The deadly yet adorable Pting / Photo courtesy: BBC

It continues to be a year of firsts with regards to the current series of Doctor Who. Aside from the obvious fact that it not only boasts having the first female Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Chris Chibnall’s first year at the helm has also introduced a new logo, a new TARDIS, three new travel buddies, and a new music composer.

One thing that was a bit of a mystery when it comes to “firsts” as we entered into the Jodie Whittaker era was that, according to showrunner Chibnall, there would be no Daleks, Cybermen or Weeping Angels in the mix this go round. This news was a bit disconcerting, given the fact that the Daleks had been a fixture on Doctor Who for over 50 years!

Speaking to the Times, Chibnall confirmed that fans had seen the last of recurring characters introduced by the previous showrunner, Steven Moffat.

“I want this to be a recruiting year for Doctor Who to bring in that next generation of audiences,” he said. Little did we know that this would also be a recruiting year for a whole new crop of enemies of the Traveling Time Lord. One such nemesis made its cuddly debut this past week during the episode “The Tsuranga Conundrum.”

Pting, the deadly yet adorable creature, isn’t all that menacing except for the fact that it does possess toxic skin and loves to eat anything inorganic which, in a nutshell, means it could potentially kill you.

Opting more for the adorable side of the newest addition to the enemy lineup — and putting aside the fact that its both deadly and it can’t be killed — fans the U.K. and the U.S., both, immediately put Pting at the top of their respective Christmas gift lists. Everyone is wanting a pet Pting under the tree.

I remember back in the day when the Daleks, Cybermen and Weeping Angels were hide-behind-the-couch scary, nemeses no one would ever want one to call their own on Christmas morning. Thankfully, when it comes to Pting, the Doctor does know what’s best for all of us.

More

• Peter Capaldi bids a tearful farewell to fans of ‘Doctor Who’

• Jodie Whittaker, noted thereminist, nails the ‘Doctor Who’ theme on ‘The Graham Norton Show’

• Alan Cumming confirms role as a ‘nice baddie’ in Doctor Who XI

• The Doctor talks Dalek at Dallas Comic-Con