Doctor Who 2022 specials: release dates, plot, trailer, and more

 

Legend of the Sea Devils is the next Doctor Who special, and it's airing very soon!

Two Doctor Who specials will see us wave goodbye to Jodie Whittaker this year, and we have all the gossip.

Excitement is building for the Doctor Who 2022 specials. 

Yes, after New Year’s Day's "Eve of the Daleks", there are two more specials set to air this year, and the second one is just a few days away... 

“It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for,” the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) famously said before he turned into the fifth (Peter Davison), and it seems this is as true now as it was back in 1981.

The clock is currently ticking on Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor, the actress has announced last summer her decision to leave Tardis behind alongside departing showrunner Chris Chibnall.

"Eve of the Daleks" was the first of a trio of episodes that will climax in the 13th Doctor’s departure (who will be the next Doctor?), so what about the other two?

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 Doctor Who specials…

Doctor Who 2022 specials: release dates

The first special, "Eve of the Daleks", aired on New Year's Day on BBC One and BBC America on January 1. 

After a short wait, we've just learned when "The Legend of the Sea Devils" will air. The BBC revealed that the 13th Doctor's penultimate adventure will air on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC America on April 17, aka Easter Sunday. An exact air time has not yet been revealed, though.

The final Doctor Who special will then air this autumn, as part of the BBC's 100th birthday celebrations. 

The Legend of the Sea Devils 

And old friend gives the Doc a devil of a job

What’s the plot?

Ahoy, me hearties! The Doc visits pirate territory for the first time since "The Curse of the Black Spot" in 2010. That story saw the Doctor crossing paths with English pirate Henry Every, and "The Legend of the Sea Devils" also centers on a real-life historical figure.

The episode sees the Doc alongside Yaz and Dan head to a small coastal village in 19th century China, where they encounter the fearsome pirate queen Madame Ching. According to legend, Ching rose from prostitute to commander of a vast force of over 300 ships and leader of over 180,000 pirates.

We’ll see our trio embark on a swashbuckling adventure — but it’s not the hijinks on the high seas that have got the fans very excited…

Who’s the big bad?

At 7.58 pm on 1 January 2022, Doctor Who fans up and down the country let out a collective cry of "YES!". A trailer screening after "Eve of the Daleks" saw a figure loom into the camera and slowly come into focus, revealing itself to be… a Sea Devil!

The Sea Devils were first seen in the 1972 Doctor Who serial of the same name. There, the aquatic monsters teamed up with the Master and clashed with Jon Pertwee’s Doc. The sight of the Sea Devils emerging from the waves to confront the Doctor and companion Jo was the stuff of many children’s nightmares in the 1970s.

The Sea Devils rise from the waves. 

Less fondly remembered is their second – and last to date – appearance in "Warriors of the Deep", a 1984 story featuring Peter Davison. The creatures’ wobbly heads and Samurai-inspired costumes brought derision from fans. Not as much, though, as their fearsome pet, the Myrka, which was clearly two men in a green pantomime horse set-up!

These Sea Devils were less fright, more of a sight.

The fearsome Myrka prompted mirth

The Sea Devils have an interesting backstory, though. They are part of the reptilian species which were the original intelligent life on earth, long before man evolved.

They put themselves into suspended animation deep below the ground to hide from a huge asteroid that was going to collide with earth. But the impact never happened — the body being caught in the Earth’s gravitational pull and becoming our moon. So, the creatures' alarm clock was never triggered, and they continued sleeping.

This immediately gives us a nice moral dilemma — as they were the original inhabitants of the earth, do they have a right to take their planet back?

The trailer for the special sees a character declare, “she released a demon!” So, has Madame Ching summoned the Sea Devils back to life? And will she be in league with the creatures, or will she have to join forces with the Doctor to take on the new threat?

Who’s starring?

Madame Ching will keep the drama afloat in "Legend of the Sea Devils"

The main guest star as Madame Ching is Crystal Yu, who is best known for her role in BBC’s long-running medical drama Casualty. She played Lily Chao from 2013 to 2017.

Also appearing is TV newcomer Marlowe Chan-Reeves as Ying Ki and Arthur Lee (Strike Back) as Ji-Hun.

Life a beach for Ying Ki.

Ji-Hun is armed and dangerous.

What about behind the camera?

The special is written by showrunner Chris Chibnall alongside series newcomer Ella Rose.

