Series 12 (Doctor Who)

Series 12 of Doctor Who premiered in "very early" 2020. Chris Chibnall remained in the position of executive producer whilst Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill and Bradley Walsh reprised their roles as the Thirteenth Doctor, Ryan Sinclair, Yasmin Khan and Graham O'Brien respectively.

Whittaker announced her own return on Friday 7 December, two days prior to the broadcast of the series 11 finale, The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos. The series was announced almost immediately after the conclusion of said episode.

Return to familiarity
As a huge difference from the complete reinvention overhaul from series 11, series 12 would return to more familiar ground, apparently hearkening back to the Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat eras.

Series 12 would go back to being "darker and scarier" in an attempt to stray from the lighter and more informative tone of the previous series.

Returning foes
Series 12 re-introduced the Judoon, giving them a central role in a television story for the first time since the series 6 mid-series finale A Good Man Goes to War in 2011.

The Cybermen also made their way back onto the small screen this series, in their first TV appearance since 2017 story The Doctor Falls (discounting archival footage in Twice Upon a Time) in a way that would inspire Mary Shelley to create Frankenstein.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jodie Whittaker
 * Graham O'Brien - Bradley Walsh
 * Ryan Sinclair - Tosin Cole
 * Yasmin Khan - Mandip Gill

Recurring

 * TBA - Maxim Baldry

Guest

 * Voice of the Judoon - Nicholas Briggs
 * Judoon - Paul Kasey
 * Suki Cheng - Molly Harris
 * Marcia - Julia Foster
 * TBA - Jordan Ring
 * TBA - Neil Stuke
 * Ruth Clayton - Jo Martin
 * "Barista" - TBA
 * Queen Skithra - Anjli Mohindra
 * Noor Inayat Khan - Aurora Marion
 * Nevi - James Buckley
 * Mary Shelley - TBA
 * TBA - Stephen Fry
 * TBA - Michael Begley

Production
It was originally reported that pre-production on series 12 had begun in November 2018, with Ray Holman having updated his CV to say so. Furthermore it was said that filming would begin in January 2019.

Chris Chibnall's initial statement on the twelfth series was "We're off again! Well we never actually stopped - as Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we've been busy with a whole new set of action-packed adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor. We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can't wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!"

Charlotte Moore, Director of Content added, "We're delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020. I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures."

In an article on the Daily Mail by Nicola Methven, she quotes a "show insider" as saying: "Last season, the theme was empowerment for women, mirroring what was happening elsewhere in the world. This time there will be an effort to get behind the message that what we’re doing is killing our planet. Kids are really involved in these environmental issues so it’s a perfect fit for Doctor Who."

Producers
In an interview with Television Magazine in June 2017, Chibnall revealed a "five-year plan" for his reign as showrunner and promised that it would be "bold" and "risky".

Writers
Ed Hime will pen another script for series 12.

Directors
Jamie Stone will direct Block 1 consisting of episodes 1 and 5 as well as Block 5 consisting of 9 and 10. Lee Haven Jones will direct Block 2 consisting of episodes 2 and 3. Emma Sullivan will direct Block 4. Nida Manzoor will direct Block 3.

One director of photography this series is Ed Moore.

Filming
Location filming on series 12 began on 23 January 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa.
 * Shortly before series 12 began filming, Bradley Walsh revealed that he was in South Africa, and the rest of the main cast were spotted on a flight to Cape Town.

Filming in "SA" ended on 7 February very early in the morning at Bowmans on Bree Street. Location filming also took place at Kogel Bay in Western Cape and Kersefontein Guest Farm in Hopefield.

Filming then took place in Cardiff on 10 February which ended in the morning on 11 February.

Filming also took place at Guildhall in Swansea, Wales on 18 February and 19 February.

Filming returned to "Sheffield" outside Cardiff Central Police Station, having been set-dressed as Hallamshire Police, on 11 March.

