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‘Doctor Who’ is revisiting a lot of old favorites this year. We know, for example, that by the time this season is through, we’ll have seen Daleks, Missy, the Ice Warriors, and some vintage Cybermen, not to mention a regeneration! But just because the show is revisiting the classics doesn’t mean we won’t be getting plenty of new ideas.

One of those is coming in a three-part story that falls roughly in the middle of the season. Described as an “Earth-invasion type story”, this marks a return to another hallmark of classic ‘Who’: longer stories. Six part stories (equivalent in length to a modern three-parter) were fairly common during the original run of ‘Doctor Who’, but had fallen out of favor by the time the show was cancelled in 1989. The last time ‘Doctor Who’ has ventured into this territory (and, to date, the only time since the 2005 revival) was with the concluding story of the third season, which ran through the episodes ‘Utopia’, ‘The Sound of Drums’, and ‘The Last of the Time Lords’ and introduced John Simm as the Master.

The new element of this three-parter (for which no title has yet been announced) is its apparent villains. Dubbed the Truth Monks, they were glimpsed throughout the recent trailer (see below). While little is known of the Truth Monks thus far, the name is certainly evocative, and whatever else you may think of Steven Moffat’s contributions to ‘Doctor Who’, his original monsters have been nothing if not creative.

Doctor Who Truth Monks

The writer of the third and final chapter, Toby Whithouse, offered some insight into both the structure and setting of the story:

Mine is the third part of a three-parter – Steven [Moffat]’s done the first one, Peter Harness did the second and I’ve done the third. It’s set in modern-day… and I think anything more than that and Steven will come round and kick me in the shin!

The writer also had nothing but praise for new companion Pearl Mackie, saying “She has very good comic timing. And there’s a lovely chemistry between her and Peter.”

Be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more ‘Doctor Who’ news as the season premiere approaches!

The tenth season of ‘Doctor Who’ is set to premiere on April 15th, 2017. In addition to returning star Peter Capaldi, the new season will feature Matt Lucas, Pearl Mackie, and Michelle Gomez. The season will culminate in this year’s Christmas special, as both Capaldi and Moffat bid their farewells.

Sources: Doctor Who TV, Digital Spy