Doctor Who will be getting something else besides a new companion during the Christmas 2012 special. It is apparently time – get it? get it? time? sorry – for a little redecorating inside the TARDIS. We have a small but exceptionally cool glimpse of it, plus this little blurb from the BBC:

Doctor Who’s lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat has revealed that we’ll see a new look TARDIS when the Time Lord returns in The Snowmen on Christmas Day at 5.15pm [in the UK].

The exterior of the time machine will remain the reassuring blue box but once inside we’ll see a whole new magical world that will be home to the Doctor and Clara throughout their adventures which continue in spring, 2013 with eight epic episodes.

The new set was designed by Michael Pickwoad, the show’s production designer since 2010, and so far we’ve only got this tantalising glimpse of it…

Anyone else thinking what an awesome tattoo one or more of those would make? Just saying.

Here’s a reminder of what the TARDIS has been looking like over the years:

Looks like we may be in for a return to the cool – as opposed to “warm,” but it does also look kinda groovy – color scheme, which honestly works better with the exterior. We can barely wait to see the rest of the latest redo…

The Doctor Who Christmas Special “The Snowmen,” starring Matt Smith, Jenna-Louise Coleman, and Richard E Grant, airs December 25 on BBC America.