Filming took place in Porthkerry Country Park in Barry on 14, 15 and 26 March.

Another shoot took place in Cory's Building on Bute Street in Cardiff, Wales on 18 March which ended very early in the morning on 19 March. Following that filming took place on the street in front of Glamorgan Building at Cardiff University set dressed as Nazi-occupied Paris, which lasted to 20 March.

Filming once again took place on Barry Island in an old railway tunnel on 27 March.

Filming then took place at a Ministry of Defence unit in St. Athan, Wales on 28 March.

Cast and crew went to Tenerife on 1 April to start filming on 2 and 3 April around Montaña Samara near Mount Teide. On 5 April they went to Santa Cruz to film in front of the Auditorio de Tenerife.

Filming returned to Roath Lock Studios from 8 to 10 April. Filming, however, quickly went to Barry Island once again on 11 April.

From 29 April to 2 May filming took place at Tredegar House in the New Parlour, Side Hall and Morning Room.

Filming returned to Bute Street for filming yet again in Cory's Building from 6 to 10 May.

Filming took place inside the Gloucester Cathedral on 22 and 23 May. On the latter day producer Nikki Wilson took two Judoon-actors aside to Berkeley Street to do special-effects shoots in front of a green screen.

Filming took place in The Little Man Coffee Company on Bridge Street in Cardiff on 29 May.

On the 30 May, filming took place in Cardiff Bay and at the banks by the nearby canal.

Filming took place at Merthyr Mawr Estate in Bridgend, Wales on 28 June and 1 July.

Filming took place on Pomeroy Street in the Butetown section of Cardiff on 23 July.

Myths

 * Although now debunked, Starburst Magazine had reportedly been in contact with the BBC back in November 2018, during which time, the BBC said that series 12 would air in Autumn 2019.
 * Starburst also claimed (citing the same contact, and in the very same article) that Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker had not been very happy behind the scenes, and were set to leave after series 12 had finished.

Aliens and enemies

 * Judoon
 * Cybermen

Rumours

 * New writers for series 12 will include Victoria Asare-Archer and Prassana Puwanarajah.
 * Victoria Asare-Archer has already written The Runaway, a 2019 VR game starring the Thirteenth Doctor, indicating her involvement in the team of writers this series.


 * Vinay Patel could be writing again for series 12.
 * A past alien love interest could be introduced.
 * Rose Tyler could be making a return.
 * Yasmin Khan's police career at the Hallamshire Police could be explored more deeply.
 * Some baddies from the classic era could return.
 * South Africa filming is possibly for episode 1 and 5.
 * A romance could be developing between the Doctor and Yaz.
 * Series 12 might be moving back to a Saturday time slot.
 * John Simm's version of could return as various "Vote Saxon" signs pop up in Cardiff Bay. The Daily Star further noted that there had been "talks" to have the Master return (though not which version)
 * Series 12 is getting a special ahead of it. This might be a Christmas Special.
 * Series 12 might be getting a musical episode.
 * Series 12 might be getting an episode with Florence Nightingale in it.
 * Along with episodes 1 and 5, Block 1 also consists a third episode. This is thought to be episode 2.
 * This theory is supported by another theory that says Block 2 might consist of episodes 3 and 4, potentially debunking current "fact" (see "Directors") saying it consists of episodes 2 and 3.
 * According to a German magazine, the Korean pop band Bangtan Boys will appear in this series.
 * The Autons could make a return.
 * Petronella Osgood could make a return.
 * The Sea Devils could return.
 * Maxim Baldry's character is possibly John Polidori. Nicholas Briggs is listed as the voice of the Cybermen.
 * Possible cast members are Dominique Maher as Browning, Darron Meyer as Seesay, Andrew Burford as "Heavy/Bad Guy" , Will Austin as Vorm , Matthew Rohman as a Sea Devil and a Judoon, Richard Price as a Judoon and Paul Kasey (confirmed just as Judoon) as the Judoon Captain.

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