Exclusive: Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who Era Could Have Revived One Beloved Classic Villain!

Doctor Who season 12 featured the Thirteenth Doctor and her companions facing various adversaries, such as the Judoon, Cybermen, and even the return of The Master. Writer McTighe, known for his contributions to the show, including the episodes "Kerblam!" and "Praxeus," shared that the latter episode was originally intended to bring back the classic villain, the Autons. However, showrunner Chris Chibnall decided to avoid relying too heavily on familiar elements and to consider budget concerns, resulting in the removal of the Autons from the story.

Praxeus was initially meant to be a story exploring the environmental impact of plastics on the planet, as well as featuring the Autons. However, due to certain circumstances, it didn't end up being solely an Auton story. Surprisingly, it also touched on the topic of a pandemic two years before it actually happened, which was quite eerie. The decision to remove the Auton element was made early on during the series planning stage, as there were concerns about including too many old elements. Additionally, the budget limitations prevented us from executing the ideas we had for the Auton storyline effectively.

Who Are The Autons, The Plastic Servants of the Nestene Consciousness?

The Autons first appeared as villains in the "Spearhead from Space" episode, facing the Third Doctor. They were plastic dummies controlled by the Nestene Consciousness, attempting to infiltrate influential institutions. They reappeared in "Terror of the Autons" during the first appearance of The Master. In 2005, they returned as the primary enemies in the revived show's first season, with the Nestene trying to overthrow humanity after losing their world in the Time War. Their final appearance was in the two-part season 5 finale, "The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang," where they joined an alliance to trap the Eleventh Doctor.

Since season 5, the Autons have not appeared on television in Doctor Who, except for a mention in "Praxeus." However, they have featured in various Big Finish audio dramas, facing different incarnations of the Doctor, Kate Stewart (played by Jemma Redgrave), and River Song (played by Alex Kingston). McTighe, a writer, eventually created an on-screen Auton story for The Collection boxset release of season 8 of the classic show. This story involved Jo Grant (played by Katy Manning) fighting the Autons alongside her husband Cliff (played by Stewart Bevan).

The return of the Master, Cybermen, and Judoon in Doctor Who season 12 resulted in the exclusion of the Autons from "Praxeus." This decision was made to make the show more accessible to new viewers, as the beginning of Jodie Whittaker's era did not heavily rely on previous storylines. Despite this understandable omission, fans may still be excited to see when and where the Doctor's cunning plastic enemies will appear in future episodes of the show.