Doctor Who star Mandip Gill confirmed that – luckily – the show finished shooting upcoming holiday installment “Revolution of the Daleks” prior to the coronavirus outbreak.
Breathe a sigh of relief, Doctor Who fans: We won’t be entirely without the TARDIS for the foreseeable future.
Given the coronavirus pandemic that has shut down production, well, virtually everywhere, that wasn’t entirely guaranteed. And these shutdowns – as well as the post-reopening filming protocols that have yet to be established – could still result in delays for Doctor Who season 13.
But thankfully, it sounds like that won’t be the case for the next holiday special, at least.
According to Doctor Who star Mandip Gill, that episode officially finished filming prior to the shutdowns that rocked the industry. And as a result, the odds seem pretty good that we’ll still get a new episode this festive season. (Which, honestly, is the least we deserve. Something to look forward to in 2020 at last!)
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly as part of an interview to promote the launch of season 12 on DVD and Blu-Ray, Gill called the turn of events “lucky”.
"“I can confirm that. There is a festive episode. We happened to be quite lucky and fit it in, so that will be exciting.”"
The holiday special, entitled “Revolution of the Daleks,” was announced immediately following the season 12 finale, though we knew little about what it might entail. Well, other than the obvious involvement of the Daleks promised by the episode’s title and the fact that “The Timeless Children” ended on a cliffhanger that left Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor trapped in a high-security Judoon prison.
There are also persistent rumors that several companions may depart the series during or following the episode, which adds a whole extra layer of tension to the proceedings.
“Revolution of the Daleks” doesn’t have an airdate yet, but the Chris Chibnall era has thus far displayed a fondness for premiering new episodes on New Year’s Day, rather than the previously established tradition of Christmas. That certainly seems likely to continue, even though some of us (read: me) miss the cheery warmth of a proper holiday installment.
As for season 13…well. Like so many other properties, we’ll just have to wait and see.
What do you want to see in the Doctor Who holiday special? Or in season 13?