Lucky Day

Written by Pete McTighe

"We're a team... like you and the Doctor"

Ruby Sunday faces life back on Earth without the Doctor. But when a dangerous new threat emerges, can Ruby and UNIT save her new boyfriend, Conrad, from the terrifying Shreek?

Plot

London, New Year’s Eve, 2007. As the Doctor and Belinda Chandra figure out where the TARDIS has landed, they meet a young boy, Conrad Clark, who watched them arrive. The Doctor hands the boy 50p, telling him it’s his “lucky day”. Conrad runs back to his mother, full of wonder about the encounter...

In 2024, an adult Conrad spots the TARDIS again – and follows the Doctor and Ruby Sunday as they pursue an extradimensional creature known as the Shreek. Conrad gets marked with a green goo before making his escape but manages to catch a good look at the creature, as well as a photo of Ruby, before the TARDIS departs.

A year later, Ruby, adjusting to life without the Doctor, agrees to guest on Conrad’s show Lucky Day: an investigative podcast about the Doctor and his blue box. After Ruby shares her experiences on the show, she and Conrad go for a coffee, where they discuss the Shreek. Ruby informs Conrad that the goo from the encounter is a tracking agent that allows the Shreek to hunt him down but reassures him that UNIT has the creature in captivity, before giving him an antidote. Soon after, to her family’s delight, Ruby and Conrad begin dating.

On a weekend away with his friends, Ruby and Conrad begin to notice signs of a possible Shreek attack; before Conrad confesses that he never took the antidote, wanting Ruby to see him be as brave as the Doctor. As multiple Shreek appear, Ruby calls Kate Lethbridge-Stewart at UNIT, who mobilises with a team to their location. When UNIT arrive on the scene, the Shreek approach – and reveal themselves to be people in costume! Conrad then turns on Ruby and UNIT, revealing himself as a member of activist group Think Tank, dedicated to “exposing the lies” of UNIT’s operations. As the event is livestreamed on social media, UNIT’s reputation begins to be brought into question across the country.

Back at UNIT tower, Shirley Bingham reveals to Ruby that Conrad had lied to her about most of his life – and that he had even previously applied for a job at UNIT. As they plan damage control to the backlash, Conrad infiltrates the building with a body cam, determined to expose UNIT from the inside. When he taunts Kate, she responds by releasing the real Shreek from containment. As it hunts Conrad down, he continues to deny the creature is real – but as it snarls inches from his face, Conrad’s bravado disappears and he confesses to his lies. Ruby intervenes with a taser, allowing Conrad to recover – and make more accusations of fakery. This time, the Shreek gets a bite of his arm!

As #IStandWithUNIT trends on social media, Colonel Ibrahim warns Kate that the events from the night before may have larger repercussions for the organisation. Ruby admits to Kate that she has not quite emotionally recovered from her time in the TARDIS and plans to take some time for herself to clear her head.  

Meanwhile, as Conrad recovers from the Shreek attack in a jail cell, the TARDIS materialises around him. The Doctor, alone, admonishes Conrad for the “relentless noise” he caused; threatening that his future will not have a happy ending on his current path. Conrad scoffs at the Doctor, rejecting his “reality”, and mentions Belinda – who the Doctor has not yet met. As the TARDIS leaves Conrad behind, Mrs Flood approaches his cell, jangling the keys... 

Concept Art

Behind the Scenes

• Lucky Day was written by Pete McTighe, who is returning to the Whoniverse as lead writer and showrunner for upcoming spin-off series The War Between the Land and the Sea.
• Many of the cast and crew present for the read-through of Lucky Day’s script were not aware of Conrad’s true nature – making their reaction to the twist in the room quite genuine and “raucous”!
• Paul Jerricho, who plays pub landlord Alfie, previously appeared in Doctor Who as high-ranking Time Lord the Castellan in Arc of Infinity and The Five Doctors. 

Credits