Doctor Who fan and printer engineer Ken Fawes received a surprise when repairing a broken printer at BBC Cardiff. After he’d replaced the burnt out fuser controller, he put the printer into test mode and had it reprint the last job it had processed. All normal, until out popped a copy of a script for a Season 12 episode of Doctor Who. The episode is (according to Ken) titled Happy Families and the cast list includes amongst the regulars a character called John Smith, played by Stephen Fry. And there’s more…

Who is John Smith this time?

Ken shared a revealing piece of script. The setting is the basement of the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The TARDIS is in a corner Stephen Fry’s character approaches with a look of surprise as Graham and Ryan are approaching the TARDIS door…

JOHN SMITH: You’re not grandfather!

RYAN: He is, he’s my grandfather. What’s it to you?

GRAHAM: Can I help you?

JOHN SMITH: What are you doing with the Ship? Where’s grandfather? If you’ve hurt him…

Graham opens the TARDIS door and calls in

GRAHAM: Doc! (BEAT) There’s someone here.

The Doctor appears holding a device she’s been working on. She looks at Graham and Ryan then spots John Smith. She purses her lips, squints slightly then smiles. She and John step forward and embrace.

TOGETHER

DOCTOR: Susan!

JOHN SMITH: Grandfather!

Graham and Ryan stand back astonished…

Stephen Fry as a Time Lord is, of course, nothing new; he played The Minister of Chance back in Death Comes to Time.

Roll on 2020!