Doctor Who meets Eurovision seems like a match made in heaven – in fact, we are wondering why it has taken so long for these two worlds to collide...
In what is sure to be a fabulous episode, the upcoming Doctor Who season 2 will be taking us to the Interstellar Song Contest (which also serves as the name of the sixth instalment), which is the sci-fi show's take on the beloved music competition. Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor will be whisking away his new companion Belinda (Varada Sethu) there, but surely trouble lies ahead.
And that trouble may not just be for our characters, as showrunner Russell T Davies reveals that the episode may not air as planned. That's because in the show's home of the UK, it is currently schedule to air between two of the biggest TV events of the year: the FA Cup Final and the Eurovision Grand Final.
Now, whilst that may be an incredible line-up of great TV, if the FA Cup Final does go to extra time – and even worse, penalties – this Doctor Who episode may be pushed back, as the soccer match will need that time. And with the Eurovision finale being immovable, if there isn't time to air the episode due to delays, it will just be cut from the night's schedule.
Speaking in the new issue of SFX magazine, which features Black Mirror season 7 on the cover and is out on newsstands now, Davies admits it is a risk, but one that he's willing to take: "It's going to be very, very interesting what happens. Honestly, that day it'll be like, 'Are we transmitting or not?' They did run this past me and say, 'Do you want to take that risk?', and I said, 'That's the sexiest fucking risk I've ever heard in my life. Let's do it!'"
Continuing, Davies adds that the risk means that he is strangely invested in the outcome of the soccer game: "I will, probably for the first time in my life, be sitting watching the football wondering what's going to happen. And I love it. My god, do you want this programme to make a noise or not?"
At the end of the day, even if the episode isn't aired on BBC One as planned, it is still schedule to land on streaming service BBC iPlayer earlier that day, meaning UK fans will still have a way to watch the episode. And of course, internationally it will be streaming on Disney Plus, so everyone can enjoy the Interstellar Song Contest.
Not a subscriber to SFX? Then head on over here to get the latest issues sent directly to your home/device!
The upcoming season of Doctor Who arrives on April 12 via Disney Plus internationally and BBC iPlayer in the UK. Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Black Mirror season 7 on the cover and is available now. Check out what you need to be looking out for on newsstands below....
I was invited to the set of the first ever @blackmirror sequel and onto the bridge of the USS Callister…Repeatedly told @charltonbrooker how much I love Dead Set. New issue of @SFXmagazine on sale 26 March! #BlackMirror #BuyMagazines pic.twitter.com/Uq2CLJRiTMMarch 21, 2025
