Fans of iconic British sci-fi series “Doctor Who” received an early Christmas present on Friday when BBC released a sneak peek at the annual Christmas special, which traditionally airs on Dec. 25.
In this first-look clip (above), the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) is seen entering the TARDIS along with a familiar face: himself, or at least an earlier version of himself.
In fact, the upcoming special finds the current Doctor (the 12th) meeting the first Doctor, with David Bradley (“Game of Thrones”, “The Strain”) portraying the Doctor as played by actor William Hartnell in the show when it debuted in the early 1960s (fun fact: Bradley had previously portrayed Hartnell, and his Doctor, in a made-for-TV BBC biopic about the origins of “Doctor Who”, 2013’s “An Adventure in Space and Time”).
As for how the Doctor winds up meeting his previous incarnation, that will no doubt be kept under wraps until the special debuts on Christmas Day.
As if watching duelling Doctors isn’t enough reason for fans to tune in, the upcoming special also marks the final appearance of Capaldi in the role, as the character will presumably die and regenerate into a new form: Jodie Whittaker (“Broadchurch”), who’ll be taking over the role in the upcoming season — the first time a woman has ever been cast in the role.
