Doctor Who Just Referenced A Friendly Alien Race From The Third Doctor’s Era, Now They Must Return Properly

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Song Contest.”Doctor Who season 15, episode 6, “The Interstellar Song Contest,” mentions the name of an alien race from Jon Pertwee’s era as the Third Doctor, which makes me hopeful they’ll enjoy a more substantial comeback in the near future. First appearing in Doctor Who’s classic era, the race in question has been absent from the show for a while, and they are overdue to properly return to the story. Although other “small” moments steal the focus during Doctor Who’s Eurovision tribute episode, like Carole Ann Ford’s shock return to the role of Susan, the installment is littered with fun references.

Although Doctor Who’s Disney era softly rebooted the show, especially when Ncuti Gatwa properly took over as the Fifteenth Doctor, returning showrunner Russell T. Davies hasn’t been afraid to bring back characters from very deep in the show’s vast lore. For instance, Sutekh’s return at the end of Doctor Who season 14 was a major nod to Tom Baker’s era as the Fourth Doctor. So, Pertwee isn’t the first of the classic-era Doctors to have his time as the show’s leading man acknowledged lately.

Doctor Who Season 15, Episode 6 References Alpha Centauri

An old Third Doctor ally was watching the contest at home

The Interstellar Song Contest is based on a real-world songwriting competition called the Eurovision Song Contest. In Doctor Who canon, Eurovision eventually grew so popular that it became a galactic-scale event. It now has representatives from entire planets as part of the contest, as opposed to just someone from each European nation. Doctor Who’s version of the broadcast is watched in-universe by 3 trillion beings. The show’s hosts announce a few of the worlds watching from home, and one of those planets is Alpha Centauri, which is home to the Alpha Centaurans.

The lore behind the fictitious race is a little confusing. There are many members of the Alpha Centauran race, but the most prominent character belonging to the species in Doctor Who canon is simply called Alpha Centauri. This would be like calling a human character “Earth.” Either way, the character seemingly named after her home planet first appeared in 1972’s “The Curse of Pelodon” with Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor, but she has appeared as recently as a 2017 Peter Capaldi episode during a cameo in “Empress of Mars.” Ysanne Churchman voiced the character in both instances.

The Alpha Centaurans Need To Return In Modern Doctor Who

The friendly alien race would make a great addition to Doctor Who’s post-revival era

The Alpha Centaurans are one of the most interesting Doctor Who races to look at. They appear incredibly alien, which can often be a sign that they’re going to cause the Doctor trouble. They’re also a little scary-looking, as they basically have a big eyeball for a head and six tentacle-like appendages for arms. By modern standards, they’re also a little cheesy in their physical appearance, but I have no doubt Doctor Who’s modern era could give them a faithful aesthetic overhaul.

Furthermore, the Alpha Centaurans aren’t just visual marvels. They also stand out for a character trait that is pretty rare for aliens that look so non-human. In short, they’re actually friendly to the Doctor. They don’t want him dead, and they don’t hold him responsible for anything in their species’ past. This would be just as refreshing in the show’s modern age as it was back during Pertwee’s era.

Doctor Who has had something of a problem with balancing the old and the new in recent years. While races like the Daleks and Cybermen return to the franchise again and again, the stories from which they’re absent are often populated with new (and sometimes forgettable) characters. The Alpha Centaurans are the perfect middle ground. They’re an established Doctor Who race, but they’ve been used so sporadically over the years that their return would feel brand new, and they could be very useful allies to the Doctor.