Recently, we learned that Doctor Who Series 13 will consist of 6 episodes, a shorter run than previously due to the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Whether Jodie Whittaker remains as the Doctor beyond Series 13 remains unclear. Rumours are now circulating in the press that Jodie Whittaker is to leave the programme after a few specials next year, meaning that we will have a new Doctor by the time of the 60th Anniversary of Doctor Who in 2023. However, much to the chagrin of his haters, it does appear that showrunner Chris Chibnall isn’t going anywhere for now.
In order to bring in new viewers to the programme at the start of his tenure as showrunner, Chris Chibnall decided that Series 11 of Doctor Who would feature no returning monsters or characters from the Doctor’s past. Breaking with its own history is a bold gamble for Doctor Who and has rarely been attempted before. But with Series 12, Chibnall decided to satisfy long-term Doctor Who fans by bringing back a number of recurring elements from the show’s history. The Daleks; the Cybermen, the Master (plus Gallifrey) and the Judoon have appeared so far during the Jodie Whittaker era, and it has been confirmed that both the Weeping Angels and the Sontarans will be in the upcoming Series 13 later this year. This forces us to speculate about what further returning friends and notable foes the Doctor should encounter again in the future.
Could the Cybermen return alongside Lady Peinforte (Fiona Walker) after the two appeared together in Silver Nemesis?
For commercial reasons presumably, the Daleks and the Cybermen (as much as I love them) in particular are both overused in the new series of Doctor Who, which is not very creative narratively. The makers of Doctor Who know that these monsters are popular and that they sell, so they tend to be used in a lot of episodes of the modern series. It would be fairer to the more obscure monsters from the programme’s history if they were to get more of a crack of the whip.
I have arranged these potential returning monsters and characters by Doctor, roughly according to the particular era in which they were first introduced to the programme. I have also scored each of them in terms of the likelihood of their return to Doctor Who in the foreseeable future.
THE FIRST DOCTOR
1. Susan Foreman
When the First Doctor landed on Earth for the first time back in 1963, he was not alone. Accompanying him from his home planet of Gallifrey was his granddaughter Susan, who joined him aboard the stolen TARDIS. Susan was young and naive and often found herself getting into scrapes where she would require being rescued by her paternalistic grandfather and London school teachers Ian and Barbara. After encountering a menagerie of weird and wonderful creatures and planets; from the villainous Voord to the sinister Sensorites, Susan eventually found love on the planet Earth in the 22nd Century – opting to stay behind and rebuild civilisation in the wake of a Dalek Invasion. The Doctor bid her a tear-jerking farewell and audiences said goodbye to Susan.
Although the character of Susan has flourished on audio (particularly with the Eighth Doctor), her return to the television series has long been rumoured. Could Chris Chibnall do the unthinkable and finally bring Susan back to meet her grand… mother? It would certainly be an interesting change to the dynamic and perhaps would open up opportunities in terms of seeing how a female Doctor’s previous relationships with women (such as River Song etc.) would evolve.
Likelihood of return: 20/1
2. Ian Chesterton
In An Unearthly Child, two school teachers named Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright stepped inside a blue police box in a disused junk yard in London 1963 and began the greatest science-fiction adventure series of all time. Whilst Ian and Barbara were both initially sceptical about their cantankerous kidnapper, they grew fond of his warm and professorial nature. As the relationship between the Doctor and his companions grew, so too did the bond between Ian and Barbara. It was clear that there was a romance brewing between them so it was little surprise that after returning home to London 1965 in The Chase, they ultimately ended up married and living together in Cambridge, as referenced in The Sarah Jane Adventures episode Death of the Doctor.
Jacqueline Hill who played Barbara is sadly no longer with us. However, William Russell has frequently reprised the role on audio and so it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could make a return to the series, possibly alongside Carol Ann Ford as Susan. After all, the pair did appear together in the 2013 biopic docudrama, An Adventure in Space and Time, which explored the creation of Doctor Who as a children’s television programme back in 1963.
3. Zarbi
On the planet Vortis, insectoid life forms are the dominant species. However, one that is most commonly associated with the iconography of the First Doctor’s era is the ant-like Zarbi. The Web Planet did not showcase Doctor Who’s production values in the mid 1960s in any favourable light. But, in a modern edit suite, the planet Vortis could be brought to life with breathtaking CGI. It would be a tribute to the Zarbi, the Menoptra and the Animus, who were not serviced well in their original TV appearance. As the Thirteenth Doctor and her fam have encountered giant spiders during their time onscreen, is it beyond the realms of possibility that a rematch with the Zarbi would be in order?
