The 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who are three additional episodes that follow the programme's thirteenth series. The specials aired on BBC One on 1 January, 17 April, and 23 October, respectively. They are the final episodes to be overseen by Chris Chibnall as showrunner. Chibnall wrote all three specials, co-writing the second with Ella Road. They were directed by Annetta Lauger, Haolu Wang, and Jamie Magnus Stone, respectively.

The specials star Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor as well as Mandip Gill and John Bishop as her time-travelling companions, Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis. Whittaker, Gill, and Bishop also departed the series at the end of the third special. The final episode also stars Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding as former companions Ace and Tegan Jovanka.

The first two episodes were produced alongside the preceding series while the third was commissioned later to coincide with the BBC's centenary. Filming took place from June–October 2021 and was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some other members of the production staff also exited the programme once production was complete. The three specials were seen as an improvement on the previous series but received some criticism to the resolution of its overall story arc and saw a decline in viewing figures.

Episodes

Casting

Main characters

Jodie Whittaker returned as the thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor for the three episodes, with the final special being the last regular appearance of Whittaker in the role. Mandip Gill and John Bishop also return as Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis, respectively. Gill and Bishop initially stated they were unsure if they would depart after the third special. but Gill confirmed her departure from the show in the final special on 3 May 2022. while Bishop's exit was confirmed following its broadcast. Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred also headlined the final special, returning to the programme as former companions Tegan Jovanka and Ace. Fielding last appeared in the programme in 1984 while Aldred was last seen in 1989. On their return, Chibnall said he believed Fielding and Aldred's original eras to be representative of specific times in Doctor Whos history.

Guest characters In November 2021, it was reported that Aisling Bea and Pauline McLynn would appear in the New Year's Day special. Bea portrayed Sarah, the owner-operator of ELF self storage. Adjani Salmon appeared as Nick, a regular customer of Sarah's. Nicholas Briggs voiced the Daleks. Jonny Dixon returned from "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (Whittaker's first episode) reprising his role as Karl Wright. Chibnall later revealed that the role of Sarah role was specifically created for Bea while casting Salmon was the idea of Rebecca Roughan, a script editor on the programme.

In "Legend of the Sea Devils", Crystal Yu was cast to play Madame Ching while Arthur Lee and Marlowe Chan-Reeves guest starred as Ji-Hun and Ying Ki. David K. S. Tse appeared as Ying Wai while Craig Els played Marsissus, the chief Sea Devil. Nadia Albina returned from series 13 as Diane.

"The Power of the Doctor" featured the largest number of returning characters. Sacha Dhawan and Patrick O'Kane reprised their roles as the Spy Master and Ashad respectively. Both Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart) and Jacob Anderson (Vinder) returned from series 13, the former having reprised her role after six years. Briggs once again voiced the Daleks, as well as the Cybermen. The episode saw David Bradley, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann and Jo Martin make cameo roles as previous incarnations of the Doctor. Davison stated he was delighted to return and that he was "always very happy to come back." McCoy felt very emotional about his return and was glad to finally give closure to the Seventh Doctor and Ace.

While Chibnall had planned to include Tom Baker due to scheduling conflicts this was not possible. Chibnall did not ask Christopher Eccleston, Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi as he wanted the focus on the classic Doctors. David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor, is introduced as the Fourteenth Doctor.

Bradley Walsh guest starred as Graham O'Brien, a former companion of the Thirteenth Doctor. Actors of other former companions, Ian Chesterton, Jo Jones and Mel Bush, portrayed by William Russell, Katy Manning and Bonnie Langford, appear together in a brief cameo near the end of the episode. In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Langford described her appearance in the episode as being "last minute" and was pleased with the fan reception to the scene. Russell's appearance set a record for longest gap between TV appearances.

Production Development

On 29 July 2021, the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) announced that Chris Chibnall, who serves as executive producer and showrunner of Doctor Who, would depart the series alongside Whittaker after a run of specials in 2022. Chibnall stated their departures were part of a "three series and out deal" he made with Whittaker prior to the eleventh series. Whittaker furthered this sentiment, stating "We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together."

The first two specials were produced as part of the eight episodes ordered for the thirteenth series. The BBC's Chief Content Officer, Charlotte Moore, later commissioned a third special which would be feature-length to coincide with the centenary of the BBC and serve as Whittaker's regeneration episode. It was also the 300th Doctor Who story since the programme's inception in 1963.

