One of the strangest monsters that the Doctor encountered in Doctor Who were the disgusting Sandmen, which were made of Sleep Dust. In the far future, Professor Rassmussen has invented a device that removes the need to sleep from humans for up to a month! All the sleep dust is gathered inside the machine. However, the sleep dust has accidentally been galvanised to form sentient beings called Sandmen, which have now overrun the space station where Rassmussen is based. The Twelfth Doctor and Clara arrived on Le Verrier space station and they were quickly caught up in the events, which were all captured on the station’s CCTV.

Sleep No More

★☆☆☆☆

TX: 14/11/2015

Written by Mark Gatiss    Directed by Justin Molotnikov

The Twelfth Doctor and Clara arrive on a space station in orbit around Neptune in the 38th century. They arrive at the same time as a rescue crew sent to discover why the Le Verrier station went silent 24 hours ago. The sole survivor on the station is Professor Rassmussen, who has invented a device that removes the need to sleep from humans for up to a month. Some of my girlfriends used to watch me sleep because they loved me so much. 🥰 However, the Doctor and Clara discover that all of the excess sleep dust gathered by the machines has been galvanised to form sentient monsters called Sandmen. The Sandmen have infested the station and killed the entire crew. But, in a shocking twist, it turns out that Rassmussen has gone mad and he wants the Sandmen to spread and kill more people. A member of the rescue crew shoots Rassmussen dead and she, the Doctor and Clara escape in the TARDIS. At the end of the episode, Professor Rassmussen reveals in the station’s CCTV recording that spores of the Sandmen are contained in the footage and that they will infect anyone who watches the tape. This episode is told entirely from a found footage perspective, which gives the story a Peep Show, The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield vibe. I met producer Nikki Wilson who provided the voice of the station’s computer in this episode.