4. The Meddling Monk
In 1965, Carry On star and comedian Peter Butterworth accepted a role on Doctor Who. He played the rogue Time Lord, the Meddling Monk. The Meddling Monk regularly interfered in Earth’s history for his own pleasure. In The Time Meddler, the First Doctor, Steven and Vicki discovered that the Monk intended to prevent the Norman invasion of 1066. The Doctor was able to prevent the Monk’s scheme and trap him by miniaturising the interior of the Monk’s TARDIS. The Doctor later encountered the Monk again in Ancient Egypt, whilst him and his companions Steven and Sara Kingdom were fleeing the Dalek forces in The Daleks’ Master Plan.
It’s equally plausible that the Thirteenth Doctor and her friends could encounter the Monk again in the new series. It would certainly be interesting to see the programme introduce us to more renegade Time Lords, because in this respect, we have only really had the Master so far in the new series. The Monk would be the perfect antidote to this, and would fit well inside a historical episode, which have thus far proved to be a highlight of the Jodie Whittaker era so far. Perhaps Rufus Hound could take his acclaimed performance as the Monk in Big Finish over to the main television series proper?
Likelihood of return: 30/1
5. The Celestial Toymaker
In a mysterious dimension, the Doctor and his companions found themselves in the domain of the Toymaker, where they played a series of games to avoid becoming his playthings forever. The Toymaker was ultimately defeated when the Doctor imitated his voice at the end of the Trilogic Game, causing the destruction of his world. But it is entirely possible that the Toymaker survived and built a new world out of boredom.
Bar his debut appearance in The Celestial Toymaker, the Toymaker has yet to make an onscreen return to the programme. However, he was mentioned recently in Can You See Me?. This could possibly point to an imminent return for the Toymaker, perhaps portrayed by a new famous actor.
Likelihood of return: 20/1
6. The War Machines
In 1966, a supercomputer named WOTAN attempted to take over the world using robotic tanks known as the War Machines. The War Machines had formidable smashing weapons and projectile tear gas implements. They were a terrifying force and it took a lot of effort from the First Doctor and the British Army to defeat them. The War Machines were recently reimagined in the Big Finish audio drama The Law Machines. However, their nature as an ostensibly friendly accessory for the human race (which has parallels with The Power of the Daleks, Victory of the Daleks and Revolution of the Daleks) could be ripe for a revival.
Likelihood of return: 60/1
THE SECOND DOCTOR
1. Yeti
The incorporeal clever clogs, the Great Intelligence may have returned to Doctor Who in the Matt Smith episodes The Snowmen, The Bells of Saint John and The Name of the Doctor. However, its robotic servants, the Yeti have yet to be reinvented for the modern era of the show. The Yeti and the Great Intelligence previously only appeared in two classic (and partially missing) Patrick Troughton adventures, The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear. It would be interesting to see the Yeti be brought back to menace the Doctor once again in a new setting. However, the idea of removing the Yeti from their traditional surroundings of Tibet for The Web of Fear was a debatable idea in itself, back in the day. Where else would there be a suitable enough place to set a Doctor Who episode that features the Yeti?
Likelihood of return: 30/1
THE THIRD DOCTOR
- Jo Grant
Ditzy Jo Grant may not have passed her A-Levels, but she was certainly a very trusty companion to have in a tight situation, as the Third Doctor discovered when he took her to distant planets and civilisations. During his exile to Earth, the Doctor worked for the military organisation U.N.I.T. (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), which was established to defend the Earth against extraterrestrial threats. Jo Grant joined U.N.I.T. and became the Doctor’s assistant, helping him to repel alien invasions from Autons, Axons, Sea Devils and Daleks. Then script writer Malcolm Hulke famously said to then script editor and friend Terrance Dicks that the restrictive formula for the Jon Pertwee era gave them only two types of stories as writers: “alien invasion or mad scientist”. Jo Grant certainly fought off her fair share of mad scientists in her time, although they almost always turned out to be the Master in disguise!