The episode is familiar territory for Chris. Back in 2010, he wrote a two-part story that re-introduced the Sea Devils' land-bound cousins, the Silurians, to modern Doctor Who viewers, forty years after they were originally introduced to the Whoniverse.

Ella’s sci-fi play The Phlebotomist — exploring questions around genetic ethics — was nominated for an Oliver Award in 2018. TV-wise, she's on the writing team of the UK remake of the hit French show Call My Agent.

Chinese director Haolu Wang takes on her first Who directing role for the special. Her website describes her as specializing in “emotional fantasy”, making her a perfect fit for those deeper moments modern Who has become known for alongside the obligatory thrills and spills.

Is there a trailer?

Yes! The BBC released an action-packed trailer for the new special on April 2 which warned fans to 'Swashbuckle your seatbelts'. It shows the Doc teaming up to face the might of the Sea Devils, and teased a much bigger finned threat that's lurking below the waves.

You can also watch the original teaser which aired after "Eve of the Daleks" below:

Autumn 2022: Centennial Special

The Doc's final battle arrives!

What’s the story?

Well, that’s the question. The episode will see the departure of Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor, so will have to be something special. Plus, it’s part of the BBC’s celebration of 100 years of broadcasting and will form part of an even bigger event. No pressure, then!

“It’s great that the climax of the Thirteenth Doctor’s story will be at the heart(s) of the BBC’s centenary celebrations,” is all showrunner Chris has said on the episode. While BBC Director of Drama Piers Wenger promised, “Jodie’s final adventure to mark the BBC’s Centenary in 2022 is set to be a Doctor Who special to remember.”

Who’s the big bad?

Again, another big question. There are a number of plotlines left hanging from Jodie’s tenure, most obviously the Doctor’s lost memories of her time with the Division. 

So, will we revisit that? If so, the most obvious enemy for the Doc to face off with would be The Master, her arch "frenemy" who first revealed the secret past. Sacha Dhawan seems to have a great time filming his episodes for season 12, so may have welcomed a return. 

What else needs to be tied up?

Of course, power-mad beings trying to take over the universe are all well and good, but there's always a human story or two running beneath the surface.

One theme fans will want some closure on is Yaz's growing feelings for The Doctor. The show is well known for its bittersweet endings when it comes to companions, so is Yaz set for the same fate as Martha, Amy and the rest when it comes to her feelings for the Doc?

Who’s behind the camera?

Chris has written his and Jodie’s final episode solo, as only seems right and proper.

Jamie Magnus Stone has returned to direct the episode. He’s one of the series’ big guns, having helmed blockbuster episodes including "Spyfall" and the season 12 finale "The Ascension of the Cyberman" and "The Timeless Children". 

His three episodes of season 13 — "The Halloween Apocalypse", "War of the Sontarans" and "Village of the Angels" — were the three most well-received of the series. So, we should expect big things from this final adventure. 

"I can't give anything away, but I can tell you that it's going to be an absolutely spectacular episode with a lot of visual effects," Who digital effects coordinator Emily Lawrence confirmed.

Will we meet the new doctor?

That is the big, big question!

Traditionally, we see the Doctor regenerate into their next incarnation at the end of their final episode. 

Exceptions have only been Doc two into three (Jon Pertwee wasn’t cast at the time Patrick Troughton filmed his last episode) and Doc six into seven (Sacked Colin Baker refused to return to film a changeover to Sylvester McCoy). But will it happen this time?

Production has wound down on Chris’ Doctor Who (rumors are the Tardis set has already been dismantled) and work is not due to start on the new series until next year, with a view for a launch to line up with the show’s 60th anniversary next autumn. So, will Russell decide to keep the new Doc under wraps, for now, ready for his relaunch?

Rumors for the next Doctor include Years and Years singer Olly Alexander, who took the lead in Russell’s much-lauded It’s A Sin last year and The Haunting of Bly Manor's T'Nia Miller. More recently, wilder rumors like the possibility of David Tennant returning to play a new Doctor or the addition of Hugh Grant have surfaced, but we're still no closer to official confirmation of who the 14th Doctor will be just yet.

2023… and beyond!

What’s the future for the Doctor?

Last year, fans were left aghast when it was announced that former showrunner Russell T Davies was taking over the show for the 60th anniversary special, and an unspecified number of “series beyond”.

"I'm beyond excited to be back on my favorite show," Davies said in the announcement. 

And things are already underway. He more recently said: "I've already written some of the episodes. The first will go out in November 2023 — that's the 60th anniversary of the show."

The moment has been prepared for, indeed.