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The Doctor arrived at last in Gloucester's hour of need.

The city witnessed thuggish intergalactic police the Judoon marching in front of the Cathedral, but the Time Lord herself was nowhere to be seen.

Thankfully, she has arrived in the guise of actor Jodie Whittaker who was photographed in Gloucester.

She spent time with fans gathered outside the Cathedral, posing for pictures and chatting before going back to save the world.

(Image: Aaron Constant)

The Judoon are on a mission for a new Doctor Who episode that is set in, and being filmed in, the city.

The episode was filmed on Wednesday, May 22 and Thursday, May 23 in Gloucester and is due to be broadcast during the new series next year.

And below is what we have learned from the action on set.

When is the episode set?

(Image: Phil Norris)

We know it is set in the present day, based on BBC publicity for the episode that was released under a 9pm embargo on Tuesday.

But it was also clear from the extras who were wearing modern-day dress and an A-board prop advertising a Discover Gloucester tour, that this is not a historical of futuristic adventure for the TARDIS and her crew.

So, the episode will very much be based in the city - 11 years after the 10th Doctor, David Tennant, filmed the 2008 Christmas special The Next Doctor in the Cathedral's grounds.

That episode, however, was set during the Victorian era with extras and co-stars wearing period costumes.

(Image: Ed Stilliard)

It kick-started David Tennant's final lap as The Doctor ahead of a number of 'special' episodes ahead of his departure and replacement by Matt Smith in 2010.

How the good folk of Gloucester are seen react to rank and file Judoon police officers marching through the city remains to be seen.

It is understood that filming takes place within the Cathedral on Thursday, so we are not sure if there will be any more location filming around Gloucester.

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What is the plot?

It's probably not too much of a stretch to make this suggestion (all a guess).

The episode could start with a group of tourists on a bus in Gloucester, run by friendly tour guide Ruth Clayton.

As they marvel at the rich heritage of Gloucester, their tour takes a deadly turn as the Judoon are sent to Earth.....

Their mission clearly involves uncovering some 'crime' with showrunner Chris Chibnall saying: "If anyone has anything to hide, confess now."

Ominously, it seems the Judoon are taking no prisoners and will stop at nothing to complete their mission.

One dramatic scene will see guest star Neil Stuke (you'd have seen him in BBC legal drama Silk and 90s sitcom Game On), help Ruth flee the Judoon, as seen in these great pictures by Luke Williams @Luke_1290.

(Image: Luke Williams @Luke_1290.)

We also know that a scene will see the Judoon 'transmatting' down in front of the Cathdral.

On Thursday, there were multiple takes of the creatures by film crews with the actors in the heavy black suits and helmets.

Transmatting (think Star Trek teleporting) is the Judoon's way of travelling and stands for transmission of matter.

And, spoiler alert, we guess the Doctor comes in and saves Gloucester and the Earth with her loyal companions Graham (Bradley Walsh), Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole).

This could see the Doctor working out her masterplan of world salvavtion within the Cathedral, as it is understood filming takes place in the building on Thursday.

So, the episode could see Judoon-based terror on the inside, and Doctor working out a way to save everyone inside the Cathedral.

Of course, there has been no sign of a TARDIS on the streets of Gloucester, so maybe her time machine will materialise in the Cloisters - where, of course, scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed.

(Image: Sophie Mutevelian/BBC)

Who is Ruth Clayton?

She’s clearly an accredited tour guide who presumably sees one of her usual travels around the city turn into something a lot more sinister.

Her friendly face is used to publicise the tours that run every day from the front of the Cathedral at 10am, noon and 2pm.

Some dialogue which was overhead seems to make some reference to a Gloucester accent.

It will be interesting to see whether she is an early casualty in the episode, is someone who helps The Doctor, or has something to hide herself.

People who help out the Doctor have a mixture of fates, to say the least.

They can be swiftly dispatched, sacrifice themselves for others, or end up on the wrong side of the Doctor (where no one wants to be)

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When will it be on?

We know that there is no full series of Doctor Who this year, with the BBC saying the show returns early in 2020.

Assuming it starts in January, and there are another 10 episodes, we should see it sometime between January and March.

The last series made a virtue of stand-alone stories (as opposed to some of the long series' arcs from the Matt Smith era and two-parters from the Peter Capaldi era).

(Image: BBC/PA)

There is some chatter on twitter that the episode being filmed in Gloucester will be the sixth in the series - so a classic mid-season Monster of the Week installment is possible.

And it should get good viewing figures in Gloucester, as the city looks set to be very well featured in the episode.

As well as all the scenes in College Green, the Cathedral itself will be a real guest star of the episode with interior scenes being filmed on Thursday.

Here's all we know about series 12 so far

It's not always easy being a Doctor Who fan.

Many have been burned by the series' long hiatus from 1989 to 2005 (apart from a TV movie) and there is always a fear it will be permanently canned.

But, they cling to the show's longevity stretching back to 1963 and it's triumphant re-birth in 2005 when writer Russell T Davies brought it back with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.

It has since gone through more changes, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and now Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, and the showrunning role passing from Davies to Steven Moffat and now Chris Chibnall.

Here's is what information we have managed to glean ahead of the next series

When will the new series be on?

(Image: BBC / BBC Studios)

The BBC has said there will be no more new episodes of Doctor Who in 2019 but confirmed the show's return in 2020.

This year hasn't been Doctor-free, however, as there was an episode, Resolution, on New Year's Day - which had a guest appearance from GCHQ when a Dalek crashed through its roof.

