The trailer for the Doctor Who New Year’s special, Revolution of the Daleks was released on Sunday, November 29.

Among the information in the trailer and an accompanying press release are some guest star announcements.

Chris Noth reprises his Doctor Who role as Jack Robertson from the Series 11 episode Arachnids in the UK.

Noth is pictured in a promotional image with fellow Revolution of the Daleks costar Nathan Stewart-Jarret, who plays Leo Rugazzi in the special.

Dame Harriet Walters was seen in the trailer depicting the role of the British Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street in London. Her character, Jo Patterson, is heard saying, “As of now, you will see new defence drones at work,” as she indicates the Daleks to her left and right.

The three guest stars are seen peering into the inside of a Dalek in the trailer.

The trailer also shows Graham, Ryan and Yaz confronting Robertson. Ryan is heard saying, “Yo! Remember us?”

In the subsequent cut shared later in the trailer, Robertson says, “Not you guys!” 

Robertson is seen in the trailer bragging to Nathan Stewart-Jarrett’s character, “These machines are going to change the world!”

Showrunner Chris Chibnall praised the cast.

“We’ve crammed this year’s Doctor Who Festive Special with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent.  Where else would you get British acting royalty, a globally renowned US screen star, an (inter)national treasure of stage and screen and one of Britain’s hottest young actors — just in the guest cast! Put those together with Jodie Whittaker, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole (and Daleks! Did I mention Daleks!) — and you get a cast to be exterminated for. And things will explode. Promise.”

It will definitely be explosive. Some scenes in the trailer showed Daleks and their spaceships attacking pedestrians.

John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness is heard in a voice-over at the beginning of the trailer:

“How many people in the universe get to meet the Doctor, let alone travel with her? Being with the Doctor, you don’t get to choose when it stops. Whether you leave her or she leaves you.”

According to the official description of the special, Captain Jacks helps Graham, Yaz and Ryan as they attempt to thwart a plan which involves a Dalek – and apparently Robertson and the Prime Minister are also involved.

The Doctor’s friends are without the Doctor, who was imprisoned on an asteroid in space at the end of the Series 12 finale The Timeless Children so they could really use Jack’s help. Ryan is heard saying, “If you don’t help, the human race is going down.”

Their plans seem to involve a TARDIS, likely the one they used to travel back to Earth in The Timeless Children, now disguised as a home in a housing estate.

The same type of notes that were seen on the table as they discussed their dilemma at Graham’s house are also seen inside the TARDIS.

The exact moment of Captain Jack’s appearance to the three friends is likely depicted in the promotional photo below, which takes place in Graham’s house.

The threat does not merely come from defence drones that resemble Daleks. The mutants who travel inside Dalek armour also make an appearance in the trailer.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is languishing in an asteroid prison.

The Doctor’s fellow prisoners seem to include a Cyberman, a Weeping Angel and a Krynoid.

There is no hint in the trailer of how the Doctor manages to escape but, at the end of the trailer, she is heard saying to herself, “Stay strong – people waiting for you.”

Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by lee Haven Jones, Revolution of the Daleks will air New Year’s day 2021. We understand the special is 71 minutes long.