Doctor Who bosses reveal how they created series 12’s terrifying new monsters

DOCTOR Who will return to screens on New Year’s Day with more fear factor than ever.

The BBC sci-fi hit will kick off with two-art adventure Spyfall, a major nod to the Bond franchise packed full of espionage and intrigue.

The saga also sees the introduction of a terrifying new threat, but we’ll avoid details for now at risk of straying into spoiler territory.

Show boss Chris Chibnall lifted the lid on the entire creative process when it comes to cooking up the series’ famous aliens – and suffice to say it’s a team effort.

Discussing the inspiration behind many of the monsters, he said: “It really varies. Sometimes it’s an idea. Sometimes it’s an image. Sometimes it’s a thing that you think, ‘Oh that would terrify me if that happened’. It can really, really vary.”

He went on: “You get a kernel of something and then you start to build it out from there. Then it will be written into a storyline or a script, after which it gets conceptualised by a concept artist. They’ll do the first drawing, based on the description in the script or the storyline, and that first image gives us something to talk about.”

It’s from this point on that decisions have to be made about whether the beasties will be rendered digitally or with extensive hair and makeup work.

“Once we’ve nailed what we think it is, we start to think about how it’s going to be created. That’s when we decided it’s a big physical prosthetic mask and costume, or if it’s entirely CG. It can be a really varied process. Monster creation is one of the great bits of the job, because each time it’s different,” he continued to Digital Spy.

“You’re using all the disciplines of all the departments who are involved: costume for example is a really important part and underappreciated in terms of monster design. If you think about the Thijarians in Demons of the Punjab, the amazing costumes that they wore were as important to their identity as their amazing alien faces, so it’s a real team effort.”

Meanwhile executive producer Matt Strevens claimed that he revisited old episodes of Doctor Who ahead of introducing new threats.

He stressed the importance of balancing a fresh batch of foes with the classics, including the likes of the Dalkes and Cybermen.

The comments come after Jodie Whittaker snubbed former Doctors Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi as the begged the BBC for a special reunion episode.

Elsewhere, Bradley Bradley Walsh teased the emotional journey set to unfold between Graham and Ryan during an interview on This Morning.