BBC America has released the official trailer for theDoctor Whoholiday special,Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks. The new trailer confirms the special’s early 2021 release date and teases some big cast surprises. It also arrives just a week after we learned franchise alumJohn Barrowmanwill be backas Captain Jack Harkness and the unveiling ofa new Dalek design. So, what awaits Whovians in this year’s holiday special?
TheDoctor Who: Revolution of the Dalekstrailer may only clock in at a minute, but it makes sure to pack a lot of information into those 60 seconds. The trailer reveals that the Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) has been taken prisoner and that her companions — Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole), and Graham (Bradley Walsh) — must find a way to protect Earth in her absence. The Doctor’s team soon joins forces with Captain Jack “I’m immortal” Harkness, who can not only offer insight into what it’s like to be an ally of the Doctor’s, but also how to help defeat the Daleks. Oh, and speaking of those pesky robots, it seems the titular revolution of the Daleks will be happening on our home planet after they are introduced by the UK government as defense drones. Of course, those Daleks aren’t programmed to defend and it is down to Harkness and the team to save the day.
Doctor Whoexecutive producerChrisChibnalloffered these exciting comments for the holiday special: “We’ve crammed this year’sDoctorWhospecial with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent. Where else would you get British acting royalty, a globally renowned U.S. screen star, an (inter)national treasure of stage and screen, and one of Britain’s hottest young actors — just in the guest cast! Put those together with Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill, and Tosin Cole (and Daleks! Did I mention Daleks!) — and you get a cast to be exterminated for. And things will explode. Promise.”
Joining Whittaker, Barrowman, Gill, Cole, and Walsh forDoctor Who: Revolution of the Daleksis DameHarriet Walker(Succession,Rocketman),Chris Noth(Sex and the City), andNathan Stewart-Jarrett(Skins,Dracula). Noth reprises hisDoctor Whorole as the disgraced Jack Robertson following his Season 11 appearance in the episode “Arachnids in the UK.”
Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleksairs on BBC America on August 08, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Watch the action-packed trailer below. For more, check out our round-up of thebest TV shows on Amazon Prime Video, includingDoctor Who.
Here’s the official synopsis forDoctor Who: Revolution of the Daleksand new images from the episode:
Viewers last saw the Thirteenth Doctor at the end of season 12, where her fate was left hanging in the balance as she was locked away in a high-security alien prison with no hope of escape. In the upcoming New Year’s Day special, Yaz, Ryan, and Graham are far away on Earth and having to carry on with their lives without her. However, they soon discover a disturbing plan forming. A plan which involves a Dalek. How can you fight a Dalek without the Doctor? Even with Captain Jack’s help, the gang is set to face one of their biggest and most frightening challenges yet.
