"The Story & The Engine"

The issue of the Doctor's similarity to a human being of African descent has been addressed before, but it is explored more fully here than ever before, as we are taken to a place that is very rarely explored in mainstream Western art – the modern Africa. Nigeria has a special part in the broadcast history of the programme – it's continued popularity there led to the recovery of many precious early episodes. one of those influenced being the very talented Inua Ellams. Doctor Who has a wide variety of stories, but it is part of the Western storytelling tradition and, for the first time, we are taken out of that. The plot twists and turns in ways which seem strange, but wrap up, in the end. The victim becomes the villain, but is redeemed by choosing a different path, to journey to the point after the end of his original plan. Men create models and stories that become gods and engines.

The production is perfectly in tune with the concepts. The use of oral tradition is literally illustrated as being a growing, living thing, The title sequence becomes part of that tapestry and the Doctor's illustration is, in stark contrast, a 4K screening - as I have said, he is a black man, not a human being of African descent. Such is the richness of the concepts, the vibrancy of some images, it only occurs to the viewer later, that the vast majority of the story is in the main area of one barbershop. Makalla McPherson expertly weaves the thread together. Murray Gold is the only significant creative who is not of African descent, yet his themes are well-integrated, without ever seeming like a pastiche.

The small cast is perfect, with Sule Rimi offering a very human heart as Omo and Michelle Asante being regal and sympathetic as Abena. The main attraction is the return of Ariyon Bakare, who shows that he doesn't need to be made up as a lion to project authority.

The Doctor's comfort in this setting leads to a subtly different performance from Ncuti as the Doctor has more of an emotional stake in events than he usually does. Rwanda is very different from Nigeria, which adds to the pathos of the outsider being given a warm welcome. Belinda is given her own little story to make up for her lesser role in the main one, and Varada Sethu is outstanding. Of course there's the one shot cameo by, perhaps, Chris Chibnall's only truly great contribution to the mythos. Hopefully, there will be more.

Unlike any story before, "The Story & the Engine" rewards multiple viewings (or should that be tellings?) – as, indeed it is designed to do!

NEXT: "The Interstellar Song Contest"