Doctor Who showrunner teases "ferocious" new Cybermen for series 12

Starting on New Year's Day, the latest batch of episodes will mark the first ever face-off between Jodie Whittaker's 13th Doctor and the terrifying villains that have plagued the show for decades.

"It's a story in which you're going to be encountering a particularly relentless and ferocious set of Cybermen," Chibnall said.

"It's interesting, because although you can talk about it as old versus new [monsters], that’s slightly a false definition. Because even if you bring the Cyberman back, that'll be the first time for some kids and for some viewers.

"So you have to make sure that they feel fresh and there's an idea behind them. I feel like we did a really nice job with that and with [2019's New Year's Special] Resolution and the Dalek – that was a new spin on a Dalek story.

He continued: "I think, with any series of Doctor Who, you want it to be this wondrous array: a bit of old, a bit of new and some surprises. You want a bit of everything: stuff for kids and new viewers, and stuff that, if you've been watching Doctor Who for 50 years, there’s a line or an image that you’ll understand the resonance of. We’ve got all of that this year."

Previously, star Jodie Whittaker had said that she thinks the fans "will love" the new Cybermen in their upcoming appearance on the show.

Doctor Who returns to BBC One on New Year's Day at 6:55pm