The Thirteenth Doctor and her companions are set to meet Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison in Doctor Who Series 12, played by Goran Višnjić (ER) and The Caves of Androzani‘s Robert Glenister.

It’s become something of a tradition to have famous faces from Earth’s past crop up in historical adventures; previous seasons have included Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, Vincent van Gogh, Henry Avery, and Rosa Parks. Now it’s the turn of Tesla, played by Višnjić, and Glenister as Edison – rivals who made significant marks on our lives.

Showrunner, Chris Chibnall says:

“Tesla I think is absolutely one of those characters you think the Doctor would be fascinated by. People say he’s the man who invented the 20th century. But of course he wasn’t given his due for it, really. He had a lot of ideas, but also, the thing about Tesla is… he’s an extraordinary inventor, very interesting in that he’s a European who goes to live in America. But also, he claims he made contact with aliens.

“There is a night in Tesla’s life where there are huge electrical storms, rumours of flying saucers, he talks about how he’s received contact by aliens. We’re just really interpreting the facts. He’s an extraordinary character. So the combination of the two was absolutely irresistible. And it is a really irresistible episode with some really great monsters.”

And Chibnall is similarly enthusiastic about Glenister returning to Doctor Who. Chris says:

“He’s just great. I’ve worked with him – he was in the Great Train Robbery drama that I wrote [in 2013]. And I just think he’s one of the greatest actors; I just love him… He’s so precise and he’s so subtle, and he’s such a brilliant actor.”

Doctor Who Series 12 begins with Spyfall Part One on New Year’s Day 2020.