4. Angels

Doctor Who Redacted

Episode Four

Written by

Catherine Brinkworth

FX: BBC SOUNDS STING

SCENE 1

EXT. LONDON STREET - NIGHT.

We hear a long eerie note as CLEO walks home.

Nighttime London atmos: the occasional car and

siren in the distance, some chatter as people pass by.

Beep SFX as Cleo begins recording on her phone.

CLEO

Podcast idea: could we do an episode

on memory? Like when a load of people thought they remembered Nelson Mandela

dying in the 80s. But he hadn’t, they

just remembered it for some reason.

Next episode: was he a ghost all along?!

Eerie beep flows into a thoughtful tune.

The clatter of something behind her. Cleo pauses and turns to look around.

CLEO

Oh hello?

She starts walking again.

CLEO

Note two: don’t forget to actually

re-listen to these voice notes.

Otherwise genius ideas get forgotten forever.

Beep SFX. Ahead of her, we hear a police radio.

CLEO

What the actual...?

POLICE OFFICER

(into radio) Yeah sarge, will do.

Outside Cleo’s building, a group of police officers can be heard

milling around. We hear their footsteps, chatter, patrol car

doors slamming, radios being used.

Cleo approaches a POLICE OFFICER, her stride quicker.

CLEO

Hi, sorry, can I get into my building please?

A crackle of static and faint voice on the officer’s radio.

OFFICER

Do you live here, miss?

CLEO

No, I just figured breaking and entering

in front of the police was the perfect crime. What the hell is going on?

OFFICER

We’re investigating a potential

kidnapping.

CLEO

Wait – Is it Jordan Proctor?

OFFICER

I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to

discuss –

CLEO

I’m his sister. So if you know anything,

I’m pretty sure you have to tell me.

It’s the First Amendment or something.

OFFICER

(BEAT)The person we’re looking for is a young woman. If your brother’s missing

you should file a missing person’s report.

CLEO

(Crushed) Forget it.

(Gathering herself up)

Wait so, this woman, is she part of

the epidemic?

OFFICER

I’m sorry?

CLEO

The disappearances…

OFFICER

What disappearances?

CLEO

It’s on the news.

OFFICER

(skeptical)Yeah, well, maybe YouTube

isn’t the most reliable source.

CLEO

(defensive)I’m not talking about YouTube babe.

OFFICER

Alright miss. This is an active crime

scene so I’m going to need to get back

to work. Unless you want to talk to me

about your brother.

CLEO

Can I just get into my building please?

OFFICER

Of course. Does that shifty fella live

here too?

CLEO

Wait what?

OFFICER

The man who was with you. Just now?

CLEO

What did he look like?

OFFICER

Tall, dark hair, dark clothes. Sorry,

I just assumed he was with you.

CLEO

No. I’m on my own.

OFFICER

Right. My mistake.

More thunder. Cleo walks inside.

CLEO

(Softly spoken) Jordan?!

We hear the redacted sound mixed with a soft piano.

CREDITS

Doctor Who Redacted: Episode Four. By Catherine Brinkworth.

The piano tune keeps going for a moment before picking up the pass with a big beat of drums, strings and synths that turns into the Main Theme tune, a symphony of synths and strings revelling in alien weirdness.

SCENE 2

INT. CLEO’S FLAT – NIGHT

SFX: Cleo starts boiling a kettle

SHAWNA

(on phone)That’s so weird.

CLEO

I know, right?

SHAWNA

I’m sure he’ll be ok babe.

CLEO

Yeah, I know. Hey, listen, I’ll

see you later for the podcast

record yeah?

SFX: Cleo’s kettle boils, and then –

SCENE 3

INT. CLEO'S BEDROOM - NIGHT.

We hear thunder outside. Cleo’s sheets rustle –

she’s on Skype in bed.

Ominous spooky music builds as ABBY tells her ghost story.

ABBY

(On Skype. Quiet, nearly whispered)

Here’s a scary story to tell in

the dark. It’s the story of Wester

Drumlins. A crumbling house where

people go missing. Where cars gather

rust in the driveway because those

who come to explore step through

the front door...and never come

back out. You shouldn’t ignore that

“no entry” sign that’s been nailed

to the gate for decades. But let’s

imagine that you have, and you’re trespassing into the house right now.

The music suddenly stops and instead we here a strong drum beat like footsteps.

ABBY

The door creaks when you open it.

You know there’s something hiding inside, lurking in the dusty ballroom and up the rotting stairs. You just don’t know what

it is yet.

Drum beat gets louder and more purposeful with multiple drums.

