Whovians, are you ready for “Revolution of the Daleks”?

Since the BBC insists on handing out breadcrumbs of information at a time, here’s all the details released so far about this year’s Doctor Who special.

The Doctor and Her Companions Are Still Separated

L-R: Graham, Yaz, and Ryan seated around a dining table

The series 12 finale saw the Doctor’s companions Ryan, Graham, and Yaz arrive back on Earth. Meanwhile, the Judoon picked up the Doctor herself and shipped her off to space prison. 

During New York Comic Con, Mandip Gill (Yaz) confirmed the humans would face off against Daleks without the Doctor’s help during the special. Footage from the “Revolution of the Daleks” trailer confirms the fam will struggle to defend Earth themselves while the Doctor is MIA.

Returning Villains

Left: the new Dalek design for "Revolution of the Daleks" Right: Jack Robertson from "Arachnids in the UK"

In addition to the Daleks, the holiday special will bring back another villain. One-off human baddie Jack Robertson (Chris Noth) returns for “Revolution of the Daleks.” 

Robertson previously appeared in the series 11 episode “Arachnids in the UK.” Now, he’s at the center of a scheme convincing humans to harness Dalek technology for security and defense. (What could go wrong, right?)

Jack Is Back

And yes, he’ll definitely meet Thirteen this time.

Prior to the official trailer release, BBC celebrated Doctor Who Day by giving us a little tease: Captain Jack Harkness returns for the special.

But when Jack made a brief appearance in the series 12 episode “Fugitive of the Judoon,” he didn’t actually meet Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor. The trailer shows him working with the companions to save Earth – but no scenes with Whittaker herself. But don’t worry. John Barrowman confirmed they’ll reunite in “Revolution of the Daleks.”

“Jack will meet Thirteen,” Barrowman told Entertainment Weekly. “I can’t tell you how, but he will. He will also be on the TARDIS, Thirteen’s TARDIS. Can’t tell you how he gets there, but he will be there. It’s going to be epic.”

Departing Companions

Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole will depart Doctor Who during "Revolution of the Daleks"

Though we don’t know how the story plays out, we do know Graham and Ryan will be leaving the TARDIS in “Revolution of the Daleks.”

Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole confirmed they would leave the series in a BBC interview. Walsh and Cole described their exit from Doctor Who as “poignant” and “emotional.”

Since an exit for Mandip Gill hasn’t been noted, we can assume Yaz will continue to travel with the Doctor in series 13.

It’s A New Year’s Special Again

Promo for Doctor Who's "Revolution of the Daleks"

The Chibnall Era continues its tradition of shifting the holiday special from Christmas to New Year’s day. 

You can watch “Revolution of the Daleks” on January 1, 2021 on BBC America.

What do you think is going to happen during this Doctor Who holiday special? Drop your theories in the comments!