Fan Favorite Doctor Who Companion Returning For The First Time In 7 Years

Nearly sixty years after she first stepped aboard the TARDIS in 1966, one of the Doctor’s first companions is returning for a new story. Having returned previously in 2019, she’s now back for another adventure with the very First Doctor, which expands the timeline beyond the revelations of the original Doctor Who shows.

Anneke Wills is once again reprising her role as Polly Wright — the determined, quick-witted Doctor Who companion (to the First and Second Doctors) – via a brand-new audio adventure. Wills will make her comeback in Doctor Who – The First Doctor Adventures: Beware the City of Illusions, a star-studded story from Big Finish Productions, set for release in March 2026.

Wills last played Polly in 2019, and news of her return will no doubt come as a delight for long-time Doctor Who fans, who have followed the character’s journey from London in the swinging ’60s to the far reaches of the galaxy. Written and directed by Nicholas Briggs, the story picks up decades after Polly’s travels in the TARDIS, but the fan favorite companion certainly hasn’t been idle, having taken the valuable lessons she’s learnt from the Doctor and dedicated her life to environmental activism. On her long-awaited return to the Whoniverse Anneke Wills said: “Nick Briggs called me and said he would like to write a story for me, and what would Polly be doing now, in the later stage of her life?” Would she be running a little tea shop in Devon? And I said, running a tea shop?! No, she’ll be out there! She’ll be busy saving the planet!”

A New Adventure With Familiar Faces

In Beware the City of Illusions, Polly’s investigation into a futuristic utopian eco-city takes a dangerous turn… Thanks to the Gynt Foundation and its mysterious benefactor, ‘Mr Hammond’, the British government has big plans to drastically improve environmental conditions, but Polly soon discovers the supposed paradise may be hiding a deadly secret.

Much to her relief, she encounters a familiar face — the First Doctor, played by Stephen Noonan (The Great British Bake Off, Spooks). There’s just one slight problem; he hasn’t met her yet! Lauren Cornelius also returns as Polly’s old friend and fellow companion Dodo Chaplet, but her work for the government means her loyalties may not be as clear-cut this time around. Together they must overcome a deadly threat that endangers the whole of humanity.

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Producer Mark Wright teased that the story will blend Doctor Who’s signature sense of adventure with heartfelt character moments that honor Wills’ legacy:

“The return of Anneke Wills as Polly was always part of our plan and in writing this story, Nick Briggs was keen to reflect Anneke’s own passionate interest in environmental issues… Beware the City of Illusions features action, mystery and monsters, and above all it honours the place that Anneke holds in the worlds of Doctor Who and the hearts of fans sixty years after her first appearance.”

Polly Wright’s Legacy Lives On

Polly remains one of the most memorable companions of the classic era; compassionate and brave, her partnership with Ben Jackson and the First Doctor helped usher in one of Doctor Who’s most iconic pieces of lore, as William Hartnell passed the mantle to Patrick Troughton’s Second Doctor, regenerating in The Tenth Planet.

Through the joy of audio Big Finish, has continued to expand Polly’s story in ways that television couldn’t, bringing new depth to a character who’s always been ahead of her time.

’Doctor Who – The First Doctor Adventures: Beware the City of Illusions will be released in March 2026 and is available to pre-order now from Big Finish. The story also serves as the conclusion to Big Finish’s current First Doctor Adventures trilogy, bringing the range’s latest chapter to an emotional close.