ABBY (CONT’D)

You look down the hallway. It’s a

bright day, but the grime in this

house makes it hard to breathe. Out

of a broken window you can see the

garden, and in it, a statue made of

stone. Weathered and chipped. It’s

an angel with wings, and its head in

its hands, crying.

Was that a noise outside? You turn

to look and BAM!!!! Without a sound,

that stone angel is behind you, fangs

bared, six foot tall, its wings spread!

It can kill you with a touch. But it

can only move when you’re not watching.

So whatever you do...

The music powerfully builds and then suddenly stops.

ABBY (CONT’D)

...don’t blink.

We hear heavy rain from outside.

SHAWNA

Dun dun duuuuuun!

ABBY

What do you think?

CLEO

Babe that was scarier than a mouse

in your chicken bucket. That was good.

SHAWNA

Goosebumps! No – it was so good,

ABBY

It’s my opener for the next episode.

SHAWNA

That story could literally only be

more scary if it was true.

ABBY

Well, it might be true Shawna.

I think the stories about the Weeping

Angels are connected to the blue box somehow.

CLEO

But wait what about the weird amnesia

and the missing people babe?

ABBY

Well that’s just it, I think the

Weeping Angels are linked to these disappearances. I’ve checked the news

and there are 90 people officially

missing now. Mostly in London, a couple

in Cardiff. It’s weird actually, cos I

thought it was 100 yesterday, so I

dunno. Maybe they turned up...dead

or alive.

CLEO

Everyone’s forgetting stuff.

SHAWNA

Hello! Cleo might not want to

hear all this. About missing people.

ABBY

Sorry Cleo.

CLEO

It’s fine. He probably went on Ex on

the Beach again without telling us.

ABBY

And even in the worst case scenario, the weeping angels don't necessarily kill people.

CLEO

Oh...lovely.

SHAWNA

Abby!

ABBY

I do have some good news about the podcast.

CLEO

Alien foetus in a jar?

ABBY

Afraid not. But I’ve got an interview...

with Larry Nightingale!!

Silence.

SHAWNA

Who?

CLEO

“Larry Nightingale”? Sounds like a

crooner.

SHAWNA

Ah yeah, I think my Dad had him on

Vinyl actually.

ABBY

Guys! He’s the foremost blogger on

blue box phenomena.

CLEO

Try say that with three fish fingers in

your mouth.

ABBY

He writes for the Into The Unknown blog, which you guys know because I mention it basically all the time.

SHAWNA

...um...

CLEO

(lying)Oh yeah of course yeah.

ABBY

He’s written some of my favourite

articles on there, including this

whole one about the how the angels

link to other paranormal stuff.

Anyway, we were emailing about two

Years ago, then he went quiet...but

now he's back in touch!

SHAWNA

So, okay. In this...story, stone angels -

ABBY

(interrupting) Weeping angels.

SHAWNA

- don't kill people?

ABBY

Yeah from what I’ve read, they make

people disappear. It’s a bit vague, but

it could make sense. I mean, if the

angels can make people disappear, what

else could they take? Our texts, our emails...maybe our memories?

SHAWNA

Statues can't wipe memories.

CLEO

I mean they can if they fall on

your head.

SHAWNA

Abby, did you say you’re

meeting up with this guy? Barry —

ABBY

Yeah Larry Nightingale, why?

SHAWNA

Well it’s just, he’s a total stranger.

And there’s weird stuff going on at

the moment.

ABBY

No honestly it’s okay, Larry’s a

cool guy. He even reckons he’s seen

the angels. He says they’re to blame

for the disappearance of his wife and sister.

CLEO

I’m sorry Abby, what?!

SHAWNA

His wife and sister are missing?

CLEO

So by “cool guy” you mean, he’s

a murderer Abz?

SHAWNA

Abby, do not meet with this guy please.

ABBY

Oh guys come on!

CLEO

Oh my God wait, what if Larry’s “the Doctor”? And that's his alias. Like "The Zodiac Killer" or "Mr Tumble".

ABBY

We already agreed tomorrow afternoon.

SHAWNA

Well then cancel! Ghost him before

he ghosts you… literally.

ABBY

I will never have this chance again.

It took him two years to reply to my

emails.

A noise outside Cleo's window, like someone’s knocked into a heavy object.

CLEO

Wait guys. Did you hear that?

ABBY

(ignoring Cleo)

Look -

SHAWNA

(interrupting)

New theory: Larry Nightstalker is

making people disappear. Not stone

angels.

ABBY

OK he’s kind of one of my heroes,

actually, so can we not?

Ominous music begins to build as CLEO tries to figure out what the noise was.

