Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey podcast series offers a ghost story for Christmas… on a spaceship.
This Christmas Eve, a new tradition awakens. Ghost in the Machine is a haunting, emotionally-charged stand-alone Christmas special audio drama that blends folk horror, science fiction, and festive unease, in the grand tradition of classic British ghost stories.
The adventure stars Sophie Aldred, Nicholas Briggs, Carole Ann Ford and Colin Baker and James Showers. Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies makes a special cameo appearance.
“This story feels very special to me,” said Sophie Aldred. “It’s intimate, mysterious, and full of heart. It understands that Christmas isn’t only about celebration — it’s also about memory, kindness, and the things we carry with us.”
Ghost in the Machine is written, produced and directed by Paul Carmichael with music, sound effects, sound design and post-production by Michael Livesley. The artwork, video and visual Design were created by Michael Livesley.
Set aboard the ageing interstellar vessel Nosferatu 2.5, Ghost in the Machine finds Sophie Aldred drawn into a mystery buried deep within the ship’s memory — a presence that refuses to remain silent, and a door that was never meant to be opened. As strange phenomena ripple through the corridors and time itself seems to falter, Sophie must confront the idea that ships, like people, remember their past — and that some memories demand to be heard.
This is a story of echoes and inheritance, of technology haunted by humanity, and of what happens when compassion meets something long forgotten. Tender, eerie, and quietly profound, Ghost in the Machine is a Christmas ghost story that lingers long after the lights go out, inspired by the expansive Whoniverse.
Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey is an independently produced podcast series and audio drama entirely separate from Doctor Who and the BBC. Hosted by Sophie Aldred, the show invites listeners on a joyful, conversation-led journey through television, science fiction, fantasy, and popular culture, featuring relaxed and in-depth chats with the actors, writers, creators, and craftspeople who have helped shape genre storytelling — from Doctor Who and Blake’s 7 to Dark Shadows and the many worlds of Gerry Anderson.
Since its launch, Sophie Aldred’s Ace Odyssey has debuted at Number 1 in the UK Sci-Fi Podcast Charts, rapidly establishing itself as a warm, inventive, and joyfully strange new home for interviews and genre storytelling.
The series has already welcomed Sylvester McCoy, Katy Manning, Janet Fielding, and Jamie Anderson, with Sally Knyvette, David Banks, Nicholas Briggs, and Carole Ann Ford and many more still to appear across the first run.
Ghost in the Machine, a 30-minute stand-alone audio drama, will be available on all major podcast platforms on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025 at 7.00pm GMT.