An era ends in The Power of the Doctor

During New York Comic Con (NYCC), the BBC released a trailer for Jodie Whittaker’s final Doctor Who special, The Power of the Doctor.

When the official title for the centenary special was first announced, like many fans I was instantly reminded of The Name of the Doctor, The Night of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Time of the Doctor and The Power of the Daleks.



Here’s the official synopsis from the BBC:

“In this feature-length Special to mark her last adventure, Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor must fight for her very existence, against her deadliest enemies: the Daleks, the Cybermen and her arch-nemesis, the Master.

Who is attacking a speeding bullet train on the edges of a distant galaxy? Why are seismologists going missing from 21st century Earth? Who is defacing some of history’s most iconic paintings? Why is a Dalek trying to make contact with the Doctor? And just what hold does the mesmeric Rasputin have over Tsar Nicholas in 1916 Russia?

The Doctor faces multiple threats…and a battle to the death.”

I'll miss her and the TARDIS fam. Series 11 was the first I've watched, since the Tom Baker era, with my dad. Rosa Parks, The Haunting of Villa Diodati and Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children are among some of the best episodes in the beloved sci-fi franchise's storied history. Hopefully, Andrew Lewin and I will be on hand to discuss the 90-minute special following its transmission.

For the 60th anniversary in 2023, Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education) will be playing the titular Time Lord in returning showrunner Russell T Davies’ (It's A Sin) new era co-produced by Sony’s Bad Wolf (His Dark Materials). David Tennant is back as the Tenth Doctor with fan-favourite companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate). However, mystery surrounds this and rumours suggest Whittaker regenerates into Tennant for an unannounced Christmas special.

The series 13 specials are available for pre-order (affiliate link).

The Power of the Doctor premieres on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and BBC America on Sunday 23rd October.

What are your hopes for the centenary special? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who spotlight at New York Comic Con

New York Comic Con (NYCC) followed San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) and DC Fandome with socially distanced online panels, due to the pandemic, last week. And Doctor Who was there with a sneak peek at the upcoming special, Revolution of the Daleks, this holiday season.

Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who), Mandip Gill (Yasmin Khan) and Bradley Walsh (Graham O'Brien) teased some of the things to look forward to during a virtual spotlight panel.



BBC America will also have a Doctor Who marathon between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, which would suggest the holiday special is going to be on New Year’s Day again. However, this is unconfirmed. HBO Max is exclusively streaming every season of Doctor Who since 2005.

Are you excited for Revolution of the Daleks? Let me know in the comments below.

Sphero R2-D2's rival R2-Q5 at New York Comic Con

Following the launch of R2-D2 and BB-9E on Force Friday. Sphero has brought R2-Q5 to New York Comic Con (NYCC) this week. The latest app-enabled droid is the dark side version of fan favourite R2-D2.

"R2-Q5™ is an Imperial astromech droid from a galaxy far, far away.... Control it with your smart device or keep this nefarious Droid in top shape with augmented reality training. R2-Q5’s signature front and rear LED lights are fully functional, and an integrated speaker means all sounds come right from the droid itself. Watch R2-Q5 interact with other Star Wars™ App-enabled Droids by Sphero, and view films from the Star Wars saga with R2-Q5 reacting by your side. This special droid has been brought to life thanks to Sphero technology."

The limited edition droid is on sale at NYCC. The Sphero R2-Q5 will be available for pre-order from 10th October, and is available in the UK exclusively at John Lewis from 27th October for £199.99.

Will you be bringing R2-Q5 home for the holidays? Let me know in the comments below.

Doctor Who panel at New York Comic Con

Doctor Who fans will have to wait until October's New York Comic Con (NYCC) for a first look at the upcoming Christmas special, series 10 and latest spin-off Class.

Peter Capaldi will be joined onstage at the Doctor Who panel by new co-star Pearl Mackie, who plays new companion Bill, outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat and executive producer Brian Minchin. Convention attendees should expect hints about series 10, which is currently in production.



The Class panel will include stars Greg Austin, Fady Elsayed, Sophie Hopkins and Vivian Oprah, joined by writer and creator Patrick Ness. The new spin-off series is set in Shoreditch, London. Coal Hill School has been an intrinsic part of the fabric of Doctor Who since An Unearthly Child cast its spell in November 1963.

Former Doctor Who Matt Smith and companion Karen Gillan will also be in attendance.

If you're attending New York Comic Con and would like to write a future feature, please get in contact.