Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall explains why Daleks returned in New Year's Day special

'We knew we wanted something big for the end-of-series special'

After weeks of rumours, the Daleks finally returned to Doctor Who.

While Chris Chibnall had avoided using classic monsters throughout series 11, the showrunner made an exception for the New Year's Day special.

"We knew we wanted something big for the end-of-series special," Chibnall said at a preview screening of "Resolution", according to Digital Spy.

"Knowing that we would have no old monsters in the series was really a build-up for the special, so that when the Dalek appears, it's hopefully exciting and it feels rare and thrilling."

He continued: "It's the first encounter for Jodie [Whittaker] with that iconic monster and we knew we wanted to do that as the climax of the first series, if you like."

Whittaker, who was also in attendance at the screening, agreed that the bringing back the iconic villain "felt like the right end for this series".

Chibnall went on to tease the 12th series, which will launch in early 2020, hinting at "more Daleks, probably". Read The Independent's review of the New Year's