In Dot and Bubble, the Doctor is a victim of racism, while in The Story and the Engine, the "colour of his skin is part of how he interacts with people".
Ellams added: "I just want to see more stories like that, that are deeply nuanced and personable and rich, but don't get in the way of the Doctor’s primary objectives, which is to save the day, regardless of who's in front of him."
—From Radio Times: Doctor Who writer reveals why next episode is a companion piece to Dot and Bubble
The moral of the story is to give credit where it’s due. And I took that little idea and expanded it, and really drew it out. It is a huge story, but also a very simple that sits on a lot of social history. It’s one location, a lot of fun, a lot of mythology written into it, but a new myth too.
I guess what I’m trying to show is a little bit of the magic of Lagos, a little bit of the sparkles that exist when you choose to discover it. Doctor Who is full of incredible stories, and this is what happens in barber shops. Incredible stories are told. So, I was trying to unite them all.
—From Cult Box: Doctor Who ‘The Story & The Engine’: always give credit where it’s due
This is very funny to me - normalize announcing the moral in advance of the episode!
Yet he doesn't preemptively credit his influences...?