The Doctor and her companions trapped in a time loop, being hunted by Daleks – doesn’t exactly sound like a barrel of laughs, does it?
But according to Doctor Who star Mandip Gill, the show’s New Year’s Day special Eve of the Daleks – which does, of course, feature guest spots from comedy stars Aisling Bea and Adjani Salmon – is in fact “the funniest episode” of the Jodie Whittaker era.
Gill has described the special as a “standalone episode” and so “a really easy access point for anyone that perhaps didn’t watch the series or has never watched Doctor Who” (who are these people?!).
“It’s full of adventure, there’s a lot at stake, particularly for the Doctor but it’s also the funniest episode we’ve done,” she said.
“There’s lots of humour, there’s lots of warmth, romance, and then there’s this really cool storyline in which the gang are stuck in a time loop against the Daleks and unless they break the time loop it’s not going to look good for them.
“It’s a really nice, essentially easy watch but not because there is a lot at stake but at the same time, having come off the back of Flux which has been quite an intense series, it’s a little bit different for people.”
!["Doctor]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/12/New-Dalek-gun-Doctor-Who-1600e5b.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"New")
This chimes with what we’ve heard previously from Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, who previously described Eve of the Daleks as “basically a romantic comedy“.
“The episode is basically a romantic comedy where the obstacle to the romance is not only the characters themselves, but the threat of Daleks,” he told Doctor Who Magazine.
“But there’s still a big, fun, sci-fi concept at the heart of it. It’s got the range of tones, the range of scares, the range of humour, and the range of mystery that you’d want on New Year’s Day.”
Eve of the Daleks traps the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her friends in a festive time loop, hunted by Daleks over and over again in their own personal Groundhog Day.
Read more about Doctor Who:
- Russell T Davies has already written new Doctor Who episodes ahead of November 2023
- Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker talks next Doctor: “I’d choose Lydia West”
- Jodie Whittaker’s lost Doctor Who Christmas specials were a missed opportunity
- John Bishop says he’ll “always be grateful” for time on Doctor Who
Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks comes to BBC One on New Year’s Day 2022 at 7.00pm. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.