'Eve of the Daleks' (Story Code 13.07) by Chris Chibnall

“We’re stuck in a time-loop with killer robots.” - Sarah

Manchester, on New Year’s Eve, 2021: Elf Storage owner Sarah is let down yet again by her employee Jeff, forcing her to forgo the festive celebrations in order to help her only customer, Nick, a man who visits his storage unit at the same time every year. Elsewhere, the Doctor decides to put the TARDIS into self-reset mode to help the ship recover from the damaging effects of the Flux; however, when the Doctor, Yaz and Dan leave the ship, they are surprised to find that instead of a sunny sentient beach, they are now inside a self-storage facility at nine-minutes to New Year’s Day. The Doctor’s concern at some alarming cracks in the TARDIS’ outer shell is quickly distracted by her sonic screwdriver, which warns of a temporal disturbance nearby… Nick’s visit to his storage unit is interrupted by the surprising arrival of a Dalek; the deadly creature exterminates Nick, and then goes on to kill Sarah in reception. Nick’s body is found by the Doctor, who instantly recognises the effects of her enemies’ weaponry. Finding the Dalek in reception, the Doctor tries shutting down its gun with her sonic screwdriver – but the Dalek has anticipated this, and it is now equipped with a different type of weapon that swiftly exterminates the Doctor, Yaz and Dan…

23:58: Nick and Sarah find themselves back in Elf Storage reception, very much alive, and with a recollection of their deaths by ‘killer robot’. The Doctor, Yaz and Dan are similarly reset, but are still unable to prevent Nick, Sarah and themselves from being killed by the Dalek once again…

23:57: Arriving in Elf Storage, the Doctor and her friends rush to find Sarah and Nick, to warn them of being stuck in a decreasing time-loop with the Dalek. The group take refuge in Nick’s storage unit, where Sarah gets creeped out by the number of items stored inside that belong to Nick’s many ex-girlfriends. Nick tries bargaining with the Dalek, offering his life in exchange for Sarah’s, but the creature just exterminates him. Sealing themselves back inside Nick’s storage unit, the Doctor learns from Sarah that Jeff may have items stored away that can be used as weapons; but before they can use this information, the Dalek breaks through the door and kills everyone inside…

23:56: The Dalek materialises in Elf Storage reception, prompting Sarah to run for her life. The Doctor and her friends head for Jeff’s unit, only to discover that there are now two Daleks roaming the building. Dan distracts one of the creatures, his inevitable death allowing the Doctor and Yaz time to reach Jeff’s storage units; the duo manage to find stuffed animals, tinned beans, a living room and a stash of gas cannisters before they have to flee from the second Dalek. Meanwhile, Sarah talks Nick into ditching the others, and together they head for the basement; fearing imminent death, Nick finally admits his crush on Sarah, just as they are found and killed by a Dalek. The two Daleks soon corner the Doctor and Yaz; holding their enemies at gunpoint, the Daleks reveal that they are an execution squad despatched by Dalek Command in revenge for the destruction of their fleet by the Doctor and the Flux; it seems the TARDIS created the time-loop in an attempt to save the Doctor and her friends - who get exterminated yet again…

23:55: While the Doctor is furious that Sara reneged on their plan, Nick is trapped by two Daleks. But as the two creatures open fire Nick ducks, and the two creatures destroy each other instead. The Doctor realises that she and her friends need to be like the Daleks and learn from each time they are reset; with the time-loop limited to Elf storage, if they may escape it if they can find a way past the Dalek forcefield currently sealing the front doors. Before the Doctor’s plan can develop further, she and the others are shot down by three more Daleks, and time resets again…

23:54: The Daleks are fully prepared this time, and they quickly slaughter Sarah and Nick. Unaware of their deaths, the Doctor sets off to find them, leaving Dan and Yaz to wait by the TARDIS. Dan takes the opportunity to encourage Yaz to tell the Doctor how she feels about her, but their conversation is curtailed by the arrival of two Daleks, who ruthlessly gun them down. The Daleks then track down and exterminate the Doctor once more…

23:53: With the time-loop down to just three minutes, the Doctor sends Yaz to get Sarah and Nick while she and Dan gather up another of Jeff’s stashes - several large boxes of fireworks - in the basement. While they work, Dan decides to tell the Doctor how Yaz feels about her. Upstairs, Yaz finds Sarah and Nick in Jeff’s unit, and together they head downstairs to rejoin the others. Just as the Doctor concocts a decoy plan to confuse the Daleks in the final two loops, she and the others are killed by the creatures’ latest attack…

23:52: Everyone works to trick the Daleks: Nick and Sarah allow themselves to be killed, while the Doctor, Yaz and Dan hang out in Jeff’s living room before their inevitable destruction comes round…

23:51: The Daleks go to the same locations where they killed everyone last time. But this time round the Doctor and her friends are in the basement, setting Jeff’s dodgy fireworks and gas cannisters into a big pile, along with Sarah’s phone, set to ring at ten seconds to midnight with a requested call from Sarah’s mother. Realising they have been tricked, the Daleks head for the basement, arriving just after the Doctor and her friends make their escape via the back door. Closing in on the fireworks just as Sarah’s mum calls, the Daleks mistake her voice for their prey - they immediately open fire, triggering a giant explosion that causes the entire building to collapse. With the Daleks buried under tons of rubble and the time-loop now ended, the Doctor, Yaz, Dan, Sarah and Nick see in the New Year with a very appropriate fireworks display… Some time later, the Doctor and her friends set off in a restored TARDIS, their sights set on a quest for lost treasure. Elsewhere, Sarah and Nick take a taxi to the airport, the first stop in a trip around the world together.


Jodie Whittaker (The Doctor), Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan), John Bishop (Dan Lewis), Aisling Bea (Sarah), Adjani Salmon (Nick), Barnaby Edwards (Dalek Operator 1), Nicholas Pegg (Dalek Operator 2), Jon Davey (Additional Dalek Operator), Nicholas Briggs (Dalek Voice), Pauline McLynn (Mary), Jonny Dixon (Karl)

Directed by Annetta Laufer
Produced by Sheena Bucktowonsing
Executive Producers Chris Chibnall, Matt Strevens and Nikki Wilson
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC 1 & BBC 1 HD):
1st January 2022 @ 7.00 pm

Notes:
*Featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz and Dan

*This episode is fifty-eight minutes long