New Year’s Day brought us the traditional winter special of Doctor Who, albeit pushed back a week later than its usual Christmas Day slot. But when can we next expect the Thirteenth Doctor to return to Earth in her TARDIS for more adventures across space and time? Well, it’s too early to narrow it down to a day, or even a month, but we do have enough information to be getting on with for now to give us a rough idea.
To begin with, there were rumors during the airing of season 11 that season 12 had been pushed back due to a delay in production. Once the finale – “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos” – debuted, it was confirmed that the next season would air in 2020, leaving us with only one hour of Doctor Who in 2019, which marks the first time a new Doctor has taken a year off immediately after their first run.
But when in 2020 will season 12 materialize on our screens? Well, the latest reports are saying it’ll arrive in early 2020. Up until 2011, it was customary for the new season to begin in the spring – say, either March or April – so we could be returning to that format. Alternatively, due to the long break, the BBC could bring it back right away in January. After all, there won’t be another New Year’s special in 2020.
Jodie Whittaker will definitely return for season 12, that much we know, and she’ll feature alongside all three of her co-stars: Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh. Showrunner Chris Chibnall has particularly specified that Yaz may get more to do in the next run, too, after fans generally felt that Gill’s character was underwritten in season 11. With that in mind, it’s possible we’ll see her juggle her life in the TARDIS with her job as a police officer.
Seeing as Chibnall and his crew like to keep things under wraps, that’s about all we know in regards to season 12 at present, but we’ll keep you updated if and when more updates come to light. In the meantime, let us know what you thought of Doctor Who‘s New Year’s Special by dropping a comment down below.