‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ was, on the surface, a fun but unassuming episode of Doctor Who from 2025. But few people could have predicted the surprises it had in store…
Mrs Flood is the Rani
Okay, several people predicted this ‘shock’ revelation from ‘The Interstellar Song Contest,’ so we’ll get it out of the way now. Throughout Doctor Who Series Two, Mrs Flood had been appearing in every location the Doctor visited, and true to form she was sitting in the audience of the Interstellar Song Contest watching events from afar.
But she was also the victim of these events, and the machinations of the episode’s villains actually triggered her regeneration into a younger incarnation played by Archie Panjabi, and she was officially unveiled as the Rani. And as Russell T Davies commented on Doctor Who Unleashed, the Internet had been predicting that Mrs Flood was secretly this classic villain ever since her first appearance in ‘The Church on Ruby Road,’ so it wasn’t a complete bolt out of the blue.
However, the way in which the Rani regenerated in ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ was unusual. This wasn’t a typical regeneration, but a bi-generation – exactly the same as the one experienced by the Fourteenth Doctor when he was gunned down by the Celestial Toymaker. Thus, Mrs Flood didn’t morph into a new body but split in two, ending the episode with two Ranis ready to wreak havoc throughout the cosmos.
What the episode didn’t explain, though, were the Rani’s plans, and her reasons for stalking the Doctor. Fans would have to wait for the epic two-part finale for the answers to those questions…
The return of Susan Foreman
Fans have been clamouring for the return of Susan Foreman (the Doctor’s granddaughter) ever since her departure in 1964, and the fact that she appeared so suddenly and dramatically in ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ was a shock to many, and a well-kept secret. The Doctor had visions of her standing in the TARDIS calling his name as he struggled to survive in the vacuum of space.
In hindsight, fans could foreseen Susan’s return given that she had been so heavily teased the year before. The Doctor had talked about her when he visited 60s London in ‘The Devil’s Chord,’ and there was a moment in ‘The Legend of Ruby Sunday‘ where the Doctor actually thought he had found her. But alas, it was not to be.
And whilst Susan’s appearance in ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ was a historic moment for actor Carole Ann Ford, this wasn’t the first time she had returned to Doctor Who. Ford reprised her role of Susan for the 20th anniversary special ‘The Five Doctors,’ and later returned for the 30th anniversary documentary 30 Years in the TARDIS. In addition, Susan returned for the controversial Children in Need skit ‘Dimensions in Time‘ which, coincidentally, also saw the Doctor go head-to-head with the Rani – albeit on the set of a BBC soap opera.
Eagle-eyed viewers would also have seen a picture of Susan sitting on the Doctor’s desk in 2017’s ‘The Pilot,’ and Carole Ann Ford made a brief cameo in the 2013 docudrama ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’ playing Woman with Curlers in Her Hair Calling for Michael.
Apparently, Susan’s appearance in ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ came about at the request of writer Juno Dawson, who specifically asked Russell T Davies for permission to bring her back. Dawson needed a memory strong enough to spur the Time Lord into action, although it did of course raise the question as to why Susan looked older, and why she was standing in the current version of the TARDIS. Was this just a cameo, or would Susan Foreman be returning for the Series Two finale?
The most disturbing shot in the series’ history?
In ‘The Interstellar Song Contest,’ the event is hijacked by a villainous pair of Hellions known as Kid and Wynn, who – among other things – open the arena to the void of space and suck all of the spectators out into the abyss.
Certainly, no TV show does horror like Doctor Who, and in ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ the episode does not hold back. There is a particularly harrowing moment when the camera pulls back to reveal thousands of lifeless bodies floating helplessly in the vacuum, possibly dead, and it may be one of the most disturbing shots in Doctor Who‘s history.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, uncomfortable as it is to watch. Back in the 80s, Doctor Who‘s script editor Eric Saward had strong views on violence, and he felt that it was important to “show violence to be real” – to depict its true and devastating consequences, and not to sugar-coat it. And whilst he received some criticism for his stance, it’s worth pointing out that some of the adventures that he oversaw are among the most popular in the series’ history, such as ‘Earthshock,’ ‘Vengeance on Varos‘ and ‘Revelation of the Daleks.’
In fact, one could argue that Doctor Who‘s stark depiction of horror and violence is part of its ‘modus operandi’ and its appeal, and in that sense ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’ is true to form. It’s a delicate line to tread, of course, and over the years the production teams have been very careful in their handling of it, despite the occasional slip-up. It’s not a line that has ever been crossed – although some stories have come close.
But over to you, reader. How did you feel about this particular scene from ‘The Interstellar Song Contest’? And what, for you, was the most shocking moment from the episode? Let us know in the comments below.
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