Available here on the BBC website, the shooting scripts for the 2025 season
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FANFARES, the CAMERA swooping over, and then from below…
SABINE V/O
Are we excited, everyone? Cos here we go, we’re about to begin!ROARS of the CROWD, as…
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OMITTED
OMITTED
INT. HARMONY ARENA, STAGE - NIGHT4 4
SABINE, a beautiful FEMALE CAT in glamorous EVENING DRESS, on stage. NB, the stage is HUGE, but not revealing its full size yet, just Sabine against darkness, SOUND of the crowd.
Clearly they’ve already combed through these scripts…
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It’s normal for scenes to be omitted from scripts for all kinds of reasons. There are others on the writer’s room with similar.
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Nice thanks. I’ve linked every Season Two story page to its associated script!
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Indeed there are.
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EXT. HELIPAD - UNIT TOWER - DAY71B 71B
RUBY leans against the helipad doors, morning sun on her face, watching the helicopter fly away. (NB: We don’t see the helicopter, we’re looking in towards the Ops Room).
She stares out into the orange sunlight, processing.CUT TO:
SCENES DELETED72-76 72-76
INT. OPS ROOM - UNIT TOWER - DAY77 77
COLONEL IBRAHIM approaches a shaken KATE. (The broken window is boarded up, THE VLINX is back in its place). *
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Episode 1 - Green Amends - 08.12.23 1.
INT. COT - DAY
A BABY GIRL, in a cot. SIX DAYS old.
This is BELINDA CHANDRA.
CAPTION: 33 years ago.DEVIKA’S HANDS reach in, with a MAKE-UP PENCIL to draw a DOT on the baby’s forehead, the KALA TIKKA. Just her VOICE:
DEVIKA’S VOICE
On the sixth day, we place the kala tikka on the child. To ward off evil. And keep her safe.CUT TO:
INT. CHANDRAS’ FRONT ROOM - DAY
BELINDA’S MOTHER, LAKSHMI, 30, holding BABY BELINDA, sitting with DEVIKA BABU, Lakshmi’s aunt, 70, bit deaf, with a HEARING-AID, bit short-sighted; she’s the family’s
astrologer. Belinda is now 28 days old, with the KALA TIKKA on her cheek, and a BLACK STRING tied around her midriff.This is a nice, middle-class home, Croydon; dad works in tax, mum’s a violinist, both from Kerala, both came to the UK as children. Westernised with an Indian flair. There’s been a party here today, the Noolukettu, a naming ceremony. Though now the guests have gone, and Devika is here to give the jathakam, her predictions for the child. Between the two women, a PUJA TRAY with banana, leaves, rice and ornaments, though this is handled lightly, relaxed.
DEVIKA
Belinda, Belinda, pretty little Belinda. Does she cry?LAKSHMI
Like a thunderstorm, she’s so loud!DEVIKA
That’s a good sign. Make yourself heard. Ring like a bell, Belinda!She carefully unfolds some PAPERS, like a handwritten letter.
DEVIKA (CONT’D)
And I spent a long time over this, darling. (MORE)Back in the old days, I’d write this out on a palm leaf, but the modern world rolls onwards. Ever onwards. Still! I think this jathakam is really very good. Quite striking!
LAKSHMI
I’m not worried about her horoscope. As long as she’s healthy, that’s all I care about.And then suddenly -
Lakshmi sees the CURTAINS BLOW, a sudden BREEZE, and - THE DOCTOR is standing in the middle of the room! (NB, in his Sc.35-onwards clothes.) And he’s as surprised as she is!LAKSHMI (CONT’D)
What?!THE DOCTOR
What?!Devika looks up from her PAPERS, not seeing anything.
DEVIKA
What?Lakshmi blinks, and… there’s NO ONE THERE.
LAKSHMI
I thought. But. There was a man.DEVIKA
Speak up, darling.LAKSHMI
There was a man. In the room.DEVIKA
That’s nice, dear.And Lakshmi, disturbed, holds Belinda tight, during…
DEVIKA (CONT’D)
But I was saying. The jathakam. The prophecy for your child is remarkably straightforward, it says… she will travel.And I’ve never seen a fortune quite so strong. That’s what it says. Your little girl is born to travel.
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I find it interesting that the last page of The Reality War is dated six months after the rest. I wonder what the plan was immediately after Ncuti made the decision to leave
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This prophecy stuff was mentioned in a deleted scene. So glad they cut that. I’m so bored of prophecies.
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I would’ve liked the screen time for Belinda’s family, though…
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The prophecy was mentioned multiple times in the script, in fact. They must have gone through and cut every mention of it in the episode. As well as this:
THE DOCTOR
Ouch. You needed a Time Lord. To absorb the kaboom. But wow! Bel, baby, I went through your entire life. Like a bullet! The Time Fracture sent me like, whooosh!BELINDA
What does that mean?THE DOCTOR
That man who saved you from a car when you were 7.BELINDA
…you?!CUT TO:
EXT. CHANDRAS’ STREET - DAYNice suburban street. 7 year old BELINDA is happy, laughing, as she runs OUT INTO THE ROAD -
WHOOSH! She’s grabbed by THE DOCTOR (in Sc.35-onwards clothes) and he HAULS HER out of the way as a CAR ZOOMS PAST -
THE DOCTOR
Careful!CUT TO:
INT. THE A.I. GENERATOR CHAMBER - NIGHT
THE DOCTOR and BELINDA amazed - she recognises him!BELINDA
No.THE DOCTOR
Yes!BELINDA
That was you?!THE DOCTOR
That was me! Hah, I’ve been there and back and seen it all and… you are amazing! Belinda Chandra, you and me, we go back years!
Unless I blinked and missed it, they cut William Hartnell, too.
Now the RUSH ends, back to the STARKNESS:
Now an 80 YEAR OLD ALAN is reaching out -
The Doctor, alone, YELLING IN SILENCE.
Now he’s his FIRST INCARNATION, William Hartnell.
Now Belinda, alone, is 80 YEARS OLD.
Now she’s a SKELETON.
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I would’ve loved a Hartnell cameo honestly, cheesy as it would be, but more importantly; “Now she’s a SKELETON” is absolutely hilarious to me for some reason.
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It is!
Probably should have included more of that, because that other bit with Belinda’s family is at the beginning of the episode, and in the sequence of the Doctor flashing through Belinda’s life, it shows them again for a moment, as that’s why the Doctor appeared in front of them.
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