Doctor Who's 2020 Holiday Special, "Revolution of the Daleks," will air on New Year's Day in both the United Kingdom and America. However, the return of Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor and her 'Fam' isn't an entirely happy affair as, although Captain Jack Harkness is returning, two of the show's stars are set to leave following the special.
Both Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole, who play Graham O'Brien and Ryan Sinclair, respectively, will be departing from the series following "Revolution of the Daleks." Reflecting on their departure and what it means to the Doctor, Walsh promised how the Holiday Special is going to be "very, very dramatic." He boiled down their exit to one word: poignant. "It is quite sad and poignant is the word. You can expect a lot of poignancy from the episode."
Looking back on their experiences working on the long-running sci-fi show, Walsh shared how his personal highlight was working in Wales with Doctor Who's crew. He explained how he "[...] absolutely loved it, loved it. Wales has become like a second home to me and being included in something so iconic and ground-breaking with the advent of having a female Doctor, that whole thing where Chibnall sold that to me, it didn't disappoint, and I loved working with those guys." He added how he loved working with Chibnall, labeling the Doctor Who showrunner as a "genius" before praising his co-stars Mandip Gill -- who plays Yasmin Khan in the series -- Cole and the Doctor herself, Whittaker.
When asked about what they would miss most about being a part of Doctor Who, Cole shared how there were "too many things to list" before highlighting the Doctor Who team both on-screen and behind-the-scenes as well as the Whovians that comprise its passionate fanbase. Cole explained how "It's been an honour to work on such a cultural institution with fans across the world. The people like me on the screen come and go, but it's the people behind the scenes and the fans that will always be there keeping the Doctor Who world alive and exciting." Walsh added how he would miss "everyone and everything" to do with the show. He explained how he is in constant contact with everybody and that he already misses them all.
Losing two key members of the Doctor's 'Fam' has understandably affected Whittaker, who has portrayed the Time Lord since her first full appearance in the show in 2018's "The Women Who Fell To Earth." In a statement, Whittacker confessed she is "absolutely devastated" by their departure: "On a personal note, absolutely devastated! Both of them had to carry me to my trailer, I haven't cried like that for such a long time. Brad couldn't cope with it at all! Tosin was like 'I really can't cope with you getting this upset'."
"Revolution of the Daleks" will deliver the reappearance of one of the Doctor's "biggest and most feared enemies" while she is stuck in a high-security alien prison. Meanwhile, back on Earth, her friends Yaz, Ryan and Graham struggle to live their lives without the Doctor. Their attempts at a normal life are shattered, however, when they discover a plan involving the Daleks.
Doctor Who "Revolution of the Daleks" airs on BBC One and BBC America on New Year's Day.
Source: DoctorWho.tv