The Universe is Calling (TV story)

The Universe is Calling, also called Makings of a Really Strong Team, was a short mini-episode first broadcast on 15 July 2018 during the half-time of the football World Cup final. The mini-episode comprised of specially shot footage of the Thirteenth Doctor's companions experiencing time distortions prior to the arrival of the Doctor, and it served as a teaser for series eleven of Doctor Who.

A short teaser for this narrative trailer was also released.

Plot
Ryan Sinclair is in a takeaway, watching a football announcer on his smart phone while eating eggs and beans on toast, when a time distortion appears around him. In that second, a hand reaches past him and takes a slice of his toast.

Concurrently, Yasmin Khan is with two friends, watching the same football presenter while eating pizza; Yaz is disappointed to find that one her friends is eating the last slice, but she is quckly distracted by a shaking bookcase. Another time distortion happens around her, Yaz noticing a flash of the tail-end of a grey coat, before she looks down and finds the pizza box filed with a fresh pizza.

Meanwhile, Graham O'Brien is at a chip shop whilst reading the Sheffield Advertiser newspaper, with the same football presenter on the television behind him, but, not unlike Yaz, is distracted by a flash of a grey coat. Looking back down at his newspaper, he is surprised to see that he is now holding an issue of The Beano.

Finally, the Thirteenth Doctor appears, outside the takeaway where Ryan was not long ago, and she smiles.

Cast
(In order of appearance)
 * Football announcer - uncredited
 * Ryan Sinclair - Tosin Cole (uncredited)
 * Thirteenth Doctor - Jodie Whittaker (uncredited)
 * Yasmin Khan - Mandip Gill (uncredited)
 * Friend 1 - uncredited
 * Friend 2 - uncredited
 * Graham O'Brien - Bradley Walsh (uncredited)