SHAWNA

Why am I not surprised with your

taste in men?

ABBY

What is that supposed to mean?

SHAWNA

How can you be so naive?

ABBY

Naive? I’m naive?

Abby and Shawna’s argument gets quieter as Cleo goes to her

window.

CLEO

One sec guys, I think there’s

something outside.

FX: Various squeaking floorboards.

Tense music builds.

Is that the sound of something clinking against brickwork as it climbs up her building?!

ABBY

Shawna, I’ve made my decision,

alright? It’s midnight and thanks to interruptions I've only explained one

third of my research notes and I’ve

not even got mum into bed yet –

We hear CLEO speak clearly over ABBY and SHAWNA’s argument in the background.

CLEO

(steadying herself and breathing out)

OK.

ABBY (CONT’D)

(In distance)

Do you know how many hours I spend

on this stuff? Because we’re in

danger and we need answers?

CLEO

(forcefully) Oi! Excuse me!

Who’s there? Hello!

(exasperated)

SHAWNA

(from the laptop) Cleo?

Cleo shuts the window and gets back into bed.

CLEO

Sorry girls, I thought I heard

someone outside.

ABBY

Well, look what you’ve done, Shawna.

You’ve spooked Cleo.

SHAWNA

Well she should be spooked. There’s

a psycho on the loose.

CLEO

Guys, guys come on. I’ve got work

Tomorrow and I think it would be

Better if sleep on it and sort it

out once we’re fresh, you know.

ABBY

Fine. We'll talk tomorrow. After

the interview.

SHAWNA

Hm.

Skype hang up tone.

CLEO

(sighs)Thanks guys. Good talk.

SCENE 4

EXT. LONDON STREET - DAY.

Traffic and chatter all around as Cleo walks down a busy street.

Cleo’s phone starts to ring.

JORDAN

(frighteningly distorted)

CLEO?

CLEO

Jordan you mug! Finally. Mum’s been

going mad thinking you’ve been

kidnapped or something -

JORDAN

(distorted)

CLEO? CLEO? ARE YOU THERE?

CLEO

Jordan?

JORDAN

(distorted)

I---I DON’T KNOW WHERE I AM

CLEO

Jordan can you hear me?

JORDAN

(distorted)

I’M IN LONDON --- IS THAT ME ---

CLEO

It’s gonna be ok! Tell me where

you are and we’ll come get you.

JORDAN

(distorted)

I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON ---

CLEO

Jordan can you hear me?!

JORDAN

(distorted)

HELP! HELP CLEO! --- CLEO

The REDACTED sound effect crescendos into static.

CLEO

Oh my god. Ok.

JORDAN

(distorted)

CLEO HELP ME --- I’M SCARED

CLEO

OK, OK.

We hear street noise, people chatting in the background and cars going past.

Sound of Cleo dialling Abby.

ABBY’S VOICEMAIL

Hi, this is the voicemail of Abby

McPhail! If you’re calling The Blue

Box Files -

Cleo hangs up, frustrated.

CLEO

Ugh! Where’s the local true crime

Lad when you need her. God.

Sound of Cleo dialing Shawna

SHAWNA

Cleo!

CLEO

Oh my god I’m so glad you picked up.

SHAWNA

Abby’s gone to meet that man. On her

own! Craig bailed on her. Can you

believe that?

CLEO

Oh no!

SHAWNA

I know right?

CLEO

Ugh no, Shawna, I got a message from

Jordan

SHAWNA

Awesome! I’m glad he’s alright -

CLEO

No, no, Shawna, listen to me. It had that

weird static on it. Like it was all distorted and stuff. And then he said –

he said he was scared. And I think whoever’s taking people… I think they might have him too, and I really, I don’t know what to do.

Shawna, I don’t know what to do.

SHAWNA

(BEAT)

CLEO

Shawna?

SHAWNA

Right we need to get to Abby. Now.

CLEO

But I’m supposed to be at work. And

Glasgow’s like a thousand miles

away. I can barely manage zone 6.

It’s so expensive -

SHAWNA

Tickets on me alright.

CLEO

Ugh, babe -

SHAWNA

(CUTTING ACROSS)

We’ll find Jordan. I promise.

But we have got to get to Abby before

she vanishes too.

An ambulance siren on the street merges into the roar of a train flying past.

SCENE 5

INT. TRAIN

The train stops, doors open, and after a minute Shawna gets on.

FX: In the background we hear the train move rhythmically along the train tracks.

CLEO

Babe! I’ve saved you a seat.

SHAWNA

Are you alright?