Jo Grant eventually fell in love with environmental activist Clifford Jones and left the Doctor to be with him in an emotional scene at the end of The Green Death. Jo Jones went on to have an expansive family with Clifford, all fighting for environmental causes across the planet. So when she finally attended the Doctor’s funeral in The Sarah Jane Adventures: Death of the Doctor, she had already managed to find a life without the Doctor; something that her successor, Sarah-Jane Smith, struggled with initially. The pair were reunited with their favourite Time Lord and Jo found to her delight that he had taken an interest in her life subsequent to travelling in the TARDIS with him. The events of Death of the Doctor leave the door open to further appearances from Jo in the series and the bubbly Katy Manning would certainly be a joy to welcome back onto the TARDIS set to meet Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor.
Likelihood of return: 25/1
2. Sergeant Benton
One of the key components of ‘the U.N.I.T. family’ back in the early 1970s was lovable Sergeant Benton. Benton was always on the scene when a Cyberman in a sewer needed obliterating, or an anti-matter monster was tearing up your lawn. Sergeant Benton (John Levene) first appeared in the Patrick Troughton adventure The Invasion, a fantastic debut story for U.N.I.T. which formed the template for what was to become the Jon Pertwee era. The organisation of U.N.I.T. went on to become a staple of Doctor Who in the early 1970s and has made numerous appearances in the programme since. Levene bid farewell to the series at the end of The Android Invasion, but it is still possible that the character that he originated could return to the programme today. Perhaps Benton could play an important role in U.N.I.T.’s reinstatement, following the organisation’s closure during the events of Resolution?
Likelihood of return: 40/1
3. Captain Mike Yates
Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart was the head of U.N.I.T. back in the day. But his trusty right hand man was always the firm and measured Captain Mike Yates. Yates was a tough man and proved to be very capable of standing up to Axons, Daleks and Giant Maggots. Yates went on to appear throughout most of the Jon Pertwee era, defending the home counties against alien threats. He too became a staple of ‘the U.N.I.T. family’, which also featured the Master, played impeccably by the machiavellian Roger Delgado.
In Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Mike Yates turns traitor and sells out the Earth to Operation Golden Age, an authoritarian scientific movement that sought to revert the planet to a prehistoric age, untouched by man. The Doctor is able to thwart this diabolical scheme and the Brigadier gives Captain Yates the chance to resign quietly. But Yates returns to help Sarah-Jane Smith in Planet of the Spiders. Richard Franklin could well return to his role as Mike Yates alongside Sergeant Benton in the new series. Perhaps a new plot involving the blue crystal from Metebelis III would be appropriate? In U.N.I.T., there were many soldiers and officers that helped the Doctor to thwart alien invasions over the years. But as Captain Yates famously told Jo in Day of the Daleks: “rank has its privileges”. It would certainly be a privilege to welcome Captain Yates back to the series.
Likelihood of return: 40/1
4. Axons
The Axons were an iconic foe of the Third Doctor, arriving to give the human race a gift in the form of Axonite, a rare mineral that could end world hunger. But the whole scheme is a trick by the Axons to infest the Earth, through the assistance of the Master. The Axons appear to the humans as beautiful, golden humanoid creatures. But in reality, their true forms were hideous tentacled monsters. The Axons first appeared in The Claws of Axos and went on to make numerous appearances in comics, books and Big Finish audio stories. However, they have yet to be reinvented for the modern era of the programme. Peter Capaldi once stated in an interview that the classic monster he most desired to return to Doctor Who were the Axons. In a world where the issue of famine still plagues us, the stage is set for a political episode to feature the return of these beautiful but far from benevolent creatures.
Likelihood of return: 30/1
5. Azal & Bok
In the sleepy English village of Devil’s End, a sinister force slumbers beneath the local Church. Azal, the last of the Daemons, is ready to be awoken and the Master arrives in disguise in order to help this take place. The powerful Azal has a little gargoyle servant called Bok, which has the power to disintegrate people. Azal and Bok first appeared together in the classic Jon Pertwee adventure The Daemons. Although mentioned in subsequent U.N.I.T. episodes, neither of these dark beings have since reappeared. But the pair are both suited to a return to the programme.
The figure of the Devil has been depicted in the new series in the form of the Beast (more on that later). However, Azal himself could well return to the show, with both his horns and hooves. Maybe a story where the Doctor and her companions journey into hell itself and encounter the last daemon once again. Perhaps an episode set in a castle near Sheffield, where sinister gargoyles terrorise them?
