After months of waiting and speculation, the trailer for Doctor Who Series 12 has finally been released! Check out BlogtorWho‘s initial reaction and analysis below…
If you haven’t already watched this epic first trailer, what are you waiting for? Check it out first, and read our thoughts about it below:
Much to any Doctor Who fan’s relief, the Series 12 trailer has been well worth the wait. Although it only clocks in at around one minute in length, it’s jam-packed with snippets of upcoming episodes which we’re sure fans will be speculating about right up until it airs. There’s tons to unpack from this first look at the new series, and BlogtorWho are here to bring you some of the highlights from this brand-new trailer!
New Series, New Outfit!
One of the first surprises we’re treated to in this trailer is the Doctor in a brand-new outfit! Although we have seen the Thirteenth Doctor in a few variations of her usual multi-coloured ensemble in the show’s previous series, this trailer sees her sporting a more monochromatic tuxedo-inspired look. Jodie Whittaker pulls off this look effortlessly (of course)! However, it’s as yet unclear as to why the Doctor and friends are all dressed up. We’ll have to wait and see what occasion has led them to break out the formal wear!
A First Look at Series 12’s Guest Stars
One of the most intriguing parts of this trailer is the first look at some of Series 12’s guest stars it provides. Following Wednesday’s announcement, we get a brief glimpse of Stephen Fry in action as an as yet unknown character. “The security of this entire planet is at stake. Can we rely upon you?” he asks the Doctor, Ryan, Yaz, and Graham. What we see of him in this trailer suggests he will appear in a historical episode, as he appears to be in a perhaps early twentieth-century hospital.
Fry has already expressed his excitement at guest-starring in Doctor Who: “Short of being picked for a British space exploration programme and I readily concede that I’m past the age where I’d be considered (if I was ever the right age for such a posting) – then being in an episode of Doctor Who will certainly do as a very sweet second-place excitement.”
Also featured in this trailer is Sir Lenny Henry CBE, who was also confirmed as appearing in this upcoming series on Wednesday. Whilst we know almost nothing about who he’ll be portraying, it seems he’s not on the TARDIS team’s side, as he appears to be shooting at them as they chase after him on motorbikes!
Henry recently recalled that prior to this “the nearest I had been to the TARDIS was when I played the Caribbean Doctor in The Lenny Henry Show.” But of finally appearing in Doctor Who itself, he said that “as a life-long (hiding behind the sofa type) Doctor Who fan this is a very special moment for me.” Henry also described it as “absolutely brilliant to be welcomed into the fantastical world of Doctor Who.”
Another previously-announced guest star who can be spotted in the Series 12 trailer is Goran Višnjić. Viewers will recognise this actor from his long-running role in medical drama ER, in which he starred as Dr. Luka Kovač from 1999 to 2008. Višnjić is also well-known for his appearances in Netflix‘s Santa Clarita Diet as Dobrivoje Poplovic, and in NBC‘s time-travel adventure series Timeless as Garcia Flynn. He can be heard asking the Doctor, “You believe this is alien?”
Višnjić has said “I’ve always been a huge fan of Doctor Who, so when the offer came, it made me so happy to be part of the show and it turned into this awesome, dream job!”
The only other confirmed guest star not prominently featured in this trailer is Robert Glenister. However, fellow guest-star Goran Višnjić has teased that himself and Glenister will appear alongside one another in an episode which will see Višnjić “play one of my favourite people in history.”
Whilst his character is as yet unconfirmed, it can’t be denied that Višnjić closely resembles fellow Croatian, nineteenth- and twentieth-century inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla. Nevertheless, we’ll have to wait and see exactly who each of these guest stars are portraying in the new series!
All The Strange, Strange Creatures
As well as its star-studded guest cast, this trailer also showcases Series 12’s menagerie of monsters, both old and new! We catch glimpses of a diverse range of never-seen-before aliens throughout this trailer.
We see an alien figure violently cracking a glass panel with its hands, and another horned and sharp-toothed creature (which feels reminiscent of 2006 Christmas special The Runaway Bride‘s Empress of the Racnoss, as portrayed by Sarah Parish).
