Destroy the Daleks!
- Publication: TV & Satellite Week
- Date: 2020-12-19
- Author: Sean Marland
- Page: 6
- Language: English
The Doctor battles her greatest enemies and says goodbye to two friends in an action-packed special
Doctor Who
New Year's Day, BBC1 HD, 6.45pm
The 13th Doctor and her pals have been to the edge of the universe and back again since starting their journey together in 2018. But there'll be tears in the TARDIS when two of the gang bid farewell in this emotional holiday special.
The episode, entitled Revolution of the Daleks, is set to be Ryan and Graham's final adventure, and with some much-loved characters from the Doctor's past returning to help fight her oldest foes, the Daleks, it promises to be an epic tale full of shocks and surprises.
The story opens where this year's series left off, with Jodie Whittaker's Time Lord locked in an alien prison, while her friends Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) continue life on Earth.
However, the trio spring into action when they stumble upon a sinister Dalek plot and are delighted when Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) arrives out of the blue to help them in their hour of need.
We caught up with Whittaker, 38, and showrunner Chris Chibnall, 50, to find out more...
Where do we find the gang at the start of this festive special?
Chibnall The Doctor has been in prison for a long time and she's struggling. It's been less than a year since the gang saw her, but time passes very differently for the Doctor. This story is a bit of a sequel to our last Dalek-themed festive special, Resolution.
We hear this episode will be the gang's final adventure together...
Whittaker Ryan and Graham are bidding us farewell, so the family of four is no more. As an actor, I was devastated at the thought of not working with Bradley and Tosin again. This journey started in the same way for all four of us and we really clicked, so I was heartbroken when we filmed our final scene.
Can you tell us how they depart?
Chibnall It's very emotional — we've all been in tears watching it. This episode has lots of thrills, lots of spills, lots of humour, lots of Daleks — and lots of emotion. It's hard, but we don't shy away from what it means for this family to have its final moments together.
Captain Jack is back. Who else do we see again?
We also see [corrupt businessman] Jack Robertson, who appeared in series 11, and who's played by Sex and the City's Chris Noth. He was really keen to come back and his character's tale didn't feel like it had finished. He was disgraced at the end of the Arachnids in the UK episode, so the story of his recovery and how he claws his way back continues here.
Whittaker Chris has so much energy on set, so he's great to have around and he's also a comedy genius. Seeing him and Bradley Walsh in the same scene was amazing — those two get on like a house on fire.
What can you tell us about the Dalek's new look?
Chibnall They've had a makeover for a specific reason, which you'll find out about in the story, and they're now black with red lights. They've had a bit of a polish and it's like a development of the scrapyard Dalek that we saw in Resolution. They bear some resemblance to that — and I wonder why?
How is filming going on the new series?
We've spent the last six months reinventing the way we shoot the show from the ground up, so it's safe to film during the pandemic. We've got some really exciting stuff coming up.
Caption: The Daleks are back with a new look
Caption: Graham (Bradley Walsh), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole)
Jack's back!
Fan favourite Captain Jack Harkness returns in the Christmas special. 'It's the first time Jack has been in a holiday episode, so it's totally exciting; says John Barrowman, who plays him. 'It's an epic adventure and pays homage to the journeys. Jack used to go on with the Doctor in the old days:
Jack first appeared in Doctor Who in 2005, becoming a regular on the show, and getting his own spin-off, Torchwood|, which ran from 2006-2011, and also popping up in the main series until 2010.
Since then, Jack has largely been absent until earlier this year when he made an appearance in the episode Fugitive of the Judoon.
Jack has yet to meet the current incarnation of the Doctor, but it's not long before the pair cross paths.
'I can't tell you how, but they will meet; he smiles. 'There's real joy when they see each other again:
Barrowman won't be able to watch the special as he'll be at his home in Palm Springs, California.
'I'm going to have more decorations than usual to make it brighter and even more fun; he smiles. 'My husband and I usually have a dozen people over, but this year it will just be my mum and dad.'
Caption: John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness
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- APA 6th ed.: Marland, Sean (2020-12-19). Destroy the Daleks!. TV & Satellite Week p. 6.
- MLA 7th ed.: Marland, Sean. "Destroy the Daleks!." TV & Satellite Week [add city] 2020-12-19, 6. Print.
- Chicago 15th ed.: Marland, Sean. "Destroy the Daleks!." TV & Satellite Week, edition, sec., 2020-12-19
- Turabian: Marland, Sean. "Destroy the Daleks!." TV & Satellite Week, 2020-12-19, section, 6 edition.
- Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Destroy the Daleks! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Destroy_the_Daleks! | work=TV & Satellite Week | pages=6 | date=2020-12-19 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025 }}</ref>
- Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Destroy the Daleks! | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Destroy_the_Daleks! | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=24 March 2025}}</ref>
