David Farnor | On 10, Dec 2018

“This is the DNA of the most dangerous creature in the universe…” That’s the sound of Doctor Who returning for a New Year’s Day special, as Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord takes on what looks to be her biggest enemy yet.

Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip, the episode will see Tosin Cole’s Ryan, Bradley Walsh’s Graham and Mandip Gill’s Yaz join the Doctor for a one-off outing, following Season 11’s finale. As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. With the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz returning home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

The trailer was released after the broadcast of the finale, and, with that episode giving the new era of the show its first returning villain, speculation is rife that Resolution might just see the return of the D-word. The special comes with a tinge of sadness, though, as the BBC has also confirmed that there won’t be any new Doctor Who until 2020 at the earliest. Still, three more weeks of anticipation and a New Year’s send-off isn’t a bad send-off for a year’s vacation.

Here’s the trailer – you can read our review of the Season 11 finale here.

 

BBC confirms Doctor Who New Year’s Day special

3rd November 2018

The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who’s Christmas special will instead be broadcast on New Year’s Day, kicking off 2019 in style.

Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip, the episode will see Tosin Cole’s Ryan, Bradley Walsh’s Graham and Mandip Gill’s Yaz join Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor for a one-off outing, following the end of the current season. As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. With the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz returning home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, says: “We’re delighted the Doctor and her companions will be welcoming BBC One audiences into 2019 with this exciting new episode. The Doctor’s fans are in for a special treat on the first day of the new year.”

Showrunner Chris Chibnall says: “We’re thrilled to be starting the New Year with a bang on BBC One, as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends face a terrifying alien threat in an action-packed, hour-long special adventure for all the family.”

This will be the first time since the show’s revival that a Doctor Who episode has not aired on Christmas Day.

 

BBC swaps Doctor Who Christmas special for New Year’s Day?

3rd November 2018

The Christmas tradition of watching Doctor Who after your roast dinner is cancelled his year, as the BBC has decided to skip the usual festive special… for a week.

Ever since the show’s revival, BBC One has always served up a seasonal outing for The Doctor around teatime on Christmas Day, using a special to introduce David Tennant’s Doctor (The Christmas Invasion) and then running with a string of guest stars for the seasonal adventures, including Catherine Tate in The Runaway Bride, David Morrissey in The Next Doctor and even Kylie Minogue in Titanic-themed episode Voyage of the Damned.

Matt Smith enjoyed four Christmas specials, including A Christmas Carol, The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, The Snowmen and The Time of the Doctor, which paved the way for his departure. Peter Capaldi has starred in three specials, Last Christmas The Husbands of River Song and The Return of Doctor Mysterio.

While there won’t be a Doctor Who episode aired on Christmas Day, however, The Mirror reports this is because that showrunner Chris Chibnall plans to screen the special on New Year’s Day instead. While breaking with tradition for the first time since 2005, there is precedent for a New Year’s Doctor Who outing: David Tennant’s farewell to the TARDIS, The End of Time, was split into two parts one on Christmas Day and one on 1st January 2010.

Chibnall previously confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that they were “filming 11 episodes” in what was “only a series of 10”, seeing Jodie Whittaker continue her new role as The Doctor for a bonus instalment, but did not describe it as a Christmas special.

He comments follow remarks from Steven Moffat, the previous showrunner of the long-running sci-fi.

“I sort of think we might have mined, and possibly over mined, every single thing we could about Christmas in Doctor Who and the last time we more or less ignored it,” he said of the challenge of coming up with seasonal specials.

In the meantime, you can enjoy Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor on BBC One every Sunday around 7pm. Episode 5, The Tsuranga Conundrum, which marks the halfway point of the season, airs this weekend. Catch up with our reviews of each episode here.

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