Series 12 continues with Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror. Information is thin on the ground, so mostly speculation to come. We do know it’s a pseudo-historical, and presumably more so than the second part of Spyfall. Some decent casting (as ever) and a dearth of images suggests something planned as a surprise. Let’s consider…

Tesla Time

The official website Next Time trailer is minimal and the YouTube version just shows more of the alien CGI.

Tesla is a natural for a Doctor Who story – basically mad and brilliant experimenting on what at the time were a plethora of exotic ideas.

We have the following synopsis:

1903. Who or what is sabotaging Nikola Tesla’s generator plant at Niagara Falls?

Or the slightly longer YouTube version:

Who or what is sabotaging Nikola Tesla’s generator plant at Niagara Falls? And has this maverick inventor really received a message from Mars?

I imagine Mars is just a short hand for outer space.

The casting includes Anjli Mohindra who was Rani in the Sarah Jane Adventures. Here she is under prosthetics as the insect like Queen Skithra. From what we saw before the series launched, the clever money suggests she is a Racnoss (cf Sarah Parish The Runaway Bride) or something very close.

Nina Metivier (who script edited Woman Who Fell to Earth and It Takes You Away) is the writer. She’s also credited with co-creating the Netflix series The A List. I’ve not seen that so no clues there.

What am I expecting or hoping for?

I want the visual appeal to continue and the darker Doctor. I’d love the companions to get something more concrete to achieve and I hope the ending is more than just talk to the alien and persuade it to go away.

Will the Doctor use her mind-wiping powers again? Will Tesla have alien tech and will we see Niagara Falls? Four days to wait!