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The new trailer for the new series of Doctor Who gives us a lot to think about. Here’s what jumped out at Alasdair Stuart, both in terms of what we saw and what we didn’t see…

0.04 – Soldiers

There’s a surprising amount of the Doctor around military types in the trailer. At first glance this seems to be from the same episode as the orbital skydiving moment we see later. But I think this is actually a UNIT SWAT team for reasons we’ll see later.

0.17 – Tintin rockets

Hergé’s legendary comics series Tintin followed a boy reporter, his amazing dog, his endlessly terrified sea captain best friend and a rotating cast of kickboxing scientists, twin detectives and others. The series’ racial and gender politics are exactly what you’d expect from their time and have dated horrendously. Two of the few that have aged well are Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon where Tintin and friends become the first people on the Moon. The rocket they take there is a masterpiece of design and it’s influenced science fiction for decades, most recently the original Wallace and Gromit story, A Grand Day Out. That big, friendly, retro style is exactly what we see leaving a planet here. Is this Earth? And is Belinda on one of them?

0.23 – ‘I’m the nurse’

This seems to be one of the first times the Doctor and Belinda meet. Note the IV bags they’re setting up, Belinda doesn’t seem to be joking about being ‘The Nurse’

0.27 – Belinda on the rocket

That huge science fiction portal looks very similar aesthetically to the rockets we just saw. When is Belinda from?

0.31 – Orange Sky

My first blush response to the orange sky and flying saucers attacking a city was, as a lot of people’s was, I suspect ‘GALLIFREY?!’

0.36 – Attack of the Bots

Apparently not though, given we see some very large red robots and a greeting party. My first thought was the robots were a variant of Hydroflax from The Husbands of River Song but they actually look very different when you put them side by side.

0.56 – ‘We are so staying.’

I cannot WAIT for the song contest episode! And neither can the characters!

1.00 – London Eye

Another interesting near callback. The last time we saw the London Eye was when it was being used by the Nestene Consciousness. This seems to be New Year’s Eve in London judging by the fireworks.

1.03 – 2007

The Doctor and Belinda arrive in 2007 and I find myself…wondering. It may be something, it may be nothing but an episode set two years after the show returned? And that date arriving right next to an image from the original return episode? And it’s the same showrunner. Doctor Who absolutely encourages viewers to add two and two together and get Beethoven but… still, I wonder…

1.12 – Burning World

Is this Earth that’s burning? The planet behind it doesn’t quite look right but we’ve seen Earth moved before.

1.10 – Where’s Earth?!

The lack of knowledge of Earth seems like a major part of the season. It also ties into the line later about reality being in peril. Likewise, the explicit connection in the last trailer between Belinda and Mundy Flynn, the role Varada Sethu played in Boom last year.

1.16 – Ruby at UNIT

It’s a small detail but I really love the idea that UNIT run a support network for, and frequently employ, former companions. Hi Ruby!

1.17 – The Doctor Gets Animated

As well as this being a just lovely idea (not to mention a REALLY cool way to do a Doctor lite episode!) the animated episode features Alan Cumming as Mr Ring-a-Ding. Described as a ‘A happy, funny, singalong cartoon, who lives in Sunny Town with his friend Sunshine Sally. However, in 1952, after years of repeats in cinemas across the land, Mr Ring – a – Ding suddenly looks beyond the screen and sees the world outside – and the consequences are terrifying.’

It’s a great idea and it’s also, just maybe, significant in another way. Because this season features two returning cast members, both from contemporary Who. One is Cumming, who played King Charles I in The Witchfinders and the other is Varada Sethu as Belinda, who previously appeared in Boom. What makes it really interesting is her previous character seems to be specifically referenced in the other trailer. Throw in that line about reality breaking down and… well it seems like something is up doesn’t it?

1.46 – ‘Our entire reality is in danger’

That’s the ball game. Reality in the show has been mutable for a while, witness the rise of folklore last season, the events of 73 Yards and now Belinda and Mundy being the same (?) person and reality breaking down. I know a lot of people have End of the World Fatigue but honestly, this feels like a logical progression of a plot that’s been set up since the anniversary specials.

2.00 – Wormholes?

The TARDIS breaks through the clouds we’ve seen it punch through all trailer and briefly faces what seems to be a network of fractures or portals. Is this the timestream? Or are they multiple realities?

2.01 – Colonel Ibrahim

We’re back with the Doctor and the soldiers from the top of the trailer. That looks a lot like Colonel Christopher Ibrahim, who we’ve met a few times.

2.04 – Giant spiders

And we close with a giant spider exploding, Doctor Who everyone! The show has a rich history of big arachnids, but this doesn’t quite look like either a Metebelis III spider or a Racnoss. Although there does seem to be something artificial on it. Is it being ridden? Is it a spider mine?!

Phil Collins

Last one, the trailer music is an orchestral and scaled up version of Take Me Home by Phil Collins, the final track on his third solo album, No Jacket Required.

Mrs Flood

Nowhere in sight. This time…

Doctor Who returns on April 12th