Before Doctor Who season 11 arrived, new showrunner Chris Chibnall and his team stressed that no classic monsters or villains would be returning for Jodie Whittaker’s first run as the Thirteenth Doctor. Sure enough, the resulting episodes proved they were telling the truth. However, a new rumor is pointing to them hiding a big secret: there might not be any old foes in the season itself, but there could be one in the upcoming New Year’s special.
The Mirror’s reporting that the Doctor’s long-running nemeses the Daleks will return for the hour-long episode that’s set to air on January 1st, a new airdate for the traditional Christmas Day special. The evil pepper pots haven’t even been mentioned all year – though fans have theorized a way that they could be connected – so we thought this was going to be the only season of the modern show that didn’t feature them. However, it looks like that might be rectified on New Year’s Day.
It’s worth pointing out though that The Mirror previously drummed up worry that season 12 wouldn’t be arriving next year, something that’s been all but confirmed to be nonsense since. So, maybe it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt. On the other hand, you can see why the decision to hold the Daleks back to the winter special would be made: keep things fresh for the season itself, to hook in new viewers, and then treat the fans to their favorite monsters in the special.
The episode’s written by Chibnall, directed by Wayne Yip and is thought to feature a guest cast including Charlotte Richie, Indian Summer’s Nikesh Patel and Save Me’s Daniel Adegboyega. For more, here’s the official synopsis:
As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?
Tell us, do you think the Daleks will return to Doctor Who on New Year’s Day? Have your say on this latest rumor in the comments section down below.