next twenty years alone.
While on a date, Ruby sees an advertisement for Roger ap Gwilliam, a political candidate mentioned by the Doctor as bringing Britain to the brink of nuclear war after he is elected. She also sees his nickname of "Mad Jack," which she connects to the fairy circle. Ruby thus joins Gwilliam's party to stop him. Gwilliam wins the election, and plans to make a speech to the world where he will announce Britain is leaving NATO and buying Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. Ruby then stands 73 yards from Gwilliam, leading to him encountering the woman. Gwilliam subsequently flees in terror and resigns as prime minister.
The woman does not leave, and Ruby spends another forty years alone. An elderly Ruby lies in a hospital bed, watching the woman slowly approach her bed's foot as Ruby's heart monitor stops. Elder Ruby appears in the past, on the day she and the Doctor interacted with the circle. She views them from the woman's position, whom the younger Ruby now notices earlier, and warns her before vanishing. Ruby duly prevents the Doctor from stepping across the fairy circle before the pair leave.
73 Yards