Likelihood of return: 50/1
6. The Sea Devils
Following a missed opportunity to bring back the Sea Devils in Praxeus (a prophetic episode about the Earth becoming under threat from a deadly virus), it is not beyond the realms of possibility that these aquatic reptilians could return in later episodes starring Jodie Whittaker. It would be rather fitting if the Sea Devils were to return during the Chris Chibnall era, given that Chibnall himself revived their cousin species, the Silurians in The Hungry Earth / Cold Blood in Series 5.
<INSERT PHOTO WITH STUART FELL HERE>
The Sea Devils have remained a popular classic monster with fans ever since they first appeared in the series way back in 1972. Could another colony of Sea Devils awaken from beneath the ocean in order to terrorise the Doctor once again?
Likelihood of return: 6/1
7. Omega
In 2017, K-9 was due to receive his very own feature film, K-9: Timequake, written by Bob Baker and purportedly featuring the return of Omega. After the mooted K-9 film was rescheduled as a tv series, Omega’s future became more uncertain. However, Omega could well return to the new series of Doctor Who in the near future. Omega was one of the founding fathers of Gallifreyan society. He helped the Time Lords to gain the power to access time travel, but was caught in a stellar explosion and was thrown through a black hole into a universe of anti-matter. Hell bent on revenge, Omega began draining power from the Time Lords via a black hole in Space. The Time Lords sent the first three Doctors to investigate, finding the ancient Omega – bitter and jaded.
Omega was defeated at the end of The Three Doctors before later returning in Arc of Infinity. However, he has yet to make an appearance in the post-2005 version of the show. Chris Chibnall recently stated that he felt that most of the iconic monsters from the classic series of Doctor Who have already been reinvented for the revived series. This seemingly put paid to the future return of Omega and many of the other classic Doctor Who monsters featured in this list. But Chibnall also noted that ‘nothing is ruled out’ – his very same words upon being asked whether he would ever cast a female Doctor…
Likelihood of return: 20/1
8. Drashigs
Ever cleaned your plates at the kitchen sink with a dish rag? Try rearranging those two words and you will find one of the Third Doctor’s most formidable adversaries – the terrifying Drashigs! The Drashigs were caterpillar-like monsters that were kept inside a miniscope, smuggled to Inter Minor during the events of Carnival of Monsters. They were carnivorous aliens with an insatiable appetite! The Drashigs would make a good snack of the Doctor and her companions in the new series… if they were to return. They would surely send the children of today behind the sofa again, where they belong.
Likelihood of return: 40/1
9. Ogrons
When the Daleks went about their business of enslaving the galaxy, they hired various mercenaries to do their dirty work. During the Third Doctor’s era, their henchmen of choice were the unintelligent and unattractive Ogrons, who appeared in both Day of the Daleks and Frontier in Space. The Ogrons were essentially heavies and grunts who carried out a lot of the manual labour and physical work that the Daleks could not conduct.
U.N.I.T. came up against the might of both the Ogrons and the Daleks in the 20th Century, whilst in the far future – the Master and the Ogrons worked together on behalf of the Daleks to provoke a war between the Earth and Draconian space empires. Whilst the Daleks have had an assortment of servants since, the Ogrons could easily make a return to the new series. It would be interesting to see an evolved version of the Ogrons with a more articulate speech pattern – although the above clip shows that some of them are already ahead of the game.
Likelihood of return: 60/1
10. Draconians
Jon Pertwee famously said in the 1994 documentary More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS that his favourite Doctor Who “monsters” were the noble Draconians. This proud race from the distant planet of Draconia appeared just once, in the Third Doctor adventure Frontier in Space. During this story, the Doctor and Jo discover that the Master and the Ogrons are trying to provoke a war between the Earth and Draconian space empires. An episode set in the distant future could feature a similar situation, where the Doctor could re-encounter the Draconian Prince who featured previously. An updated redesign of the Draconians needn’t be as radical as the 2010 Silurian update, but could maintain the samurai feel of the original Draconian costumes.
Likelihood of return: 10/1
11. Autons
When Jon Pertwee debuted as the Third Doctor in Spearhead from Space, he was confronted by a terrifying new monster. Living plastic shop window dummies, the Autons came to life due to their being controlled by the Nestene Consciousness, an alien being which bore similar physical characteristics to a cephalopod. With the help of his new employers, the military organisation U.N.I.T., the Doctor and his scientific assistant Liz Shaw were able to repel the hostile alien plastic threat.
