'Circuit Breaker': 08-'The Doctor and the Three Witches' by Janelle McCurdy

The Fugitive Doctor awakes in a medieval village, where she is bewitched by Lillith, a Carrionite that the Doctor's future incarnation once trapped within a crystal ball. As Lillith overloads the Doctor with visions of her future, Martha appears and breaks the witch's spell using a sonic screwdriver cobbled together by Osgood. Now joined by her fellow witches, Mother Doomfinger and Mother Bloodtide, Lillith reveals that they Doctor and Martha are trapped inside the crystal ball too. The Doctor and Martha manage to escape into a nearby wood, where Martha briefs the Doctor on her own journey into the crystal ball using UNIT's now-broken Indigo Device, and her previous encounter with the Carrionites. Menaced by a big bad wolf and a man-bull Nimon, the Doctor and Martha run for their lives, eventually arriving at a gingerbread house. After the witches catch up with their prey, Lillith reveals that the twisted fairy tales are the plan of someone called the Conductor. Forced into a game of hide-and-seek, the Doctor and Martha hide in the edible house of Hansel and Gretel long enough to agree on a plan; when the witches finally find them, the Doctor throws a teapot of hot water that melts the evil Carrionites. Rushing outside as the house melts too, the Doctor finishes the fairy tale aloud, her words of power causing the Indigo Device to fix itself. The Doctor and Martha return to the Black Archive, where they are joined by Osgood and Andrew. Using the Resistor, the Doctor neutralises the crystal ball. But the threat isn't over - inside the crystal ball, the injured witches reform themselves as a mysterious hooded figure appears before them. Lillith hands over some strands of the Doctor's hair - and the Conductor is pleased...

Publication Date:
20th August 2026

Notes:

*Featuring the Fugitive Doctor, Martha Jones, Petronella Osgood and Andrew Turner

*This was included as a new story in the 2026 paperback reprint of 'Time Lord Fairy Tales', which was originally published in 2015 (and which is not included in my timelines as the stories do not feature the Doctor, and are not very good either!)

*It was part of the multi-platform 'Doctor Who' project 'Circuit Breaker'; BBC Books was just one of many media companies partnering for this epic tale, including BBC Studios, BBC Audio, Big Finish Productions, 'Doctor Who Magazine', East Side Games, Penguin Random House and Titan Comics