Doctor Who returns to the small screen for its tenth season next month, which will be the final season for both star Peter Capaldi and executive producer Steven Moffat. The show will also introduce some new characters this year, like the latest companion, Bill (Pearl Mackie), as well as some old favorites like Missy (Michelle Gomez). The return of the original Cyberman has also been confirmed, and the trailer even shows someone who sounds like they may be a whole new kind of Dalek. In short, it looks like a phenomenal farewell season for Capaldi and Moffat, and we can't wait to see what happens next.

Now we have learned that we will also be seeing a rare occurrence for the show - a three-part episode focusing on one of this season's new monsters.

Digital Spy has confirmed that season 10 will feature a three-part story for Bill and the Doctor, running through episodes 6-8 (May 20, 27, and June 3). The story will focus on The Monks, a new monster that features in the trailer and was previously reported to be appearing in more than one episode this season. Writer Toby Whithouse penned the third episode in the trio and confirmed that they will be linked.

Mine is the third part of a three-parter – Steven [Moffat]'s done the first one, Peter Harness did the second and I've done the third.

This will be the first official three-part episode series for the show in decades - and the first for this relaunched version of the show. The last time that we saw the Doctor in a similar three-parter was in the original series, in 1989, when the Seventh Doctor was in the TARDIS driving seat. The show has since included multiple two-part episodes and extended story arcs, but remains primarily driven by standalone episodes featuring a "freak of the week" style format. Some monsters and enemies of the Doctor have also appeared multiple times, but in separate episodes often years apart.

We're definitely looking forward to these new monastic monsters, and hoping that season 10 will strike the perfect balance between old favorites and new characters. The choice to make their arc a three-parter suggests that the creative team is relying on more devoted fans rather than casual viewers who would want to drop in and out of the series at will - which makes a lot of sense, as more and more viewers are viewing online and binge-watching, which lets them sit down to three episodes at once, or at their leisure.

Of course, there are certainly risks with this kind of multi-episode story within a season - primarily that viewers may be put off if they are not able to watch all three. The more episodic style of Doctor Who lends itself to casual viewers, although there is always some kind of larger story arc happening in the background. However, the show has had success with two-parters in the past, so as long as the Monks are well-received as the villains of the piece, we see no issues with a three-parter, and love to see the show trying new things.

Next: Doctor Who: Should the Thirteenth Doctor be Female?

Doctor Who season 10 premieres Saturday, April 15 on BBC America.

Source: Digital Spy