This week’s Radio Times, out today, features a Doctor Who cover as part of its celebration of upcoming festive TV
Photographed by Mark Harrison, and art directed by Stuart Manning, the cover is a superb mix of modern photography and classic Radio Times Christmas nostalgia. The Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill), Graham (Bradley Walsh) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) crowd around looking awestruck by their newly opened present, in its TARDIS blue wrap.
Inside, the cast discusses how their own special Christmas traditions and what the festive season means to them. There’s also an interview with showrunner Chris Chibnall where he discusses the return of two Doctor Who traditions – two part stories and the Cybermen!
The feature also gives us our strongest sense yet of just how early ‘very early 2020’ might be. This year’s Christmas TV season is likely to be regarded as between the 21st of December to the 3rd of January. Even though the premiere date for Series 12 hasn’t yet been officially announced, the possibilities are now very limited.
The Radio Times story also gives us a look at some new elements of the Thirteenth Doctor’s costume. She wears a new navy, possibly silk, scarf. She also sports a pair of fingerless woolen gloves in her trademark rainbow colours. Meanwhile, it also seems to feature the new knitwear top introduced in a previous Radio Times photo feature. Whether any of these new costume items appear in Series 12 remains to be seen.
Doctor Who has had a long association with the Radio Times. It’s first cover was for Marco Polo back in the week of 22nd-28th of February 1964. Since then Doctor Who has been a regular feature of the magazine. In fact, by Blogtor Who’s count this is Doctor Who’s 71st time on the cover and the fifth to feature Jodie Whittaker’s incarnation of the Time Lord.
Doctor Who will return in early 2020
Jodie Whittaker will reprise her role as the Thirteenth Doctor alongside Tosin Cole (Ryan) Mandip Gill (Yaz) and Bradley Walsh (Graham) who are all returning for their second series. Chris Chibnall returns as showrunner with Matt Strevens as Executive Producer.
And yet they keep saying New Years Day and a second episode January 4th.