Doctor Who fans look set to enjoy their annual slice of indulgence this Christmas, as Peter Capaldi returns to our TV screens for a special show tantalisingly entitled “The Return of Doctor Mysterio”. With the bubbly Matt Lucas filling the sidekick role of Nardole, the famous Time Lord’s adventures will provide a welcome break from the turkey and mince pies.
First airing on Christmas Day
The much-anticipated episode is due to be aired on Christmas Day and will be the twelfth yuletide special since the timely return of Doctor Who to our screens in 2005.
Directed by Ed Bazalgette - the former lead guitarist with 80s band The Vapors (“Turning Japanese”) – it promises plenty of sci-fi mayhem.
Return of Nardole
Lucas reprises his portrayal of Nardole from “The Husbands of River Song” episode as the action transfers to New York City. Hooking up with reporter Lucy Fletcher (played by Charity Wakefield) and Justin Chatwin’s superhero character ‘The Ghost’, The Doctor and Nardole battle brain-swapping aliens.
Lucas pilots the Tardis
The popular Little Britain star has divulged that he even gets to fulfil many a young boy’s dreams by piloting the Tardis as the action unravels, much to the apparent dismay of his 58-year-old co-star Capaldi. With the Glasgow-born actor said to have adopted a paternal instinct towards the time-travelling machine, he was unhappy to see another actor at the controls of his prized asset.
Capaldi gets annoyed
When interviewed by Doctor Who Magazine Lucas let slip that by tampering with the buttons on the set, when the cameras stopped rolling Capaldi was prone to become “a bit annoyed” and that he “pushes you out the way. It’s true.” Ever the jester, he added that it was a great way “to wind him up.”
Moffat would love to fly
Lucas wasn’t the only person involved on the show to share his thoughts in the run up to the festive period.
The programme’s boss and writer Steven Moffat hinted that his preferred superpower would be to fly, suggesting that it “would be awesome.”
Moffat responded candidly to the notion of the episode called “Listen” being Capaldi’s favourite one so far, as he amusingly said that it was “cheap and easy” to make. The intimation was that by featuring an invisible monster that couldn’t be seen, although that undoubtedly added to the suspense it also saved the BBC money.
Doctor Mysterio’s origins
For viewers wondering where the idea for the title came from, listen out for a line during the Christmas special where Grant Gordon (aka ‘The Ghost’) tells The Doctor that “in a comic book you’d be called Doctor Mysterio!” Global fans of the much-loved programme may also be aware that it is the title used for the show in Mexico.
