Doctor Who is a show where the lead character gets "regenerated" every few years and is played by a new actor. However, that doesn't mean that the BBC series doesn't have its own traditions. For instance, people always look forward to the Doctor Who Special on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, there are speculations that this is one tradition that will be broken this year.
The Doctor Who Christmas Special has been something Whovians look forward to during the holidays for more than 15 years. The first Christmas Special 'The Christmas Invasion' aired on Christmas Day 2005 and introduced David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. Since then, the special episodes have aired without fail on December 25. However, that changed in 2018.
In 2018, BBC announced that the Doctor Who Christmas Special will not air on December 25. Instead, the episode 'Resolution' premiered on January 1, 2019. Not surprisingly, fans were disappointed that they would need to wait a few days after Christmas to see the episode. Unfortunately, the same thing is expected to happen in 2019.
Some believe that new showrunner Chris Chibnall is pushing to break the holiday tradition in favor of Doctor Who Series 12 getting a grand premiere in early 2020. There are speculations that Chibnall doesn't want to continue the tradition since it could take the focus away from the new season of the BBC show. If this is true, Series 12 could be the first season of Doctor Who since its revival that isn't preceded by a special episode. However, it is important to point out that these are still rumors and should be taken with a grain of salt.
A new report suggests that a standalone episode will air before the premiere of Doctor Who Series 12 although it is unlikely that it will actually air on Christmas Day. Instead, the special episode could be dropped on New Year's Day 2020, similar to what happened in 'Resolution'. In addition to that, the new episode will not be connected to the new season. Nevertheless, fans are hoping it could once again feature the Judoons.
Chris Chibnall had previously confirmed the return of the Judoons in Doctor Who Season 12. Unfortunately, it is still unclear if the characters will be brought back in the holiday special.
BREAKING NEWS! Straight from the set of Series 12! Guess who’s back #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/s7D1MSDDwX — Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) May 21, 2019
Doctor Who Season 12 is expected to premiere on BBC in early 2020.
