The Doctor Who Spring 2022 special is bringing back a monster from the classic series - the Sea Devils. Current Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall and Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker are both coming to the end of their tenures. Russell T. Davies is set to return as the next showrunner and the BBC is currently conducting auditions for Whittaker's replacement as the next Doctor.

The coronavirus pandemic forced Chibnall to take a different approach when it came to Doctor Who season 13. He filmed an abbreviated six-episode season, but in addition shot three specials that are airing through 2022. The first of these released on New Year's Day, with the Doctor going up against a group of Executioner Daleks while trapped in a Groundhog's Day-style time loop. Once the episode was over, the BBC confirmed the next special will air in Spring 2022 - and gave viewers a glimpse of the returning monsters.

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The Doctor Who Spring special is officially called "Legend of the Sea Devils," with the aquatic race returning for the first time since 1984's "Warriors of the Deep." An official synopsis released to the Radio Times reveals the Doctor and her friends will be going up against a pirate queen as well as the Sea Devils. You can read the synopsis and watch the short trailer (via BBC Doctor Who), below:

"This episode finds the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan (John Bishop) in 19th century China, where a small coastal village is under threat – from both the fearsome pirate queen Madame Ching (Crystal Yu) and a monstrous alien force which she unwittingly unleashes. Will the Doctor, Yaz and Dan emerge from this swashbuckling battle with the Sea Devils to save the planet?"

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Strictly speaking, the Sea Devils - and their cousins, the so-called Silurians - aren't aliens. In Doctor Who lore, this race of reptilians are the first sentient race to evolve on Earth; they ruled the planet in the age of the dinosaurs, but they believed a rogue planetoid would trigger an extinction event, and placed themselves in suspended animation. The planetoid slipped into orbit around the Earth, becoming the Moon, and the devices the Silurians and Sea Devils created to reawaken them when it was safe were never triggered. Both races were introduced during Jon Pertwee's run as the Doctor, and returned together in the Peter Davison era. The Silurians have appeared since the 2005 relaunch, but this is the first time the Sea Devils have been seen on the small screen since 1984.

The Pirate Queen mentioned in the synopsis is actually a real figure from history - Ching Shih (also known as Shi Xianggu, Madame Ching, Zhèng Shì, Jehng Sih, and Cheng I Sao). Born in 1775, this mysterious figure is known to have begun as a Cantonese prostitute who rose through the ranks in the brothels of the city of Guangzhou. Known for her manipulative skills, she became commander of a vast pirate force of over 300 ships, and forged alliances with other pirates to lead over 180,000 pirates. This was achieved in part by a marriage of convenience, and after the death of her husband Cheng I in 180, she took personal control of the entire fleet. Her reign as Pirate Queen became the stuff of legend, but didn't last long, and when she sensed she was beginning to lose her grip she took advantage of a presidential pardon.

The Doctor Who Spring 2022 special is clearly going to take full advantage of the legend of Ching Shih, weaving her real-world story into a fantastical adventure featuring the Sea Devils. There have long been rumors the Sea Devils would return in a pirate episode, and it's exciting to have these reports confirmed. It's quite rare to have a historical Doctor Who special, but Chibnall's historical episodes have been some of his best episodes, so this news is promising indeed.

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Source: Radio Times, BBC