Get excited – we’ve seen the first episode for Doctor Who series 9, and it’s suitably epic. Jumping from planet to planet, featuring the return of old friends and enemies and seeing the Doctor in mortal danger, it’s just what we’ve been needing in these 9 lonely months of complete Whoniverse cold-turkey. Hooray!


And while there’s an awful lot we can’t say about it without spoiling the surprise for you, we certainly can spill a few juicy details for you all to enjoy. So here’s what to expect from the Magician’s Apprentice…

The return of an old villain

And it’s not necessarily the one you might be expecting. Oooh, mysterious. Said villain has a pretty cool, snakey henchman too, who you might have seen in some of the trailers (below).

Lots of callbacks to an iconic Doctor Who episode

But no, we’re not going to tell you which one. Sorry!

The Doctor goes sonicless

Just what happens to his sonic screwdriver, and why he lost it in the first place, is more important than you might realise.

Missy is just as crazy as ever

Even if her motives are a little different this time, she’s still mad, bad and dangerous to know. Or even stand near.

Missy and the Doctor’s past is revealed

Thought the Master and the Doctor were arch-nemeses? Think again. They’re frenemies for life, and now it’s possible they’re closer than ever before.

The Shadow Proclamation return

Last seen in The Stolen Earth, these intergalactic space police have a role to play in the series opener – and yes, that involves a cheeky return for the rhino-like Judoon as well.

The Sisterhood of Karn are back too

It’s like This is Your Lives in here! Last seen in Day of the Doctor prequel Night of the Doctor, the sisterhood have special knowledge of the Time Lords’ regeneration processes – but what’s their role in the Doctor’s disappearance?

Classic series Daleks get busy

The series 9 trailer revealed that we’d be seeing the return of some old Dalek designs, but they’re not just there for show as they were in 2012’s Asylum of the Daleks. Let’s just say that they’re pretty involved in the episode – especially one of the 1963 editions.

Peter Capaldi rocks out

The actor’s early days in a band were not wasted – believe it or not, he has some great musical moments with a guitar in this episode. We’re awaiting his cover of Doctorin’ the Tardis any day now.

And finally…one or two characters might be meeting their end

Steven Moffat loves to toy with our emotions, and let’s just say that the Magician’s Apprentice ends with one hell of a cliffhanger in that regard. All bets are off this year…

Doctor Who: The Magician’s Apprentice will air on BBC1 on the 19th September


Get your tickets to see Peter Capaldi and Steven Moffat LIVE at the Radio Times Festival at Hampton Court in London on Friday 25th September