The Well (Doctor Who)

"The Well" is the third episode of the fifteenth series of the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. In the episode, the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion, Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu), arrive at a mining colony where contact has been completely lost. Upon investigation, they discover a sole survivor: the crew's deaf cook, Aliss Fenly. Attached to her is an alien being known as the Midnight Entity that kills anyone who steps behind her. Aliss is portrayed by Rose Ayling-Ellis, a deaf actress. The cast was trained in British Sign Language, with a consultant on set to ensure that the sign language was accurate and authentic. The episode was co-written by Russell T Davies, the Doctor Who showrunner, and Sharma Angel-Walfall, and directed by Amanda Brotchie. It was released on BBC iPlayer, BBC One, and Disney+ on 26 April 2025. The programme was originally planned as a stand-alone focussing on Nigerian spirits known as Orishas, but for several reasons it was converted into a sequel to the 2008 episode "Midnight". Filming occurred at Pant-y-Ffynnon Quarry in Bridgend in February 2024. "The Well" was watched by 3.24 million viewers. It received largely positive responses from critics, who highlighted the cast performances in particular. Reception to the return of the Midnight Entity was mixed, however; with some reviewers feeling that it was an effective usage of the Entity and others, that it was unnecessary and detracted from the Entity's overall mystery. A novelisation of the episode written by Gareth L. Powell was released on 10 July 2025.