Everything We Know About Doctor Who Season 10 (Updated)

Doctor Who Season 10, Official Promotional Image via BBC

Doctor Who Season 10 is coming April 15th, and contrary to popular belief we actually know quite a bit about the upcoming season.

It’s the beginning of March, and in six short weeks Doctor Who will return to our screens for the last run in this iteration of the show. This is Steven Moffat’s last go round as showrunner, for good or for ill. And when he leaves, many things will exit with him, including our current Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi.

Despite the fact that this is both Moffat and Capaldi’s last year, the season will introduce new characters–a polar opposite of the last run for the previous showrunner Russell T Davie. Not only did Davies bring in a new full-time companion for the last season, but in fact did not do a full season at all. Instead, he a set of stand alone specials. Moffat, on the other hand, is giving the Doctor two new companions: Nardole (Matt Lucas) from the last two Christmas specials, and Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie), who we have yet to formally meet. Both are expected to leave with Capaldi at the end of the season.

Moffat does his best every year to keep things under wraps, but when it comes to the BBC and Doctor Who, this is no HBO/Game of Thrones spoiler operation. We actually know quite a bit about each episode. Let’s run it down.

(Photo by Matthew Horwood/GC Images)

Episode 1

• Title: The Pilot
  
• Written by Steven Moffat/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Lawrence Gough
• Guest stars of Note: Stephanie Hyam as “Heather,” and gymnast Robert Penny

Things we know about episode 1: Steve Moffat has been quoted as saying that he felt, after the long pause between Clara’s exit at the end of season 9 and River Song’s exit in the 2015 Christmas special that this would be a “brand new show” starting from scratch.

The title “A Star In Her Eye” came from a leaked page of the script from back this summer But we now know that was just the working title. We got wind of the real title, “The Pilot” from a theory that the titles are an easter egg in the “A Time For Heroes” trailer. With the latest trailer the BBC has in fact confirmed that to be true.

We also know from his remarks in Doctor Who Magazine that Bill Potts will be introduced right away. We know from the trailers that she is a student at University who works in a  chippery, and that when she meets the Doctor he is posing as a professor in one of her classes.

Behind the Scene of Doctor Who Season 10. Official Photo via BBC America

Episode 2

• Assumed title: Smile
  
• Written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Lawrence Gough
• Guest stars of Note: Ralf Little as “Steadfast”, Mina Anwar as “Goodthing”, and Kaizer Akhtar as “Praiseworthy”.

As Doctor Who attempts to compete with larger shows, it continues the globetrotting ways it developed under Moffat. This year saw a trip to Valencia, Spain, where we assume the BBC discovered the same tax break benefits that Game of Thrones has been enjoying for years. Noted that the rumors at the time stated that only Capaldi and Mackie traveled to Valencia. Matt Lucas is listed as part of the episode though. Perhaps he hangs out in the TARDIS wearing Egyptian headdresses again.

Cottrell-Boyce is back as writer for this one. He last wrote the Season 8 episode “In the Forest of the Night” which was a rip roaring good tale, even if none of the science added up. For his new outing, The Mirror reported it:

"“…features killer robots that have emoji faces. They like to give hugs, then reduce their victims to skeletons.”"

The title “Smile” comes from the “A Time For Heroes easter eggs,” and could refer to said “deadly emojis”.

Episode 3

• Assumed title: Thin Ice
  
• Written by Sarah Dollard/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Bill Anderson
• Guest stars of Note: Tomi May as “Dowell”.

Episode three, as we can see from the spoilery pictures in the above tweet is an episode that looks to be set in the Victorian era. Capaldi is resplendent in top hat and tails, while Bill is done up in what looks to be a fabulous green silk period gown and hair do.

The title is actually the reason that people believed the “A Time For Heroes easter egg” theory that the titles of the episodes are seen on the spines of the library books. (And they were right!) The third title on the spines is “Thin Ice”, which matches more spoilery images (that has since been mostly scrubbed from social media). This could be a sign from the set that says “Beware: Thin Ice!”