We also see a scorpion-like grey and red creature chasing after Yaz (dressed in period costume) and other person, plus a swarm of bat/bird-esque creatures attacking both the TARDIS team and the TARDIS itself.
As well as this, there’s brief snippets showing a group of mysterious, glowing white figures, two gas mask-wearing figures wielding alien weapons, and a possibly robotic figure phasing through the TARDIS doors. Yaz can be heard saying (apparently of the latter creature), “Didn’t know things could get into the TARDIS!”, to which the Doctor replies, “Neither did I!” Right now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what these creatures as, what they want, and why. Either way, each of their respective designs is incredibly intriguing, and we can’t wait to find out more about them!
Additionally, this trailer gives us a look at not only new creatures, but also two returning enemies. We get a brief look at the Judoon, who were announced as appearing in Series 12 back in May of this year. Fans will recall these rhinoceros-like intergalactic police officers, who first appeared in 2007’s Smith and Jones. Following this, the Judoon had cameos in several Doctor Who stories, as well as 2009 The Sarah Jane Adventures serial ‘Prisoner of the Judoon’.
Perhaps even more excitingly, the other returning enemy we see in this trailer is the Cybermen. After having seen the Thirteenth Doctor face off against the Daleks in this year’s New Year’s Day special Resolution, we can’t wait to see how she’ll fare against this equally iconic and long-standing nemesis of the Doctor in their newly redesigned form.
Something’s Coming For Me… I Can Feel It
If all that wasn’t enough, this trailer also hints at some apparently darker undertones which look set to permeate Series 12. It’s obvious that the Doctor still has her ‘fam’ behind her – “Let it come,” says Ryan. “‘Cause we’re your mates,” says Yaz. “Family,’ Graham adds.
Nevertheless, we hear a voice ask, “What have you brought here, Doctor?”, before seeing a clearly upset Yaz, a single tear rolling down her cheek, and herself, Graham, plus the Doctor in distress.
Following Series 11‘s general lack of an overarching story arc, these clips and dialogue suggests that Series 12 could mark a return to the format of previous series, with a more continuous plotline connecting each episode. What’s more, they hint at potentially higher stakes being present in Series 12, with the Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan possibly being put at greater risk than in the previous series.
Some Interesting Headgear, and a Cinematic Look
On a lighter note, this trailer sees this Doctor continuing her penchant for interesting headgear. We see her donning the same welding goggles she wore when creating her sonic screwdriver back in Series 11‘s opener, The Woman Who Fell to Earth. We also see her wearing another steampunk-esque head-lamp, and Graham wearing an equally steampunk-inspired contraption, which seems to be connected to the TARDIS. Perhaps it’ll allow him to connect to the TARDIS’ telepathic circuits?
As well as this, the Series 12 trailer sees the continuation of the new, more cinematic look of the show introduced last series. We’re treated to some stunning, wide-angle shots of various locations, including what looks to be the Eiffel Tower, presumably taken from the Doctor’s visit to “Paris, 1943.”
Our Final Thoughts
All in all, this trailer suggests that Doctor Who Series 12 is set to bring us another batch of diverse and exciting stories, spanning all of time and space. This series looks to offer a whole host of threatening and compelling new foes for the Doctor and friends to come up against.
Perhaps the most exciting prospect teased by this trailer is the encounters between the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan and some returning enemies in the form of the Judoon and the Cybermen. We’re sure fans will be as excited as we at BlogtorWho are to see how this TARDIS team fare against these already infamous creatures.
What’s more, we’re particularly intrigued by the potentially more prominent and overarching series arc and higher-stakes storylines as compared with Series 11 hinted at in this trailer. It looks like we’re in for a real treat, and BlogtorWho can’t wait to see this series in full when it lands on our screens early next year!
Pretty sure that the Racnoss-esque creature is Anjli Mohindra.
There’s something fishy (pun intended) going on with that creature beating the glass. Sea Devils, anyone?