It means there will, for a second year in a row, no Christmas Day episode of Doctor Who.

The BBC director general, Tony Hall, said series 12 is due to air "very early in 2020".

Jodie has said of her return to the role: "I really can’t wait to step back in and get to work again. It’s such an incredible role. It’s been an extraordinary journey so far and I’m not quite ready to hand it over yet,."

Who will be starring?

The gang - or 'fam' as the Doctor annoyingly called them - are all returning

So, we'll see Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor, travelling through space and time with Bradley Walsh (Graham), Mandip Gill (Yasmin) and Tosin Cole (Ryan).

Apparently, the younger cast members refer Walsh (who also hosts ITV quiz show The Chase) as 'dad', he said on the red carpet ahead of the BAFTAS.

What are show bosses saying?

(Image: BBC)

Showrunner Chris Chibnall said when announcing the show's 12 series during the show's run last year: “We’re off again! Well we never actually stopped - as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we’ve been busy with a whole new set of action packed adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor.

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"We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can’t wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!”

Charlotte Moore, Director of Content added, “We’re delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020.

"I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures.”

What do we know about the episode being filmed in Gloucester?

(Image: BBC/PA)

"No! Sho! Blo!," showrunner Chris Chibnall said.

"The Judoon are storming back into Doctor Who in full force and the streets of Gloucester aren't safe.

"If anyone has anything to hide, confess now. The Judoon are taking no prisoners and will stop at nothing to fulfil their mission!"

(Image: Luke Williams/twitter @luke_1290)

He added: "The whole team on Doctor Who are delighted and scared in equal measure to welcome them back, one of many treats we've got in store for viewers next series."

"And we're over the moon (with Judoon), to be welcoming the wondrous Neil Stuke as guest star. We can't wait to show you what happens when his path crosses with the Thirteenth Doctor."

How were the ratings?

(Image: BBC)

The BBC were delighted when the first episode last year had a consolidated audience of 11 million viewers.

The episode was requested 3.7 million times on iPlayer and was in the top 10 programmes of 2018.

The series had switched from a traditional Saturday night to Sunday night slot for the series.

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Ratings then dipped across the 11 episodes (ten episodes in the series and one New Year's Day special), down to 6.42m.

The audience appreciation index remained high at between 79 and 83 per cent.

There was some controversy over what were dubbed 'politically correct' stories, including one featuring Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights movements in the United States (Rosa) and the partition of India (Demons Of The Punjab).

When did filming begin for series 12?

An image was tweeted out by the production team on January 23, of the cast in South Africa.

There are also reports that filming has taken place in Cardiff - where many previous episodes of the series have been filmed - as well as spin-off Torchwood which starred John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness.

How safe is the Doctor's future?

(Image: Sophie Mutevelian/BBC)

Series 12 is clearly happening and press reports from 2017 suggested a plan taking the show to series 15.

Whether Jodie will hang around, or Chibnall, will depend on a number of factors - not just ratings, but oversea sales as well.

What day will it be on?

BBC bosses are planning on moving the show to its original evening slot after a ratings decline last year, the Mirror has reported.

An insider revealed: “There is a feeling families are freer to watch on Saturdays than Sundays, when kids have homework to finish.

"While the show rated well overall, there were concerns over the decline in audience.

“Returning to Saturdays is being discussed as a likely option.”

When was the show last in Gloucester?

The area outside the Cathedral was transformed into a winter scene from Victorian London back in April 2008 when David Tennant filmed scenes for the Christmas special, The Next Doctor.

It was an episode that featured the Cybermen, guest starred Dervla Kirwan, and attracted 11.71million viewers.

Scenes from the series have also been filmed at Puzzlewood in the Forest of Dean and on a train line near Winchcombe for Flatline, an episode with Peter Capaldi as the Doctor and filmed in 2014.

Who are the 13 official incarnations of the Doctor?

William Hartnell 1963 to 1966 Patrick Troughton 1966 to 1969 Jon Pertwee 1970 to 1974 Tom Baker 1974 to 1981 Peter Davison 1981 to 1984 Colin Baker 1984 to 1986 Sylvester McCoy 1987 to 1989 Paul McGann 1996 Eighth Doctor Christopher Eccleston 2005 David Tennant 2005 to 2010 Matt Smith 2010-2013 Peter Capaldi 2013 to 2017 Jodie Whittaker 2018 -

Other actors to have played The Doctor include John Hurt, dubbed The War Doctor, who came between the eighth and ninth Doctor. Peter Cushing also played the character on the big screen in two adventures in the 1960s: Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D (1966)

New virtual episode released

A virtual reality episode, called Doctor Who: The Runaway , is out in the UK and can be viewed on a range of VR headsets after its release on Thursday, May 16.

This new Doctor Who virtual reality experience lets fans travel inside a VR version of the TARDIS.

It means you can wield the sonic screwdriver and follow in the footsteps of previous companions and be at the Doctor's side.

The episode is available a week before film-crews descend on Gloucester Cathedral to record scenes for the next series of the hit BBC sci-fi show.

(Image: BBC)

Jodie Whittaker voices an animated version of the Doctor, who recruits the viewer as her unlikely assistant in a race against time to return a strange and potentially dangerous creature called Volta to his home planet.

Armed with their own sonic screwdriver, it’s down to the viewer to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil in this immersive VR story.

Featuring new original music from series composer Segun Akinola, Doctor Who: The Runaway has been written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, whose previous VR includes Alice, the Virtual Reality Play and The Real Thing VR.