Posted in: BBC, Comics, Disney+, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: doctor who
Doctor Who: "Lucky Day" Director on Ruby/Conrad, UNIT & Monsters
Doctor Who Season 2 "Lucky Day" director Peter Hoar discusses Ruby's return, working on the UNIT set, the episode's "big bad," and more.
This week's episode of Doctor Who, "Lucky Day," is a Doctor-lite episode (don't worry, he still shows up in flashbacks) that features the return of Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), who is trying to live her life back on Earth after traveling as the Doctor's companion. The BBC released an interview with director Peter Hoar, who offered some insights into what viewers can expect:
What can audiences expect from this episode? The episode is quite a journey from its unassuming beginning to a high-octane sci-fi thrill ride. We had many references for this episode from all kinds of cinema and TV, including Devil's End from "The Daemons" to Aliens.
This episode has lots of familiar faces, including the UNIT team. What was it like working with them? It was a joy! They are all superb without question. Watching them face such an extreme foe as this, then working as a team, being pushed to the edge, seeing their humanity tested to its limits… I hope it will make a great episode. The cast worked so hard to bring this to life and deserves huge praise. I particularly like one shot where the three women of UNIT stand shoulder to shoulder.
This episode sees the return of Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), and Jonah Hauer-King joins the cast as Conrad. What can you tease about the dynamic between the pair? Jonah and Millie were a great duo. Jonah fitted so smoothly into the family, and it was exciting to watch a new, fresh dynamic emerge. Ruby needs a new hero, and Conrad thinks he's all that, but we discover quickly that it's Ruby who's better in a dangerous situation…
This episode takes us back to the UNIT Tower. What is it like being on that set? It's a huge place with a lot of visual promise. It led me to make a new pitch for the end sequence that we had a lot of fun shooting. We threw everything at them. Literally
There is a terrifying monster in this episode. What was it like bringing it to life on camera? Would it be Doctor Who without a monster? This one is genuinely scary. And we leant right into it – one scene in particular, we went full gothic horror.
How would you sum up this episode? Scary, surprising and romantic.
Doctor Who: Lucky Day premieres this Saturday on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK and Disney+ outside the UK.