CLEO

Yeah course, why wouldn’t I be

all right? I’ve got cheesy puffs,

I’m facing the right direction

on the train. I’m fine honestly,

I’m fine.

SHAWNA

Well that’s a lie

CLEO

No!

SHAWNA

Come here.

Sound of Shawna giving Cleo a huge hug. CLEO sighs.

SHAWNA (CONT’D)

Oh you’re shaking. Babe.

CLEO

It’s just, Jordan, and what happened

to my Dad, and I just –

SHAWNA

Look I’m sure he’s going to be OK.

Now. We’ve got a good 5hrs to go and

a jumbo bag of cheese puffs to

get through.

We fade out on the train atmosphere and wistful music builds into the next scene, as CLEO and SHAWNA travel up to Glasgow.

SCENE 6

EXT. GLASGOW NECROPOLIS - NIGHT.

BEEP of pressing record. Outdoor atmosphere.

ABBY

This is Abby MacPhail and you’re

listening to the Blue Box Files.

I’m recording this out and about

from the Glasgow Necropolis. It’s

about 7pm and today I was meant to

interview Larry Nightingale from

the Into The Unknown blog. Ugh But

he’s nowhere to be seen. And I’ve

been thinking a lot about the Weeping

Angels and...well, it’s only now

I’m here that I’ve realised. He

suggested meeting in this giant

graveyard. And there are quite a

lot of statues here...

Deep, ominous music starts to play.

Sound of stone scraping. Sudden burst of birds flying up into the sky. ABBY jumps.

ABBY (CONT’D)

Did you hear that?

(beat)

Lets see if I can record these noises.

Record BEEP. Sound of stone scraping again. BEEP to stop the record.

ABBY

I don’t like this. I’m giving him

ten more minutes. And if he is a

murderer… Shawna: I’m sorry, you

were right, I was wrong. Please don’t

let it go to your head.

The recording cuts. Then starts again. Tense music builds in time with ABBY’s footsteps as she’s walking.

ABBY

Ok, I’ve found something. It was on

the ground in the mud right by where

I was supposed to meet Larry. It’s

an old metal box. Like properly ancient.

And it’s got my name on it.

FX: More stone scraping. Footsteps in the grass and wet soil.

ABBY

I can hear someone coming. Larry?

Is that you?

Rustling as ABBY moves backwards. Footsteps move towards her then get faster. The tension builds horribly. We can hear Abby's frightened breath in the microphone.

ABBY

Oh my God! Shawna! Cleo!

SHAWNA

Come here you beautiful Scottish

lunatic!

They launch together for a hug.

CLEO

Give us a kiss you silly goose.

ABBY

What the hell are you doing here?!

SHAWNA

Rescue party.

ABBY

I can’t believe you guys came

all this way!

SHAWNA

We weren’t exactly going to sit and

wait for you to get murdered.

ABBY

Yeah but train tickets haven’t been

affordable since the ‘90s!

SHAWNA

What are savings for? I’ll get a

gaming rig next year.

ABBY

Shawna…

CLEO

Ok, not that this isn’t adorable but

we need to get out of here before

Larry Nighting-murderer shows up.

ABBY

Wait.

CLEO

Listen, Abby. My little brother’s

in trouble. Something’s happened

to him.

ABBY

But what if our best chance of

finding him might be in this box?

ABBY taps on a large metal box

CLEO

Is that from Larry?

SHAWNA

Fingers crossed it’s a Blue Peter

time capsule and not, you know,

human remains.

ABBY

Right let’s see. Hmm ok.

Sound of ABBY working on a combination lock. Distant traffic in the background.

The lock snaps open.

SHAWNA

How’d you do that?

ABBY

2008! It’s the year Larry’s sister disappeared.

CLEO

Oh god, it IS going to be body bits.

The sound of creaking metal as ABBY opens the box.

BEAT as Shawna and Abby take it in

CLEO

I can’t look. Guys. Guys! What’s in it?

SHAWNA

It’s a…tape recorder. Really old

by the look of it. Like, 1930s old.

Let’s see if it still works.

Here goes.

CLUNK as an old play button is pushed. Vintage tape FX.

LARRY

(On tape)

Hey there Abby. Well, I hope it’s

Abby listening to this. This is Larry.

Larry Nightingale.

Eerie, high pitched music plays as we hear LARRY on the recorder.

LARRY

I hope you remember me. And that you

find my tape, and that it survived all

those decades buried under a hedge in the necropolis. I have a bit of explaining to do. So here’s my story.

Larry’s voice blends from being on tape to as if he’s speaking directly to them, telling the girls his story.