The previous Mirror spoilers we mentioned in the last slide say about this episode:

"“Episode 3 of the new series features the snake monster that lives under the Thames.”"

Sarah Dollard is one of the only female writers of the Moffat era, and previously wrote such episodes as Season 9’s crowning achievement, “Face the Raven.” She tweeted:

She also promises she doesn’t kill the companion this time. Thank heavens. Nardole is very grateful, I’m sure.

Photo : Copyright © Simon Ridgway, 2016 |www.simonridgway.com |pictures@simonridgway.com | 07973 442527 | Caption : 16.08.16, Doctor Who Series 10, Block 2. Image via BBC

Episode 4

• Partial title: Knock…
  
• Written by Mike Bartlett/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Bill Anderson
• Guest stars of Note: David Suchet (POIROT!) as “The Landlord”. Plus Alice Hewkin as “Felicity”, Colin Ryan as “Harry”, Bart Suavek as “Patel”, and Sam Benjamin in an unnamed role.

This is the David Suchet episode. The biggest guest star this season, his appearance looks to be on par with Diana Rigg back in Season 7’s “The Crimson Horror.” Suchet made a huge deal about being in the show, including tweeting about filming. (He also reminded everyone that Capaldi guest starred in a Poirot episode back in 1991–only took 25 years to return the favor!)

https://twitter.com/David_Suchet/status/765664951621062657

Continuing with the spoiler from The Mirror:

"“…in Episode 4, we find out why our floorboards squeak – there are giant woodlice in there.”"

Let’s hope that they’re not as awful as the giant boogers from Season 9. We assume the enormous cast of other extras are the Landlord’s tenants and will be killed off one by one.

This is Mike Bartlett’s first outing with Doctor Who, he’s mostly known for playwriting. His other major TV credit is for Doctor Foster. It is via his wikipedia page that the assumed title “The Haunted Hub” comes–“Knock…” comes from the “A Time For Heroes easter eggs.” 

Behind the Scene of Doctor Who Season 10. Official Photo via BBC America

Episode 5

• Assumed title: Oxygen
  
• Written by Jamie Mathieson/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Charles Palmer
• Guest stars of Note: Peter Caulfield as “Dahhren”, Kieran Bew as “Ivan”, Karen Brayben as “Ellie”, plus Justin Salinger and Mimi Ndiweni in unnamed roles.

Jamie Mathieson returns for his third season in a row writing for Moffat. Previously he’s written episode like season 8’s “Mummy on the Orient Express” and “Flatline” as well as season 9’s “The Girl Who Died” (which guest starred Maisie Williams.) Some of these episodes have notably included callbacks to Classic Who, including Capaldi memorably offering jellybabies in a cigarette case. So perhaps it’s not surprising that in gushing over this episode, Moffat told Doctor Who Magazine it was a blend of new and old Who.

"“Oh, this is a stormer of an episode! … his new one is his BEST one. It’s scary, and funny, has awesome monsters, and a savage line in satire. I love it … it’s like the best of ‘old’ Doctor Who meeting the best of ‘new’ Doctor Who, and going on a lovely date, with snogging.”"

Snogging eh? Ok, maybe we can avoid that.

Episode 6

• Confirmed Title: Extremis
  
• Written by Steven Moffat/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Daniel Nettheim
• Guest stars of Note: Michelle Gomez as “Missy (The Master)”, Laurent Maurel as “Nicolas”.

MISSY IS BACK! Here’s another other recurring character who is probably on her last turn and will disappear once Moffat leaves for good. Missy has been one of the best foils for the Doctor since she was introduced in season 8. Not surprising that her return for season 10 is in a Moffat-penned romp.

The title reveal comes from overeager actors updating their CVs early. In this case, it was Laurent Maurel, who declared he was playing the above “Nicolas” in the episode “Extremis.” Director Nettheim was last on board for Doctor Who season 9’s episode “The Zygon Inversion.”

