Doctor Who Series 11 certainly had its naysayers, but without a doubt, it offered a brand-new storytelling lens for the program moving forward. One of the more prominent critiques was the lack of returning creatures, monsters, and characters. Though the new aesthetics and storytelling formats were refreshing, fans still looked for that connective tissue between series past.
Doctor Who always struggles to walk the fine line between reinventing itself and staying true to its history. The show might be defined by change, but it can’t forget its extensive catalog of stories and world building. With the return of the Daleks and Judoon, it looks that Chris Chibnall has taken this lesson to heart. Before Series Twelve premieres, here are some possible aliens and villains that Doctor Who should consider revisiting in future stories.
The Weeping Angels
The Weeping Angels have had an interesting run throughout Doctor Who. Their introductory episode, Blink, is regarded as one of, if not the best, episodes of the entire show. It reinvented what a Doctor Who episode could accomplish in its short runtime and elevated the prestige of the show. Subsequently, further appearances of the monsters have yet to reach the same heights.
Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone were a perfectly serviceable arc, and The Angels Take Manhattan was a heartbreaking farewell to Amy and Rory. But these monsters have not had a bonafide hit since Blink. The Weeping Angels could use another great appearance under their belt. No matter the Doctor, the Angels are an incredible foe.
The Sontarans
To be honest, the Sontarans have yet to be a compelling threat throughout their whole run. Strax was a fan-favorite but eventually overstayed his welcome. Their only other major appearance in the revival, The Sontaran Stratagem/Poison Sky, was far from great (but had some fun commentary on toxic masculinity).
The seeds planted in this Series Four arc could be expanded perfectly by a similar team of writers as assembled for Series Eleven. Series Eleven brought a far more consciously political lens to the series than in the past. Furthering the discussion surrounding these machismo-filled villains would be a perfect addition to Jodie Whittaker’s run.
The Celestial Toymaker
Of course, the revival has rejuvenated the series, but the classic era is full of aliens and villains that are ripe for a revisit. Looking all the way back to the era of the First Doctor, one villain who would be a great returning adversary is The Celestial Toymaker. The imagination behind this character’s creation has incredible potential.
In this lost serial, The Celestial Toymaker captures the Doctor and his companions Dodo and Steven, separating them from the TARDIS. The Toymaker is an alien intelligence who can bend reality at his will. Creating puzzles and games for The Doctor and his companions to tackle, the Toymaker blends the horror of The Dreamlord from Amy’s Choice and classical nursery rhymes wonderfully. It is also implied that The Doctor and the Toymaker have a history, which has never been explored since. This villain would be a great new big bad and has yet to be overused like many other classic villains.
The Kerblam! Man
Without a doubt, one of the biggest complaints of Series Eleven was its lack of memorable villains. None of them were awful, but many of them were fairly forgettable. It made sense for Chibnall to try some new foes after a lot of oversaturation of previous villains, but sadly, none reached the heights Chibnall probably hoped for. None, that is, except for the Kerblam! Man.
One of the most beloved episodes from last season was Kerblam!, a zippy satire on the era of mechanization and online shopping. While Chibnall should bring back some classic foes, he should also stay true to himself and continue his successes from this past series. Adding a small cameo from a Kerblam! Man would be a great callback to one of the more universally-enjoyed aspects of Series Eleven.
Omega
One thing that Doctor Who has been missing for a few seasons is an excellent big bad. Although the stand-alone episodes are fine, having a series arc lead to a sort of “puppet master” figure has become expected every season. Since the start of the revival, the series has tended to rely on three of the same few villains as their series baddie: Daleks, Cybermen, or The Master.
One way that Chibnall and team could both add a fresh take to this trope while still making fans happy is by utilizing some of the major forgotten villains of the classic series. One villain, Omega, would be a great returning foe. A forgotten figure of the Timelords, Omega faced off against the Doctor in two classic Who stories: The Three Doctors and The Arc of Infinity. Omega is a reality manipulating fiend that could offer both a return for the Timelords and a trippy adventure through parallel dimensions. Also, his sweet design is begging for a modern re-imagining.
The Ice Warriors
The Ice Warriors stand on a strange playing field among other Doctor Who villains. They live in a middle ground, never reaching the popularity of characters like The Daleks, but remaining relevant above many forgotten foes. That being said, their minor appearances in the revival have been anything but great.
Cold War started well, embracing a claustrophobic Alien-like narrative, but fell to failures in conclusions and visual effects. Their only other appearance, Empress of Mars, was a forgetful romp with little to say. The Ice Warriors deserve a solid episode under their belt.
The Ood
Oh, The Ood, who doesn’t love The Ood? This once subservient race was a mainstay during the Russel T. Davies era but soon fell off the radar once Moffatt took over. This move made perfect sense, though, as they were so inexplicably tied to the arc of David Tennant’s Doctor. Moffatt would bring The Ood back once during the Pond Life web series, but never in full force.
This fan-favorite alien race would be a welcome treat for longtime fans. Whether it’s through a small throwaway moment or an entire episode arc, The Ood would add just enough connective tissue to past seasons without feeling patronizing.
The Autons
These are the monsters that kicked everything off back in 2005. The opener for the revival, Rose, saw the Doctor and his new companion Rose face off against an invasion from the Autons, a sentient alien consciousness that takes control of living plastic. Although it was a great start to the series, the episode never fully utilized these classic foes to their full extent.
Much of the time spent on the Autons resulted in some of the hokiest moments of the entire show (looking at you, plastic Mickey). The Autons, in theory, could be some of the creepiest villains to date. Shop mannequins are properly unsettling and hold so much potential for some classic scary Doctor Who storytelling. Bring these plastic terrors back to face off against Jodi Whittaker and her whole TARDIS Fam.
The Rani
If there is one thing the revival series is missing, it’s a diverse selection of Timelords. Although The Master has appeared a number of times, there are way more from series past who have yet to have their moment to shine. One character in particular who really deserves a return is none other than The Rani.
The Rani, performed perfectly by the late-Kate O’Mara, was a renegade timelord scientist who was a major pain for the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. Her presence was a fan-favorite during this awkward time in the show’s history. Also, as shown by both the Doctor and Missy, anyone can play a Timelord role. No matter the gender identity, race, or what have you, The Rani could be played by anyone. Let any number of great performers bring back this stellar villain.
Sutekh
For being regarded by many to be the greatest era of Doctor Who, few Tom Baker villains have made a return to the series. One story, in particular, is one of the best of the Classic Era and would provide an excellent new main villain for Jodi Whittaker’s Doctor to face off with: The Pyramids of Mars and its antagonist Sutekh.
Sutekh was an incredibly powerful villain who had the ability to destroy entire planets and star systems. This hegemonic force of evil would not only provide a perfect series foe plot-wise, but his homogeny-fueled philosophy would be a perfect antagonistic force for this era of Doctor Who.