Ahead of the final special airing, it was reported that executive producer Matt Strevens and Nikki Wilson, a co-executive producer, would also depart once production on the centenary special was complete. Strevens originally joined the series alongside Chibnall. Wilson had been a part of the show since "The Sontaran Stratagem" (2008), and also worked on its spin-off show, The Sarah Jane Adventures. Composer Segun Akinola later announced that he would not return after the final special.

Writing

Chibnall continues as the head writer for the traditional New Year's special "Eve of the Daleks", which features the Daleks in a loose trilogy that connects their appearances in the past New Year's specials, "Resolution" (2019) and "Revolution of the Daleks" (2021). Chibnall also wrote the following two specials, co-writing the second, "Legend of the Sea Devils", with Ella Road. The second special features the return of the Sea Devils in their first appearance since Warriors of the Deep (1984). This episode included pirate-themed elements which Chibnall wanted to include after plans for a similar story fell through during production of the thirteenth series. One of Road's major contributions to this special was the addition of the historical figure Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Madam Ching.

The third and final special, "The Power of the Doctor", sees the Daleks, the Cybermen, and The Master. It is the first episode to feature all three in the same story. Reportedly, Chibnall had planned to include the Master in the next regeneration story since the twelfth series and had reached out to Sacha Dhawan, who portrayed the Master, for suggestions on how to incorporate the character. Dhawan said he wanted to explore the theme of the Master's disguises, which was used as a major plot thread of the episode. Chibnall also included a number of Easter eggs and cameos in this episode from past Doctor Who actors. He cited the extended length of the special as the reason for this. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies penned the episode's final moments.

The three episodes explored an overarching plot of a potential same sex romance between the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz. Chibnall and Strevens revealed that this narrative was not originally in the plans for the story arc of the characters, but that they chose to incorporate it into the programme after viewers began shipping them and began referring to the two as "Thasmin". Road also contributed to this storyline in her episode, stating that it "felt really special" to write and mentioning that she is queer herself.

The writing team ultimately opted for the two characters not to kiss on screen, with Chibnall explaining that it felt more emotional than if they had. After the episode aired Chibnall also said that if he "had to make a decision about Yaz and the Thirteenth Doctor again, he would make it differently". The specials also furthered other threads, such as that around "the timeless child", which began in previous series', and the impact of the Doctor's impending regeneration.

Filming

Filming for the first two specials occurred in the same production run as the thirteenth series, also known as Flux. The majority of soundstage filming took place at Roath Lock Studios (pictured) in Cardiff, Wales. Production on all episodes was affected by the impact of COVID-19 on television leading to virtual meetings, budgetary concerns, and travel constraints.

Annetta Laufer directed "Eve of the Daleks" which was filmed in Bristol in June 2021 with cinematographer Robin Whenary. Laufer was hired after a producer was impressed with some of her previous work. Laufer and Whenary used cinematic techniques while recording the episode.

Filming for "Legend of the Sea Devils" followed throughout June and July with a mix of sound stage and location shooting. Haolu Wang made her television directorial debut with this episode while Mark Waters was the episode's cinematographer. Some recording took place at Sully Beach and Cardiff Bay. Principal photography wrapped on this special by 25 July.

"The Power of the Doctor" filmed in Cardiff in September and October with director Jamie Magnus Stone. Some filming occurred at Hodge House, Grange Gardens, and the Gate Arts Centre. The regeneration scene was filmed on a green screen which was overlaid on backdrop footage recorded elsewhere. The main cast concluded filming their scenes by 13 October, but additional photography continued the following day. Whittaker stated that filming her regeneration scene "was singularly the most emotional day on set" and that "it was a wonderfully-celebratory-slash-grief-ridden day". The three specials were in picture lock by February 2022 while post-production and visual effects work continued later into the year. The final moments of "The Power of the Doctor" were filmed on 13 May 2022, also on a green screen, with Rachel Talalay directing, as Stone was unavailable.

Production blocks were arranged as follows:

Block Episode Director Writer(s) Producer 1 New Year's special: "Eve of the Daleks" Annetta Laufer Chris Chibnall Sheena Bucktowonsing 2 Easter special: "Legend of the Sea Devils" Haolu Wang Ella Road and Chris Chibnall Nikki Wilson 3 BBC Centenary special: "The Power of the Doctor" Jamie Magnus Stone Chris Chibnall

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