The Nestenes and the Autons went on to make several further appearances in Doctor Who, including Terror of the Autons, Rose and The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang, as well as in various other spin-off media. However, they would be well served by a new episode in the Chibnall era, where perhaps the Nestenes’ ability to control all forms of plastic could be explored more creatively. Whatever the case, a return for the terrifying Autons is definitely overdue!
Likelihood of return: 20/1
THE FOURTH DOCTOR
1. Krynoids
The Krynoids were killer alien plants that first appeared in the classic Tom Baker adventure The Seeds of Doom. They came to Earth in a pair of seed pods that arrived in Antartica. The Krynoids infected human hosts before mutating to gigantic sizes. With modern day CGI, the Krynoids could make a terrifying return to Doctor Who that outdoes their somewhat unconvincing appearance in their original adventure. The Krynoids could attack another giant, Georgian manor – perhaps they could feature in an adventure set in the past with a famous historical figure who has an interest in plants.
Likelihood of return: 30/1
2. The Rutan Host
Anyone who has seen the aggressive warriors, the Sontarans, would be surprised to learn that their mortal enemies are in fact shape-shifting, green blobs called the Rutans. A Rutan Scout first appeared in the beloved Tom Baker serial Horror of Fang Rock. But apart from a cameo in the online adventure game The Gunpowder Plot, they have yet to make a proper return to the series. The Rutans could be served well by modern CGI. Plus the Rutans can shape shift into other people, which would make the story more intriguing and would also save on the budget. The Rutans have yet to fight the Sontarans onscreen, so it would also be interesting to see them both in close combat in the new series.
Likelihood of return: 40/1
3. Ogri
The ancient, sentient stones known as the Ogri first appeared in the fantastic Tom Baker adventure The Stones of Blood. In this story, the Ogri killed people that touched them by sucking their blood out of them. The Ogri were servants of the Cessair of Diplos, who was a criminal from another planet. They were such a conceptually chilling foe that they would benefit from a subsequent reappearance in the show. It would be fun to explore the origins of the Ogri by visiting their home planet of Ogros, and Doctor Who‘s budget could certainly realise this well now.
Likelihood of return: 50/1
THE FIFTH DOCTOR
1. Nyssa
Nyssa of Traken found herself aboard the TARDIS after her father was killed by the Master, who also took over his body. Nyssa joined the Doctor, Tegan and Adric on their travels through time and space. She encountered the mysterious Monarch, the chilling Cybermen and the terrifying Terileptils. However, eventually Nyssa tired of her travels with the Doctor, and elected to stay behind and help the patients in the space hospital Terminus. It was a touching farewell and left Nyssa’s future uncertain. An older Nyssa later travelled with the TARDIS team on Big Finish. But Nyssa’s often quite underwritten character could be given a new lease of life if she were brought back to the programme in the 21st Century.
Likelihood of return: 80/1
2. Tegan Jovanka
‘Mouth on legs’ Tegan Jovanka was certainly one of the Doctor’s feistier companions. Loud, strong and spiky, Tegan often berated the Fifth Doctor for his inability to return her to Heathrow Airport where she worked as an air hostess. Similarly to Nyssa, Tegan’s aunt Vanessa fell victim to the villainous Master. Tegan was an unwilling companion initially. However, after a brief spell away from the TARDIS, Tegan made a triumphant return in Arc of Infinity. Tegan’s aggressive side was exploited by the malignant Mara, a snake-like creature that possessed Tegan’s body. After initially thinking herself to be free of the dark serpent after the events of Kinda, Tegan found to her horror that the Mara was able to take her over again when the TARDIS team visited the planet Manussa in Snakedance. A potential future episode that features the return of the Mara (more on that later) could bring back Tegan for a third and final encounter with the creature. It would also show to us whether the Thirteenth Doctor would be more capable of actually taking Tegan back to Heathrow airport!
Likelihood of return: 50/1
3. The Mara
The Mara was a serpentine alien being from a different dimension, that first came to our reality through a conduit on the planet Manussa, leading to the rise of the Sumaran Empire. The Mara had a gigantic snake-like appearance, but it also possessed unfortunate people, such as the Doctor’s companion Tegan Jovanka, which occurred during the events of Kinda and Snakedance.
Although giant snakes have appeared in the modern version of Doctor Who (most notably Colony Sarff in The Magician’s Apprentice/The Witch’s Familiar), the Mara would be well served by a CGI budget, as we saw a glimpse of in the DVD release of Kinda. If the Mara were to possess the Doctor’s companion Yaz, the stakes may well be higher this time; as the programme has already hinted at a more intimate relationship between the Doctor and Yaz.
