Must-See TV (audio story)

 was the third story in the audio anthology Stranded 1, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Lisa McMullin and featured Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, Nicola Walker as Liv Chenka, Hattie Morahan as Helen Sinclair, Rebecca Root as Tania Bell and Tom Price as Andy Davidson.

Publisher's summary
There are new arrivals in Baker Street: Sergeant Andy Davidson, and the helpful Mr Bird.

The Doctor isn’t happy that someone else in the house is more useful than him. When the residents’ TVs start to malfunction, he suspects foul play.

Someone is watching...

Plot
Liv answers the door to Andy and tells him that Tania, whom he is looking for, is not in. She is given a fright by Mr Bird, who tells her that Tania is indeed in. She is on the phone to Andy and agrees to meet him soon, putting down the phone and saying "blooming Torchwood".

The Doctor bumps into Andy outside the house and enters, finding Robin upset because his father has to go to work. The Doctor attempts to comfort him, telling him a bit about his own childhood.

Liv tries to get Tania to tell her why the police are after her, which she refuses to do. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Helen play games from a newspaper and discuss Liv and Tania and new tenant Mr Bird, who has become the go-to fix-it man. Ron and Tony find that their television remains on even when unplugged and agree to tell the Doctor.

Tania meets with Andy and admonishes him for showing up in uniform and for speaking with the Doctor, however briefly. She tells him that Mr Bird might be a concern and realises that Torchwood have put surveillance equipment in her flat.

Ron and Tony ask the Doctor for help with their television and he takes it apart, admitting that he has no idea what he is doing, and finds something in there that does not belong. Tania smuggles Andy into the house to show her where the hidden cameras are and tells him that the electromagnetic activity that Torchwood have detected is not from the TARDIS, which is not in the building.

The Doctor takes the small device to his room and finds that the television starts showing him, Liv and Helen live. Liv goes to see Aisha and Zakia to ask if they have experienced similar phenomena when their television begins turning itself on. In Ron and Tony's room, the television begins showing the couple as older than they are. Liv sees Tania with Andy and chases him down the street. The Doctor concludes that whoever furnished the flats wanted to keep an eye on the residents.

Liv talks to Andy on a bus and sees Mr Bird exiting a building that Andy identifies as MedTech. Andy gets off and Liv follows him before catching up to Mr Bird, after which the building explodes.

In the house, the Doctor knocks on Mr Bird's door and, after he answers, forces his way in. Mr Bird shouts at him to get out after the Doctor notices a scorch mark, which he later tells Helen look like a rudimentary vortex transference. The Doctor and Helen find themselves on their television again, with a slight delay, and turn the channel to see Ron and Tony dancing and Aisha and Zakia arguing. Mr Bird enters and tells them that he has called a tenants' meeting in which he will reveal that the Doctor has been spying on them.

During the meeting, the Doctor and Helen sneak out to investigate Mr Bird's room when Robin asks them to look at his television, which is showing Mr Bird. Tania, worried about Liv and having heard about the explosion, asks them if they know where she is. Robin's television has returned to normal, although he says that he was able to hear Mr Bird in his mind. They return to the meeting and find that Mr Bird has disappeared and a scorch mark has been left.

Liv uses Andy's mobile phone to call Tania, asking if Mr Bird is at the house. It becomes clear that Mr Bird was seemingly in two places at once - in the house and at the MedTech building. Tania produces a key and goes with the Doctor to Mr Bird's room where he again disappears, leaving a scorch mark behind. The Doctor has everybody throw out their televisions and Tania fills in Andy.

Ron continues trying to teach Tony how to dance and Aisha looks at new flats. Liv and Tania have a ready meal and agree to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy with regards to their respective secrets. The Doctor and Helen look at the extraterrestrial technology, which projects an image of Mr Bird who says that he is watching them.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Paul McGann
 * Liv Chenka - Nicola Walker
 * Helen Sinclair - Hattie Morahan
 * Tania Bell - Rebecca Root
 * Sergeant Andy Davison - Tom Price
 * Ron Winters - David Shaw-Parker
 * Tony Clare - Jeremy Clyde
 * Mr Bird - Clive Wood
 * Aisha Akhtar - Amina Zia
 * Zakia Akhtar - Avita Jay
 * Robin Bright-Thompson - Joel James Davison
 * Ken Bright-Thompson - Alan Cox

Worldbuilding

 * Tania agrees to meet Andy at a café on Melcombe Street.
 * The Doctor's family was politically important on Gallifrey.
 * Andrew Ridgely has received a knighthood for services to pop videos and, the Doctor jokes, spandex.
 * Ron says that he has not been turned on since 1989.
 * Andy orders a Full English breakfast and Tania gets egg on toast.
 * Mr Bird fixed Ron and Tony's washing machine and Aisha and Zakia's internet and fuse.
 * Aisha reads a job opening for an administration assistant for libraries, but it requires knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System.
 * In 1963, Ron played the spoons on Opportunity Knocks, a programme hosted by Hughie Green and which Helen used to enjoy.
 * Ron and Tony say "E.T., phone home". Helen does not know what they are talking about, not having seen E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
 * Liv and Andy board the 139 to Golders Green, which stops at Church Street Market and Frampton Street.
 * MedTech is a pharmaceutical technology company.
 * Ron and Tony watch Strictly Come Dancing and Antiques Roadshow.
 * Mr and Mrs Bright-Thompson are out, as usual.
 * Helen mentions Secret Squirrel.
 * Liv mistakes a dressmaker's dummy for a robot.
 * Robin has a pizza in the freezer.
 * Tony has to do physiotherapy.
 * Zakia plans on going to the Jobcentre.
 * Liv says that she would be happy with a preform, which she says is "very possibly" the same as a ready meal.

Organisations

 * The Doctor asks Tania if she works for UNIT.
 * Tania in fact works for Torchwood and was placed in 107 Baker Street to wait for the Doctor.
 * Andy is sent by Torchwood to check on Tania after her report became irregular.
 * Torchwood secretly have Tania's flat under surveillance.

Continuity

 * The Doctor mentions how, as a child, he did not have any friends "for a long time", and spent much of his time alone in the dark, crying. (TV: Listen)
 * Liv, Aisha and Zakia talk about Sanjit. (AUDIO: Wild Animals)