Episode 7

• Potential title: (None)
  
• Written by Peter Harness/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Daniel Nettheim
• Guest stars of Note: Michelle Gomez as “Missy (The Master)”, Togo Igawa as the “Secretary General” and Daphne Cheung as “Xiaolian”.

Our second Missy episode in a row, the assumption here is that these two episodes are at least connected or a continuation of one another, if not an actual two parter. First instinct when we see titles like “Secretary General” is to wonder if UNIT is involved. Peter Harness has been tight lipped though.

"“I’d love to do something with the Mara and/or the Krynoids. And I have an idea for bringing something/one else back which I’m not going to tell you in case I’m allowed to. Cause I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.”"

Harness most recently wrote the Zygon two parter in season 9 “The Zygon Invasion/The Zygon Inversion”, so this is his second year runnign where he worked with director Daniel Nettheim.

(That’s not a guest star in the featured images above by the way, that’s Netthein’s kid, who came for a set visit during the latter half of filming.)

Behind the Scene of Doctor Who Season 10. Official Photo via BBC America

Episode 8

• Potential title: (None)
  
• Written by Toby Whithouse/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Wayne Yip
• Guest stars of Note: (None)

We know very little about this episode – no guest stars, no details. Wayne Yip directed episodes of the low rated Doctor Who spin off Class. The major details come from writer Toby Whithouse, who has been one of Moffat’s go-tos ever since taking over the series as showrunner.

Under Moffat, he’s written episodes for the Amy/Rory era such as season 5’s “The Vampires of Venice”, season 6’s “The God Complex” and season 7’s “A Town Called Mercy.” For the Capaldi era, he wrote both halves of the season 9 two parter “Under the Lake/Before the Flood.” He also wrote during the Russell Davies era, the episode “School Reunion,” from which The Sarah Jane Adventures spun off.

Whitehouse tweeted that he was writing this episode back in December, before the later blocks of filming got underway in January.

He also revealed that it was episode 8 in a follow up tweet.

We only wish he’d given us any other clues while he was at it.

Episode 9

• Potential title: (Untitled Ice Warriors Episode)
  
• Written by Mark Gatiss/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Wayne Yip
• Guest stars of Note: (None)

Another episode we would have known very little about if it weren’t for the writer. Following on the heels of Sherlock’s end, Mark Gatiss, who works with Moffat on both series, did a short promo for Doctor Who announcing he was bringing back the Ice Warriors for the second time in the Moffat era.

As he says in the above video:

"“It’s time to welcome back sssssssome old friends. I’m bring back the Ice Warriors, again! One of my favourite monsters. It’s a thrill-a-minute – a sort of Bank Holiday Monday feel, a kind of Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs story of derring-do, which I’ve always loved But it has a new twist! There is a new Ice Warrior in it, a different kind of Ice Warrior.”"

A different kind of rubber suited monster? (The Ice Warriors, for those unfamiliar, are basically *the* rubber suit alien that people think of when the stereotype is mentioned.) Perhaps this one will be 50% less rubber. For environmental reasons, natch.

Doctor Who Season 26, Finale Episodes. Official Image via BBC

Episode 10

• Confirmed Title: The Eaters of Light
  
• Written by Rona Munro/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Charles Palmer
• Guest stars of Note: Daniel Kerr as “Ban”, Rebecca Benson as “Kar”, Billy Matthews as “Cornelius”,  Ben Hunter as “Thracius”, plus Juwon Adedokun, Brian Vernel, Aaron Phagura, and Sam Adewunmi in unnamed roles.

Our other female writer this season, Moffat dug far back to the Classic Who archives to bring back Rona Munro. Her previous episode serial that she wrote for Doctor Who was back in 1989, the season 26 finale (and for a long time the series finale) “Survival” starring the 7th Doctor and Ace.

