Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord.”
Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord” features a fictionalized version of The Beatles, and while it seems like a perfect opportunity to showcase some of the band’s greatest songs, the episode doesn’t feature a single one. Interestingly, there are performances by The Beatles in “The Devil’s Chord,” but neither instance contains an authentic song from the Fab Four. Instead, the compositions have been penned specifically for the episode to give the true presence of the newest addition to the list of historical figures met by the Doctor in the show’s modern era.
The actors playing The Beatles in “The Devil’s Chord” don’t appear very much, but Doctor Who‘s take on John Lennon and Paul McCartney are pivotal to saving the day, using their musical prowess to finish what the Doctor started and unknowingly banish Maestro. However, none of the iconic Beatles melodies make an appearance at any point, and while it makes sense for a while, the quirk hurts the episode right at the end. While it’s still a strong installment during the early stage of Doctor Who season 14, it’s a shame the Liverpool four-piece never got the chance to shine.
The Beatles’ discography is owned by Sony, who famously charge a great deal of money for the band’s music to appear in movies and TV shows. The hefty price tag attached to the use of the compositions means that most productions opt not to use them at all. Speaking with Empire, Doctor Who showrunner Rusell T Davies stated that this issue is what inspired the story behind “The Devil’s Chord” in the first place.
Instead of anything recognizable as a Beatles track, Doctor Who viewers are left with an intentionally poor Beatles-esque song that declares the love of a dog named Fred. The band’s part in the episode’s closing number is much more energetic, but it has still not been taken from the Beatles’ genuine catalog of songs. So, the whole episode passes by without a real song from John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
The Beatles lacking any of their hits in the episode initially makes perfect sense due to Maestro’s alterations to the timeline. However, during the big musical number in the finale, it suddenly becomes uncomfortably obvious that real-world copyright laws are still at play. The elaborately choreographed sequence is likely caused by Maestro’s lingering domain after their banishment, and it would have been a rewarding moment for said domain to restore at least one real Beatles song. Unfortunately, like so many other shows before it, Doctor Who was unable to make it happen.
Source: Empire