In the background, eerie music plays, sounding spookier as his story becomes more supernatural.

A while ago, in 2021, you emailed me

about the ‘blue box’. Your enthusiasm

was amazing. Love the podcast, by the

way. I wanted to talk to you, I really

did, but things weren’t going too well

for me then. My wife Natasha had gone missing, and not long after that I

started losing my memory.

At first I thought it was the worry,

the grief. Affects everyone differently, doesn’t it?

But then my notes started vanishing.

I had 15 years of notes on the Weeping Angels - evidence, sightings. At first, pages disappeared. Then blog posts.

Then whole folders. Ironic really.

Natasha always wished my notes would

take up less space in our kitchen.

LARRY (CONT’D)

Anyway. Soon, colleagues and friends

started going off the radar.

Eventually everyone would forget they

even existed.

But the worst of it all was that I

began to forget Natasha. The love of

my life and it was like, she was

becoming a stranger to me in my own

head. So I confronted the angels. I’d

been blaming them for my muddled brain.

I was so angry, my mind felt like it

was falling apart- I barely escaped

with my life, thanks to an old

friend.

I was taken back into the 1920s.

And there she was, Natasha – it was

like she’d never left. As soon as I

saw my wife it was like my memory

reset. It all came back at once. I

had a banger of a headache too,

I can tell you.

But the angels aren’t to blame for my amnesia. In fact, it was almost like

they were running from something. They

always have these monstrous, angry expressions – I mean you saw the photos.

But not this time. This time they

seemed scared. I didn’t think anything

was more powerful or dangerous than

the angels. But there’s something

going on here. Something bigger.

We hear more scraping stone sounds. Whispering, beeping, the wind picking up as the tape continues. The music becomes increasingly tense.

LARRY (CONT’D)

Normally the Doctor would help, but

it’s almost like the Doctor’s turned

against us.

LARRY’s voice blends back to sounding like it’s coming from the tape.

LARRY (CONT’D)

And if that’s happened

then…I don’t know how we’re going to

make it out of this alive.

I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I know

this is going to leave you with more questions than answers. But it’s

already starting to fade again.

The angels, the Doctor, my wife,

my sister, everything…

But Abby: be careful. Watch

out for the Blue Box –

On ‘Blue Box’, LARRY’s voice distorts and becomes deeper as the tape ends with a CLUNK.

SCENE 7

EXT. GLASGOW NECROPOLIS – NIGHT

SHAWNA

Can we go now?

CLEO

Wait he mentioned the Doctor.

ABBY

What doctor?

CLEO

The Doctor you two can’t remember.

SHAWNA

Guys, this is all great conspiracy theorizing we could be doing at

Abby’s Mum’s house. 100% more

biscuits, 100% less chance of

murder.

Sound of a beep. Muffled talking. People getting closer, hiding.

MAN

(CLOSE, WHISPERED ON RADIO)

All three targets acquired.

CLEO

Wait, did you hear that?

SHAWNA

Well considering the last five

minutes of undiluted crazy you’re

going to have be a bit more specific.

I mean as if he travelled in time –

ABBY

Shawna what more proof do you need?

Look at this thing, it’s ancient!

SHAWNA

Come on!

CLEO

No, seriously, ladies, I think

there’s someone watching us. I

don’t like this.

We hear a radio static and the soldiers move in loudly, no longer hiding.

MAN

Nobody move!

ABBY

Oh my god!!

Sound of taser followed by ABBY collapsing with a thud.

SHAWNA

Abby!!

ABBY

Oh my god Get off her!

Another taser, SHAWNA shouts and collapses.

Another taser. Soldiers running forward.

CLEO

DON’T TOUCH ME! Get OFF! HELP!

Another taser. Sound design becomes kaleidoscopic as Cleo loses consciousness.

CLEO

(Mumbled) Doctor…Help us

END

Soft piano tune begins to play.

CREDITS

Doctor Who Redacted: Episode Four,

By Catherine Brinkworth

The piano tune keeps going for a moment before picking up the pass with a big beat of drums, strings and synths that turns into the Main Theme tune, a symphony of synths and strings revelling in alien weirdness.

CREDITS

Starring: Charlie Craggs, Lois Chimimba, Holly Quin-Ankrah, Karim Kronfli and Finlay Robertson.Directed and produced by Ella Watts.

Sound design by David Thomas and Arlie Adlington. Original composition by David Devereux.

A BBC Studios production.

With a rush like the TARDIS, the main theme music gets even bigger and louder, turning into a big, bright, fast paced melody that plays to the end of the episode, when it stops abruptly with a sharp glitch which ends with a beep.