Doctor Who - The Halloween Apocalypse: Live reaction to series 13, episode 1
Trick or treat? Join us for a live watch-along of Flux: Chapter One as it airs on BBC One.
She's back... and it's about time! It's been very nearly 11 months since the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) last graced our screens and while COVID-19's impact has meant plans for a 10-part series 13 had to be scaled back, Chris Chibnall and company are looking to make a virtue out of necessity by telling one epic story – subtitled Flux – across the six episodes that've been produced.
It certainly doesn't feel like we're getting short-changed: we've been promised the return of classic foes like the Sontarans, the Weeping Angels, the Ood, and the Cybermen, plus a new companion in the form of John Bishop's Dan Lewis, and quite possibly some answers regarding the Doctor's origins following last year's big Timeless Child reveal.
But what is the "Flux" and why is it "the biggest nemesis the Doctor has ever faced"? Who exactly is "man of honour" Vinder (Jacob Anderson)? And with the Thirteenth Doctor's time almost up, will any of this play into her exit from the series?
Stay tuned to RadioTimes.com for our live reactions to Flux: Chapter One – The Halloween Apocalypse as it plays out on BBC One from 6:25pm. The adventure's just beginning!
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Doctor Who series 13, episode 1 live blog
07:20PM:
More like this
That's your lot till next week and the War of the Sontarans – thanks for joining us here at RadioTimes.com for this live Doctor Who watch-along. See you next Sunday for whatever comes after the end of the universe!
07:17PM:
So The Halloween Apocalypse was a lot – fast, fun and frenetic. With so much going on and such a wild medley of styles and tones, it's perhaps fair to say that not everyone will love everything about it, but everyone is bound to have enjoyed something about it. Loved those all-too-brief Weeping Angels scenes!
07:15PM:
Hands up who's got a clue what's going on? *Keeps hand firmly down*
07:12PM:
Called it – Swarm is an old foe of the Doctor's from her time spent in the Division! It's a clever idea – with huge swathes of the Doctor's past erased from her mind, she now 'meets' a bitter enemy she's fought time and again but can no longer remember... and that means he has the advantage!
07:07PM:
These redesigned Sontarans are lovely. Well, not lovely. Hideous. But brilliantly hideous. More classic series-inspired than the previous ilk. Sontar-ha!
07:05PM:
"Nice to meet you, Dan – run for your life!" – who else caught the Rose Tyler reference there? (The second in as many minutes... does this count as a pattern?)
07:04PM:
What's causing the Flux? Is it a natural phenomenon? Or is it man-made? And if it is the work of a specific group or individual, who? Is Swarm responsible?
Data, I need data!
06:55PM:
"Observation Outpost Rose" – Rose? Coincidence, or something more? You'd think Chris Chibnall would be aware that you can't throw that name into the mix, even in this off-hand manner, and not expect fans' tongues to start wagging...
06:54PM:
It doesn't matter how familiar we are with their shtick now... the Weeping Angels remain a brilliantly scary creation. Poor Claire!
06:52PM:
Nothing against the departed Graham and Ryan, but the Doctor and Yaz work brilliantly as a duo – it'll be interesting to see how the dynamic shifts once Dan officially joins the TARDIS team.
06:50PM:
Steve Oram, Craig Parkinson, Blake Harrison, Annabel Scholey... loads of brilliant actors appearing in Doctor Who: Flux, but I'm most excited by the fact that Rochenda Sandall's man friend in the Arctic Circle is played by Gunnar Cauthery, Lloyd from the 1990s Demon Headmaster series!
06:43PM:
Odd that Karvanista's Jedi mind trick doesn't work on Dan. Might there be more to John Bishop's character than meets the eye? (P.S. "You don't look anything like four bears!" is a superb Dad joke.)
06:38PM:
"Your reward for admirable service to The Division..." – wait, The Division? That Division? The Time Lord secret police that the Doctor once served but can no longer remember being a part of? Is that how Swarm knows the Doctor – and how he and she appear to share some form of telepathic link?
06:33PM:
Fun fact: Joseph Williamson (Steve Oram) is a real historical figure, who is indeed best known for having a series of tunnels constructed in the in the Edge Hill area of Liverpool. The tunnels were built over a 30-year-period, between 1810 and 1840. The purpose of these extensive subterranean excavations remains a real-life mystery!
06:30PM:
Erm... why is there a mattress in the TARDIS control room? Maybe the Doctor is such a genius-level intellect that she had planned her and Yaz's escape from Karvanista in utterly meticulous detail, right down to the perfectly-positioned mattress lying on the floor of the TARDIS – ready to broke their fall as they were propelled through the doors and onto the console room floor?
Still, you can't help but think the "Thasmin" shippers are going to have a field day with this one...
06:27PM:
Nitro-9! Who caught the reference to 1980s Doctor Who companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) there? Of course, if you’ve read 2020 spin-off novel At Childhood’s End, you’ll know that the Thirteenth Doctor was recently reunited with Ace… maybe that’s where she picked up a few old tricks?
06:20PM:
How many minutes of Countryfile total do you think Doctor Who fans have watched over the years, purely by virtue of always tuning in at the end while waiting for their show to start?
06:15PM:
T-minus 10 minutes! If you're looking to kill some time before the episode begins and haven't watched this amazing clip of Jodie, Mandip and John competing to catch sweets in a bucket, do yourself a favour and hit play right now... (Furiously competitive Mandip is the best Mandip.)
05:55PM:
30 minutes to go! If it feels to you like it's been ages since Doctor Who was last on our screens, that's become it has been. 11 months! 43 weeks! 303 days! When Revolution of the Daleks first aired on BBC One, Donald Trump was still President of the United States, Harry and Meghan's sit-down with Oprah was more than two months away, and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were still officially a couple.
Oh, and us oblivious fans were around seven months away from learning that Jodie Whittaker would be leaving Doctor Who in 2022...
05:40PM:
Anyone else experience a momentary panic when the clocks going back means your EPG thinks it's 6:40pm and Doctor Who is already on the telly? Stand down – we've still got Countryfile for another 45 minutes...
05:25PM:
Howdy, Whovians – and welcome to this live blog where we'll be experiencing and unpacking The Halloween Apocalypse together. Not long now till the Doctor and Yaz (Mandip Gill) are back on our screens and we finally get to meet Dan Lewis (John Bishop)! Time to enter a state of Flux...
Just make sure you've dimmed the lights – not only will it add to the spooky Halloween ambience, it'll hopefully discourage any trick-or-treaters from knocking on your front door halfway through the episode...
Read more about Doctor Who:
- John Bishop reveals why he originally turned down Doctor Who
- Jodie Whittaker reveals the Doctor Who warning she got from David Tennant
- Meet the cast of Doctor Who series 13
Doctor Who: Flux airs on BBC One on Sundays. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