Yes, that’s the one with the infamous cat people. No, we don’t know if the cat people will appear in this episode. She has revealed the title though “The Eaters of Light.”

Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine on her return:

"“Writing ‘Survival’ was my dream job, but it was a mournful time in the show’s history. This has been a very different experience. There’s more of everything; people, resources, confidence, success… but the same constantly renewing and indefinable wonder that is Doctor Who.”"

It should also be noted that Charles Palmer, episode 10 director, is the only director who is doing two non consecutive episodes this season. (His other one is Episode 5.) Everyone else who filmed in blocks did consecutive episodes, even though those are all stand alones. Palmer previously wrote a lot of the Martha season under Davies, including season 3’s premiere episode “Smith and Jones,” along with “The Shakespeare Code,” plus “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood”.

Episode 11

• Potential title: (None)
  
• Written by Steven Moffat/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Rachel Talalay
• Guest stars of Note: Michelle Gomez as “Missy (The Master)”

Though Moffat has said this season will mostly be stand alone stories, most people suspect that the final episodes, episodes 11 and 12, which are both written by Moffat and directed by Talalay, will be a two parter finale, and with the announcement that the show is bringing back “the original Mondasian Cybermen” for “episodes 11 & 12” we can take that as confirmation it is true. We also have word that Missy will be joining the party, though how she winds up with Cybermen as companions remains to be seen.

The Moffat/ Talalay relationship has been a strong one throughout the Moffat era. She’s basically the only female director who worked on Doctor Who during his era. But for all of the inherent sexism suggested in that, the two make a fantastic team, producing some of the strongest episodes of Moffat’s tenure. She did the two part episode finales of both season 8 (“Dark Water/Death in Heaven” and season 9 (“Heaven Sent/Hell Bent”).  “Heaven Sent,” in particular, was one of the best episodes of Capaldi’s tenure so far.

Episode 12

• Potential title: (None)
  
• Written by Steven Moffat/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by Rachel Talalay
• Guest stars of Note: Michelle Gomez as “Missy (The Master)”

Here’s what we know about the finale of season 10: the 12th Doctor will *not* regenerate.

That’s partly because the 13th Doctor hasn’t been cast yet. From the looks of it, the plan, much like with the end of the 11th Doctor’s tenure, is to wait for the summer break, and then have the BBC make a worldwide announcement, much like how Capaldi was revealed. The 13th Doctor will then appear at the very end of the Christmas episode, teasing us as to what our new Doctor will be like.

What that leaves though, for the finale of season 10 is the probable departures of Bill and Nardole. We know their contracts are only for one year, and as far as we know do not include the Christmas special. How Missy and the Cybermen (of which there are apparently every type) will feature in this is not yet known. But most likely the Doctor will once again divest himself of companions, like Tennant did at the end of the Davies era, and then go off to restart his life once more.

Doctor Who 2014 Christmas Special. Official Image via BBC

Christmas Special 2017

• Potential title: (None)
  
• Written by Steven Moffat/Produced by Peter Bennett
• Directed by (Not Announced)
• Guest stars of Note:

The episode where Peter Capaldi will regenerate. This is the big goodbye. Bring hankies.

This will mark the second time Moffat has used the Christmas special to do this, instead of doing it at the end of the regular season (as was done with the 9th Doctor), or the beginning of the next one, as was done in the Classic Who era.

As we mentioned above, we do not think the companion Nardole and Bill will make it to this episode. But that is mere speculation. What I would expect is that, as Moffat’s big honking farewell, that we will get something like the Tennant farewell under Davies in “The End of Time.” That is, an episode where everyone and their grandmother has a cameo, from Amy and Rory, to Clara and No One, to River and whoever she’s hanging out with now.

Next: 20 Things We Want To See With a New Doctor

And then at the end of it, we’ll meet the 13th Doctor, and see our first glimpse of what the Chibnall era has in store come 2018.