The April 26 episode of Doctor Who, titled “The Well,” was not only the season’s scariest but also a revealing one for showrunner Russell T Davies.
Described by stars Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu as a “psychological thriller,” the episode is set 500,000 years in the future on a harsh planet, home to a ruined mining colony with just one survivor.
Rose Ayling-Ellis — an English TV presenter and children’s book author known for roles in EastEnders and Casualty — stars as Aliss, the sole survivor of a horrific event.
Advertisement Ayling-Ellis has been deaf since birth, though the character of Aliss wasn’t originally written that way.
Aliss wasn’t written as a deaf character, But then Rose’s name came up, and she’s acted for long time on British television, and I instantly said yes. Because she’s just wonderful.
Davies told TVLine ahead of the new season.
Davies explained that casting choices like this can be a learning experience for everyone involved—and ultimately make the episode stronger.
It was a delight to work with Rose. As I talked with her, we put things into the script I never would have thought of, She modified things, and we modified things….
he recalled
After submitting the script for “The Well” for a compliance review — a process where, as Davies explained, “they tell us what we’ve gotten wrong, which is exactly the way it should work” — he was pleasantly surprised when “it came back with such a glowing report.”
Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 3, titled The Well, airs on Saturday, 26th April – stream it on BBC iPlayer at 8am or catch it on BBC One at 6:50pm. If you’re in the US and don’t want to miss the Doctor’s next big adventure with Bel? use a VPN, connect to a UK server, and you’re all set! Check out our top VPN picks for BBC iPlayer now!
In fact, one of the few pieces of feedback Davies received praised a particular line of dialogue that addressed how hearing people can become paranoid when others are quietly signing. “I’ve never seen that said out loud before,” Davies shared, quoting the consultant on deafness who was impressed by the line. Speaking about Ayling-Ellis’ performance as Aliss, the showrunner kept things vague:
I don’t want to give away too much… Is she the villain? Maybe she’s behind it all?
Oh my God, she gives so much that your heart absolutely goes out to her. I’m so lucky to talk about her, and to work with her.
However, one thing he made clear was his admiration for her work:
Source: TVLine