Likelihood of return: 30/1
4. Terileptils
Contrary to popular historical opinion, the Great Fire of London was not started by any man-made cause in Pudding Lane, but was instead the product of a skirmish between the Doctor and a group of intelligent reptilian aliens known as the Terileptils. The Terileptils were criminal refugees from the prison planet Raaga, where they had been sentenced to mine for tinclavic. In order to wipe out humanity, the Terileptils infected rats with a deadly plague and sent them out into the sewers of London, creating the Black Death, whilst simultaneously terrorising the local English villagers with an android dressed as the Grim Reaper.
The Terileptils made one appearance in the original series of Doctor Who, in the Fifth Doctor story The Visitation. However, they were also mentioned in the episodes The Pandorica Opens, The Time of the Doctor and The Woman Who Lived – the latter featured the Doctor shifting the blame to them for starting the great fire of London (the Doctor actually dropped the misfiring gun which started it – the fibber!). The Terileptils could be realised well with modern prosthetics and a high budget. But it would also be interesting to see the Doctor encounter this reptilian race again in a different historical setting. Perhaps she will get her own back on the Terileptils for originally destroying her sonic screwdriver!
Likelihood of return: 25/1
5. The Black Guardian
Another obvious contender as a returning monster would be the Black Guardian, a being that roamed the cosmos causing chaos and destruction. The Black Guardian attempted to steal the Key to Time from the Fourth Doctor shortly after he and Romana had assembled it in The Armageddon Factor. He later returned to terrorise the Fifth Doctor and wreak revenge on him, first by sending an agent named Turlough to murder the Doctor in Mawdryn Undead.
After failing to bring himself to finally kill the Doctor in Terminus, Turlough was given one final chance to carry out his side of the bargain that he made with the Black Guardian. However, Turlough’s morality overrode his instructions to kill his new friend, in Enlightenment. He rejected the Black Guardian’s darker nature. However, it would be interesting to see the Guardian return to influence another of the Doctor’s new companions. Perhaps we may even meet a completely new Guardian altogether?
Likelihood of return: 17/1
<INSERT PHOTO WITH STEVE GALLAGHER HERE>
6. Tractators
An oft-overlooked adventure during the 80s called Frontios pitted the good Doctor against the woodlice-like creatures known as the Tractators. These strange beings had the power to control gravity and could effectively ‘use the Force’ (Star Wars-style) to suck victims beneath the Earth. Giant Woodlice have appeared in the new series of Doctor Who in the episode Knock Knock, but it would be fascinating to watch a return for these bizarre monsters on a higher budget in the modern era. Given that Chibnall borrowed some ideas from Frontios for his two-part story The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood, it is possible that the current Doctor Who showrunner is a fan of the Tractators and that could make their return more likely.
Likelihood of return: 60/1
THE SIXTH DOCTOR
- Sil & the Mentors
On the planet Thoros Beta, the Mentors (from Thoros Alpha) experiment on the lesser species native there. Lord Kiv leads the slug-like Mentors, amongst which is the greedy and slimy Sil. Sil first appeared in Vengeance on Varos, where he was involved in the commercial exploitation of the prison planet Varos, which was home to a precious mineral called Zeiton-7 ore. Sil tricked the Varosians into believing that the element was almost worthless, for his own financial ends. But the Doctor and Peri were able to intervene and show that Sil was duping the governor of Varos.
When the Doctor and Peri next encountered Sil in The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp, Sil and the Mentors experimented on both of them, causing the Doctor’s mind to be affected and Peri to ultimately be killed. The stakes were much higher and the Time Lords were forced to intervene and extract the Doctor from the unfolding events. Sil seemingly met his end at this point. But with Sil himself making a recent return in the spin-off fan production Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor, Nabil Shaban could easily make an appearance as Sil in the new series of Doctor Who proper.
Likelihood of return: 30/1
2. The Rani
The Rani was a renegade female Time Lord who was a contemporary of the Doctor at university on Gallifrey. She was a brilliant scientist who felt that the ends justified the means, leading her to embark on diabolical schemes that often involved experimentation on ‘lesser’ species, as was the case in both The Mark of the Rani and Time and the Rani. With the advent of a female Doctor, the need for another female Time Lord in the programme may seem unnecessary at the moment. But it would still be interesting to see the 13th Doctor spar against another female Time Lord, such as Missy or the Rani.
