Did you spot the hidden reference to a previous Time Lord in the new Doctor Who teaser?

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Is that a Matt Smith Easter egg - or something more?

Even if you weren’t all that interested in the World Cup final, there’s a good-to-great chance you still tuned in for the new Doctor Who teaser. What we got was… well, not a whole lot actually. In fact, we probably got more from the Thirteenth Doctor’s debut last year. But it’s definitely worth watching again. Why? Because there’s a big deep cut of an Easter egg that not only conjures up memories of one of the most beloved Time Lords ever, but maybe, just maybe, hints at a Day of the Doctor-esque crossover.

A big hearty hat-tip to ComicBook.com for this one, as the trailer – which you can see above - has one obscure nod to the Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith.

While we were treated to a whistlestop tour of new companions Graham, Ryan, and Yasmin, it was what was going on around Graham (Bradley Walsh) that was the most interesting of all.

The new companion is minding his own business, reading a newspaper in a chip shop (he’s one Union Jack hat away from completing the ‘I’m British!’ full house) when a burst of time energy unravels around the room and Graham’s newspaper swiftly turns into… a comic book.

But not just any old comic book. In fact, the issue of the Beano that Graham is now holding is the Summer Special from 1981 – or, if you really know your Time Lords, the comic that Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor was reading in The Rings of Akhaten.

Now how’s that for wonderfully obscure? New showrunner Chris Chibnall clearly knows his history and, if we’re getting that level of detail in a mere teaser, here’s hoping that the full-fat version will be crammed with geeky callbacks.

It’s got me wondering: is it a slight hint at a crossover with the Eleventh Doctor? Thirteen, for now, should stand on her own two feet, but any interaction with Matt Smith (I’m already imagining his shock at seeing… her?!) would be more than welcome down the line.

Doctor Who is just one of many new TV shows coming your way this year. How many are you planning to watch?

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.