New details have been revealed about an upcoming Doctor Who adventure for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, with the new series’ fourth episode – called Arachnids in the UK (see what they did there) – set to see the Tardis team take on mysterious spiders in Sheffield.


According to a new release from the BBC, the new story will see the Doctor and co return to Sheffield and meet Yaz’s (Mandip Gill) family, before realising something strange is happening to the eight-legged residents of the city.

The episode will also guest star The Good Wife and Sex and the City’s Chris Noth and Coronation Street’s Shobna Gulati in as-yet-unknown roles.

You can read the full episode synopsis below:

“Something’s happening with the spiders in this city.” The Doctor, Yaz, Graham and Ryan find their way back to Yorkshire – and Yaz’s family – only to find something is stirring amidst the eight-legged arachnid population of Sheffield. Guest starring Chris Noth and Shobna Gulati. Written by Chris Chibnall. Directed by Sallie Aprahamian.

The confirmed story chimes in with scenes in the most recent series 11 trailer that seemed to show Ryan and Graham (Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh) finding a strange egg and then being chased by a giant spider, as well as an earlier-released picture of Gulati’s character in a room full of webs (below).

Along with the synopsis the BBC have also released an image of a scientist character from the episode played by Tanya Fear (note the spider diagram behind her in the main image), as well as a new picture of Vinette Robinson’s Rosa Parks from the series’ already-announced third episode, Rosa.

And considering Arachnids in the UK is set to air on Sunday 28th October this year, the closest the series will get to Hallowe’en on the 31st, it may be that we are in for a seriously scary ride with this episode…


Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Sundays