Steven Moffat ruled out the return of the Rani in 2012 on the grounds that she was too obscure a classic villain to make an appearance in the revived series. With Chris Chibnall himself recently stating that he feels that most of the iconic monsters from classic Doctor Who have already been brought back and that he wants to instead focus on bringing back monsters that have been in the last 15 years of the new series so far, this makes a return for the Rani ever more unlikely.
Likelihood of return: 40/1
3. Vervoids
On the spaceship Hyperion III, Professor Lasky and her scientific team are transporting a collection of pods containing genetically engineered humanoid plants called Vervoids. Whilst they are the not first killer plants that have been seen in Doctor Who, the Vervoids were certainly a notable adversary of the Sixth Doctor. Although the Doctor commits genocide and seemingly wipes out the Vervoids during the events of The Trial of a Time Lord: Terror of the Vervoids, it is possible that some of these plant creatures could have survived and make a return in the Chibnall era of the programme (although with perhaps more appropriate costumes!).
Likelihood of return: 70/1
4. The Valeyard
At the end of the season-long story The Trial of a Time Lord, the Doctor was confronted with a horrifying revelation – that the court prosecutor at his trial by the Time Lords was in fact an evil, potential future incarnation of himself! The Valeyard is an amalgamation of the darker sides of the Doctor’s nature, from “somewhere between [his] twelfth and final incarnations”, according to the Master. Whilst the Valeyard has made numerous appearances in other Doctor Who media, such as the Big Finish audios (where he is also played by the superb Michael Jayston), he has yet to make a proper return to the new series. It would be a shock for the audience if the Doctor were to suddenly regenerate into this dark and mysterious figure known only as the Valeyard. It would reward long term viewers and tie up some of the loose ends left by the events of The Trial of a Time Lord: The Ultimate Foe. Chibnall himself grew up watching this era of the programme, so a return for the Valeyard in the near future is not entirely off the cards.
Likelihood of return: 50/1
THE SEVENTH DOCTOR
- Ace
One of the most popular companions from the classic era of Doctor Who was Ace, who originally travelled with the 7th Doctor. Ace was a strong and resourceful person who often saved the Doctor from many scrapes. Her time on the show saw many personal stories for Ace such as Dragonfire, Ghost Light, The Curse of Fenric and Survival. In The Sarah Jane Adventures episode Death of the Doctor, it is mentioned that Ace now runs a charity called A Charitable Earth and is now a millionaire. The trailer for the Doctor Who: The Collection Season 26 Blu Ray Box-Set teased this beautifully and it was so tantalising that I think the audience would be cheated if it weren’t to see Ace return to the programme in some capacity, whether that be as a one-off appearance or her very own spin-off series! Ace Adventures, anyone?
Likelihood of return: 25/1
THE NINTH DOCTOR
1. Reapers
Father’s Day was one of the highlights of the exemplary first series of the revival of Doctor Who in 2005, not least because it featured the introduction of the terrifying, bat-like Reapers. One could argue that it is somewhat of a plot hole that the time vortex-dwelling Reapers have never reappeared in a single subsequent Doctor Who episode that involves a time paradox. It would be interesting to see them return in perhaps another emotionally charged adventure involving the Doctor’s companion changing a significant event in their own personal history.
Likelihood of return: 60/1
<INSERT PHOTO WITH SHAUN DINGWALL HERE>
THE TENTH DOCTOR
1. Sycorax
The Sycorax were a war-like race that first appeared in The Christmas Invasion and went on to make several subsequent cameos, most recently in Revolution of the Daleks. The Sycorax came to Earth with the intention of enslaving half of its population. Thankfully, the Doctor defeated the Sycorax leader in a swordfight and banished the Sycorax. Harriet Jones ordered Torchwood to destroy the Sycorax spaceship (Margaret Thatcher, Belgrano-style). However, there are many more Sycorax out there in space and it would be fun to revisit them as a species. They were underused previously and it would a pleasant surprise for the Doctor to re-encounter them in a full adventure.
Likelihood of return: 30/1
2. The Trickster
The Trickster is widely accepted as the best monster from the spin-off series The Sarah-Jane Adventures. Its servants, the Trickster’s Brigade, first appeared in the Doctor Who episode Turn Left. But despite meeting the Doctor himself in the SJA, the Trickster has yet to appear in Doctor Who proper. It would be fascinating to see this ancient and mysterious creature confront the Time Lord again, as there is a lot of untapped narrative potential there. Maybe the Trickster could present the Doctor or her companions with a terrible choice once again, with potentially Earth-shattering consequences?
