2.5. The Story & The Engine

Season 2 - 2025

Written by: Inua Ellams
Executive Producers: Russell T. Davies, Julie Gardner, Jane Tranter, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson
Producer: Vicki Delow
Director: Makalla McPherson
Music performed by: BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Music conducted by: Alastair King
Music by: Murray Gold

Doctor: And that structure that I saw?
The Barber: The Nexus. I used to call it the World Wide Web... until the humans named something far uglier after that.

Synopsis

Whilst getting a hair cut in a barber shop in Lagos, Nigeria, Omo tells a story about a fire in his village and a man who appeared in a blue box who sprayed water to put the fire out. As he finishes the story a light changes from red to green.

The Doctor, still trying to get Belinda home, lands the TARDIS in Lagos, 2019, close to Omo's Palace. He tells Belinda that in his current body he is now always accepted, but in Omo's Palace barbershop he is. Belinda stays behind in the TARDIS to allow the Doctor to spend a bit of time in the market where he notices ominous signs and pictures of missing people. As the Doctor enters Omo's Palace an alarm sounds in the TARDIS.

There are a few people in the barbershop and the Doctor quickly realises that all the people are on the missing posters outside. Omo whispers to the Doctor that the barbershop is under "New management". The Barber tells the Doctor he had been expecting him, and tells the Doctor that no-one can leave the barbershop. As an alarm sounds Obioma's hair grows back. Only the Doctor seems to be concerned by this; the others are more concerned they have run out of stories.

Rashid takes his place in the barber's chair and starts telling a story. In a window images appear about the story being told. After he finishes the story the red light turns green. The Doctor is told that for the images he needs to be in the chair getting a hair cut as everything is all connected. The Barber mentions that it is always hungry, and the Doctor scans with his sonic screwdriver. Omo tells the Doctor that the Barber, and Abby, control it.

At that moment Abena enters with food, and as she does alarms sound inside the TARDIS, and the Doctor thinks he recognises her face.

Omo explains to the Doctor that one day the Barber turned up offering to give Omo a haircut. Omo had his own clippers and at the first touch a sort of current ran through the whole shop. Omo tried to stop clients entering the barbershop, but the barbershop needed a select few.

When the alarms start the Doctor takes to the chair for a haircut. As he does a bolt of energy hits him, keeping him in the chair. Instead of a story about Weeping Angels or Cybermen the Doctor starts to tell a story about an ordinary life - Belinda's life. The window starts to show images from Belinda's life before she met the Doctor. After the Doctor finished his story, and the light goes from red to green, Abena tells Omo that batteries are full - more than they have been for a long time.

As the Doctor is helped out of the chair his hair regrows. As the Doctor recovers Abena locks the door before she and Omo make their way into the back of the barbershop - to the engine room.

Inside the TARDIS Belinda is panicked as alarms sound again. She asks the TARDIS to trace the origin and it shows her Omo's Palace. She makes her way through the market and also sees the pictures of the missing people before finding Omo's Palace.

The Doctor unlocks the door but when he opens it all he is nearly sucked into space. He can see the shop is on the back of a giant spider - in a web in space. Omo tells the Doctor the barbershop is both in space and Lagos at the same time via a time space compressor built into the door frame, and that he and Abena are in control of it, and that the door only allows them out.

When Belinda enters the barbershop she quickly notices that the people in the barbershop are the people in the missing posters. The Doctor and Belinda laugh at the Barber as he tries to convince them that he is a God who has had many different forms. The Doctor has met some of the people the Barber claims he has been and the Barber says he was the one behind all of them. The Barber tells them he was once human and that by telling stories the story telling gods grew in power, strengthening their bonds with humanity. The Barber said he made the Nexus, and the engine for the barbershop.

The Doctor gets the Barber to admit what he is really trying to do: destroy the story gods. But this would also destroy Abena's father. So the Barber would not suspect she starts to tell a story whilst cutting and braiding the Doctor's hair. Once finished the Doctor and Belinda escape into the back of the barbershop. It's a maze of corridors but Abena had braided a map into the Doctor's hair to the story engine.

The Doctor connects to the story engine, providing a never ending story therefore providing the Barber with never ending power. As the power builds the barbershop starts to compress. The Doctor convinces the Barber to open the doors and allow the people inside, along with Belinda, to leave. Finally the Doctor and the Barber escape. The Doctor stops the spider from leaving as the story engine overloads, trapping the spider in the Nexus, leaving the Omo's Palace intact

Regular Cast

  • Belinda Chandra: Varada Sethu

Guest Cast

  • Omo Esosa: Sule Rimi
  • The Barber: Ariyon Bakare
  • Rashid Abubakar: Stefan Adegbola
  • Tunde Adebayo: Jordan Adene
  • Obioma Okoli: Michael Balogun
  • Abena: Michelle Asante
  • Paramedic: Simon Bailey
  • Consultant: Adrian Pang
  • Patient: Tessa Bell-Briggs
  • Mrs Flood: Anita Dobson
  • Market Seller: Inua Ellams
  • Security Guard: Funmi James
  • Poppy: Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps
  • The Doctor: Jo Martin

Original broadcast on the BBC

Channel Title Date Viewers Rating
BBC 1 5. The Story & The Engine Saturday, 10 May 2025 19:10 - 20:00

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