10 Times Doctor Who Trolled You (And You Fell For It)

With so much known in advance about the first and third 60th anniversary specials, the decision was taken to shroud middle instalment Wild Blue Yonder in complete mystery.

Fans first clocked this when the trailer revealing the specials’ titles was released – the Wild Blue Yonder section was obscured by glitches and “REDACTED” text. And it wasn't just a dodgy video file.

Following this, speculation began to mount about the episode’s guest cast, with many theorising that major actors were being held back until December (possibly returning Doctors or companions).

Closer to broadcast, the Doctor Who Magazine episode preview added fuel to the fire by simply listing three “REDACTED” cast members alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate.

In the end it was all a massive anticlimax, with the identities of the actors – Nathaniel Curtis (playing Isaac Newton), Susan Twist (Mrs Merridew) and Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred Mott) – all pretty unremarkable. Cribbins’ return was significant sure, but we already knew about it from filming. Likewise, Twist’s debut is important in hindsight, but at the time it meant nothing.

It’s fair to say there was an element of fans getting carried away with themselves here, and this is an example of the show's playfulness warping expectations and actually damaging the episode.

But ultimately, this was an anniversary special and the show’s marketing team knew exactly what they were doing. Teasing us with the prospect of a Smith or Capaldi return like that… absolutely criminal!