Doctor Who: The trailer for the festive special is out

Doctor Who is back! The trailer is out for the highly anticipated return of the Time Lord, but what do we know so far?

Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks will be appearing on your television screens on New Year's Day.

The festive special sees the return of Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, as well as familiar faces John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Chris North as the disgraced Jack Robertson.

The story will pick up where last series left off, with the Doctor locked away in a high security alien prison with no hope of escape. Her friends back home meanwhile - Yaz, Ryan and Graham - will have to pick up the pieces after they discover a terrible plan which includes… the Daleks!

What should you expect?

Doing time

We can see the Doctor in a red jumpsuit marking down her days in her cell. "The opening for the Doctor is in prison where a lot of time has passed, and time plays out for the Doctor in a certain way as well," actor Jodi Whittaker said.

Harkness returns

You will also notice the return of Captain Jack Harkness in the trailer. Chris Chinball, a writer and producer of the show, said: "I knew that I really wanted Captain Jack to meet the Thirteenth Doctor and it had been a long time since he'd been on screen in Doctor Who so well overdue".

Are you excited to see the two characters meet? Let us know in the comments.

John Barrowman, who plays Captain Jack, said it was "great being back" and that returning to the show had been "like going home".

Barrowman first appeared as Captain Jack in 2005

End of the Fam?

Fam is how the Doctor refers to her companions. Jodi tells us "as the Doctor, I can say the Fam as a four is no more."

Sadly, Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole will make their final appearances as the Doctor's companions in the special.

The pair have been at Jodie Whittaker's side since 2018. Cole said it had been "an honour" to play Ryan opposite Walsh's Graham and Whittaker's Doctor and said filming his last scene had been "emotional".

Walsh added it was "amazing" to be "only one of a few people on the planet" to have battled the Doctor's long-time robotic nemeses the Daleks.

The comedian and host of game show The Chase said he had "absolutely loved" being on the long-running sci-fi programme and would miss "everyone and everything" involved.

Daleks

The trailer ends on the Doctor saying "stay strong… people are waiting for you". It's going to be tough for the Doctor's friends to help save everyone from the Daleks while our favourite Time Lord is trapped.

Barrowman said the Daleks were the show's most iconic villains.

"They are never to be underestimated as they will always find a way to survive, which is exactly why they have survived over centuries," he said.

Tosin Cole added: "Working with the Daleks is sort of like working with Doctor Who royalty. You have to respect them because they are so iconic."

Who is Doctor Who?

Doctor Who is one of the longest running TV shows in the world. It has been on our TV screens for over 56 years and has won 100 awards! The story follows an alien Time Lord who travels in a Tardis - a huge spaceship inside that looks like a blue police box from the outside!

The character has a unique trait called regeneration. When the Doctor is seriously harmed, his or her body changes into a brand new one with a different appearance.

This has allowed many different actors to play the Doctor over its long history of being on TV. There have actually been 13 different Doctors on our screens over the years!

Jodie Whittaker, who plays the current Doctor, made history in 2017 when she became the first female version of the Time Lord.

"I haven't looked at a role since The Doctor" Jodi said. "To even question an end point would be too devastating."