Captain Jack Harkness will return in Doctor Who Festive Special

(Image credit: BBC)

This year’s Festive Special of Doctor Who sees the return of a fan favourite character. John Barrowman will be stepping back into the shoes – or coat – of Captain Jack Harkness after an almost decade-long absence. Although we did see him briefly in an episode of season 12 called “Fugitive of the Judoon,” before that, the last time the character appeared in Doctor Who was back in 2010 – and the Captain Jack-fronted spinoff Torchwood ended afterwards in 2011.

Now, the immortal time traveller is here to help the fam deal with some serious trouble brought by Captain Jack’s old enemies, the Daleks. The Doctor herself is currently unable to offer her own assistance, considering she’s locked up in space prison, so it’ll be up to her former companion to try and save the day in this episode, titled “Revolution of the Daleks.”

“Putting on Jack’s coat and setting foot back on the set of Doctor Who was just like going back home,” Barrowman commented. “It’s always thrilling to play Captain Jack. He’s a character very close to my heart who changed my life, and to know the fans love him as much as I do makes his return even sweeter. I hope everyone enjoys Jack’s heroic adventure with Thirteen.”

If that isn't enough to get you hyped, executive producer Chris Chibnall added: “A Doctor Who Festive Special means treats galore, and there’s no bigger treat than the return of John Barrowman to Doctor Who, for an epic and emotional feature-length episode. If anyone can blast away the sheer rubbishness of 2020, it’s Captain Jack. Daleks beware!”

The executive producer of BBC Studios, Matt Strevens, also said: “After a tantalisingly brief appearance in "Fugitive of the Judoon" it’s a total joy and thrill to welcome back John as Captain Jack. One of the most iconic characters in Doctor Who lore, his presence ignites this Festive Special from the start.”

It definitely sounds like we’re in for something exciting this holiday season – though the exact release date for the episode isn’t yet known, it’ll be near Christmas.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.