Likelihood of return: 35/1
THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR
1. The Flesh
The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People is an underrated story that I feel explores some of the darkest aspects of human nature and encourages us to confront perhaps our worst possible enemies: ourselves. The Flesh were frightening monsters, realised with some incredible prosthetics. I don’t feel like they reached their full potential in the episodes that they appeared in. So I think that it would be fun for us to revisit these creatures in the near future, perhaps in a space station setting to ramp up the claustrophobia and tension. Maybe once again, the Doctor could be cloned and have to face a ganger version of herself.
Likelihood of return: 25/1
2. The Whisper Men
In The Name of the Doctor, we met the latest henchmen of the Great Intelligence: the terrifying Whisper Men. The Whisper Men abducted the Paternoster Gang and brought them to Trenzalore, where the Doctor was forced to reveal his greatest secret to Clara Oswald. With their eyeless faces and sharp teeth combined with their indestructibility, the Whisper Men were a formidable foe. If the Great Intelligence were to return in the future (although there is no pressing need for it), perhaps in a story also featuring the Yeti, the Whisper Men would make a welcome return to the programme.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ATo5fYReSA
Likelihood of return: 40/1
THE TWELFTH DOCTOR
1. Nardole
Who wouldn’t want to see more of our boy Nardy? He’s not just sexy you know – he can also fly the TARDIS! An actor of Matt Lucas’ comedic talents would be a welcome return to the programme, as the ‘clip’ below demonstrates.
2. The Foretold
In Series 8, the Doctor and Clara encountered a terrifying monster on a space version of the Orient Express, a Mummy! The Doctor previously encountered Mummies in the Tom Baker classic adventure Pyramids of Mars. In Mummy on the Orient Express however, the Foretold (as it was referred to) was a creature that had been a soldier during a great war, but had not yet been switched off. It resultantly began terrorising the passengers onboard the space Orient Express. The Foretold was such a great prosthetic that it is fully deserving of a return to the programme in order to terrorise the Doctor and her companions once again.
Likelihood of return: 17/1
3. The Veil
In Series 9, audiences were treated to one of Doctor Who‘s most ambitious episodes yet. Heaven Sent was a one-hander episode starring just Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and one other strange, non-speaking alien – the Veil. The Veil was a shuffling, veiled creature that had a corpse-like composition. The Veil worked very well as a one-off villain, but perhaps a similarly personal adventure for the Doctor, such as the confession dial one featured in Heaven Sent, would work well with the inclusion of the Veil.
Likelihood of return: 50/1
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF DOCTOR WHO (2023)
I would take for granted that David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker will all star in the 60th Anniversary specials in 2023. Christopher Eccleston’s involvement cannot be completely ruled out because he has recently signed up to star in a series of Big Finish Ninth Doctor Adventures on audio. It is entirely possible that he may also star in the 60th Anniversary special, as his view on the series seems to have softened over more recent years, particularly following his touring of the Doctor Who convention circuit in America. It could therefore be the case that the 60th will be a modern version of The Five Doctors (1983), starring the five main Doctors from the new series.
Jo Martin could possibly make an appearance in the special, as her Fugitive Doctor was retroactively inserted into the canon by Chibnall himself in 2020. All of the Doctors will likely be represented through archive footage. But perhaps once again, one of the classic Doctors will make an in-the-flesh appearance: maybe Peter Davison or Sylvester McCoy? Paul McGann certainly still looks young enough to pass for the Eighth Doctor. Sadly, of course, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and John Hurt are no longer with us and so will not appear in-the-flesh in the special. But their roles could be recast for the special, as has been been the case with the First Doctor in both The Five Doctors (1983) and Twice Upon a Time (2017), where he was instead portrayed by Richard Hurndall and David Bradley respectively.
NOTABLE CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO MONSTERS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REINTRODUCED, BUT THEIR STORIES HAVE BEEN RETOLD IN THE MODERN ERA WITH THE USE OF A NEW MONSTER (SEE NEXT TABLE)
THE FIRST DOCTOR
- Sensorites >
- Monoids > Ood
THE THIRD DOCTOR
- Azal > The Beast
- Giant Maggots > Mutant Spiders
THE FOURTH DOCTOR
- Voc Robots > Heavenly Hosts
Chris Olsen's TARDIS 