Doctor Who’s most controversial pairing officially returning next month — but there’s a catch

Everyone has their favorite Doctor Who pairing. There’s the tried-and-true couple of Ten and Rose, the dysfunctional marriage of Eleven/Twelve and River Song, and even the ‘so-unhealthy-it’s-worrying’ match of Twelve and Clara. These couples are so iconic, the chance of even more adventures with them is something that most Whovians won’t turn down.

However, there is another Doctor and companion pairing that is just as iconic as those aforementioned couples. We’re, of course, talking about Thirteen (Jodie Whittaker) and Yasmin Khan, aka Yaz (Mandip Gill), whose TV adventures officially kicked off in the series 11 premiere episode “The Woman Who Fell to Earth” in 2018. While their relationship was bittersweet and well-loved by fans, their parting was highly controversial because of how the couple was portrayed compared to other Doctor/Companion pairings — particularly heartbreaking, as it was the first time the show had followed The Doctor in a same-sex relationship.

[VIDEO: (2026) The Thirteenth Doctor revealed – Doctor Who: Trailer – BBC – YouTube]

Yet regardless of how sour that ending for the two might have been, the best thing about Doctor Who is that there’s always more stories to uncover. Now, four years after fans last saw the pair together, Thirteen and Yaz (known as Thasmin by their fans) are reuniting for another adventure in Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Greatest Train Robbery.

What is Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures?

Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures is an audio series from Big Finish (a British production company known for producing Doctor Who audio dramas and shorts). Barring a few notable exceptions, these audio dramas typically feature the original TV cast of the Doctor and their companions. For example, The Ninth Doctor Adventures features Christopher Eccleston as Nine and Billie Piper as Rose.

The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures is no exception. The first adventure featuring Thirteen and her companion Yaz debuted in July 2025 with “Vampire Weekend.” with Whittaker and Gill reprising their roles.

Big Finish’s audio dramas are generally well-loved and often give the Doctor and their companions a new lease on life while expanding their relationships in ways the show didn’t have the chance to explore on television. With 12 episodes planned and eight available to listen to so far, this is an audio series that fans of Thirteen should pay special attention to.

What is the plot of Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Greatest Train Robbery?

Written by Karissa Hamilton-Bannis and inspired by Ursula Le Guin’s short story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, The Greatest Train Robbery is a 60-minute episode that follows The Doctor and Yaz as they board a space train heading to the Maelin system.

When it’s revealed the train has been hijacked by rebels, the trip becomes a “mission of mercy.” However, it’s still unclear who the Doctor and Yaz need to rescue —the Rebels or the Sentinel guards on board?

Speaking to Big Finish backstage about her time writing the episode, Hamilton-Bannis said she felt privileged to expand on the relationship between the two women.

Image: BBC

“I was really excited to write for the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz, as I felt there was more to their story, and I’m so grateful for Big Finish that we have the opportunity to explore that partnership further,” she said.

It’s not the first time The Doctor and their companion have had to solve a mystery while on the train — Twelve and Clara had to do so in “Mummy on the Orient Express” — but it will be the first for Thirteen and Yaz. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up with quite so many lives lost as it did before.

When is the release date for Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor Adventures: The Greatest Train Robbery?

The Greatest Train Robbery this September. It is now available to pre-order for £9.99 as a digital download, or £13.99 for both a digital copy and a physical, limited-edition copy.