New Doctor Who festive special pictures and synopsis show Jodie Whittaker in trouble
The Doctor’s still imprisoned in Revolution of the Daleks, leaving her TARDIS “fam” to face off with her greatest foe down on Earth…
After months of waiting Doctor Who fans are finally getting some new details about eagerly-awaited festive episode Revolution of the Daleks, with two new pictures – and a short synopsis – revealed for the special during a New York Comic Con panel.
The first picture (above) shows Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, unkempt and jumpsuit-ed, scratching away at her prison cell to mark the time she’s been trapped there since the series 12 finale. Despite being filmed well before lockdown, viewers may feel some sympathy for this sci-fi self-isolation – though we’re sure it won’t take too long before she manages to bust out when the episode is released this winter.
"Without giving any spoilers, where we leave the Doctor in the final episode of season 12…this explores in a way [what happens] when the Doctor is away from the gang, and from the Doctor's point of view has no idea about what’s going on on Earth," Whittaker said of the episode.
And while she is stuck in space-jail, back on Earth her TARDIS team are left adrift without her, looking less than happy in the second picture made available by the BBC. They also appear to be hard at work with an investigation of their own – but perhaps that’s no wonder, given that the newly-released synopsis suggests that with the Doctor gone, it’s up to Ryan, Graham and Yaz (Tosin Cole, Bradley Walsh and Mandip Gill) to face off with the deadly Daleks…
“The upcoming festive special will see the return of one of the Doctor’s biggest and most feared enemies – the Daleks,” the new synopsis reads. “The Doctor is locked away in a high-security alien prison. Isolated, alone, with no hope of escape.
“Far away, on Earth, her best friends, Yaz, Ryan and Graham have to pick up their lives without her. But it’s not easy. Old habits die hard. Especially when they discover a disturbing plan forming. A plan which involves a Dalek. How can you fight a Dalek, without the Doctor?”
"We’re back in Sheffield, trying to get on with our own lives, Yaz is struggling a little bit," Mandip Gill said.
"We do then come across a plot to do with a Dalek, and we go 'OK, she’s taught us lots of things…but how are we going to fight a Dalek without the Doctor?'
"How do we, as a three save mankind?" added Bradley Walsh. "Talk about being thrown in at the deep end."
How indeed? Normally, we’d say this was a job for UNIT or Torchwood, but these days? The TARDIS “fam” might just have to hold off the tinpot terrors until the Doctor can make her escape – especially considering the rumours of a mass inter-Dalek conflict taking place in the new story.
Still, whatever happens we’re sure it’ll be festive fun for all the Whovians at home. Of course, exactly which festivities it’ll tie into remain unclear, with the BBC only noting that Revolution of the Daleks is coming “during the upcoming festive period” and not confirming whether the story will stick to a New Year’s Day release or move back to Christmas Day.
But overall, we’re still pretty excited to be edging closer to new Doctor Who. We might have to start scratching our own countdown on the walls if we have to wait too much longer…
Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks comes to BBC One in late 2020/early 2021 – check out what else is on with our TV Guide
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
