The Magician's Apprentice (Doctor Who)

254a – "The Magician's Apprentice"
Doctor Who episode
Davros, creator of the Daleks, as he appears in the episode
Cast
Doctor Peter Capaldi – Twelfth Doctor
Companion Jenna Coleman – Clara Oswald
Others Michelle Gomez – Missy Jami Reid-Quarrell – Colony Sarff Julian Bleach – Davros Jemma Redgrave – Kate Stewart Jaye Griffiths – Jac Harki Bhambra – Mike Daniel Hoffmann-Gill – Bors Joey Price – Boy Benjamin Cawley – Kanzo Aaron Neil – Mr Dunlop Clare Higgins – Ohila Nicholas Briggs – Voice of the Daleks Kelly Hunter – Shadow Architect India Ria Amarteifio – Alison Dasharn Anderson – Ryan Stefan Adegbola, Shin-Fei Chen, Lucy Newman-Williams – Newsreaders Barnaby Edwards, Nicholas Pegg – Daleks Jonathon Ojinnaka – Soldier
Production
Directed by	Hettie MacDonald
Written by	Steven Moffat
Script editor	David P Davis
Produced by	Peter Bennett
Executive producer(s)	Steven Moffat Brian Minchin
Music by	Murray Gold
Series	Series 9
Running time	1st of 2-part story, 46 minutes
First broadcast	19 September 2015 (2015-09-19)
Chronology
← Preceded by "Last Christmas" Followed by → "The Witch's Familiar"
List of episodes (2005–present)

"The Magician's Apprentice" is the first episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who.^[1] It was first broadcast on BBC One on 19 September 2015.^[2] The episode was written by showrunner Steven Moffat and directed by Hettie MacDonald. It is the first of a two-part story; the second part, "The Witch's Familiar", aired on 26 September.

In the episode, the alien time traveller the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) disappears and gives a confession dial—his version of a last will and testament—to his former childhood friend Missy (Michelle Gomez). Missy and the Doctor's companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) track down the location of the Doctor before his expected death, and the three are taken prisoner on the planet Skaro where a weak and dying Davros (Julian Bleach)—an enemy of the Doctor and the creator of the Dalek race—seeks the Doctor after recalling an encounter from Davros' childhood.

Filming began in February 2015 in Tenerife, Spain.^[3] The episode was watched by 6.54 million viewers and received positive reviews.