It’s been nearly a year since the announcement that Jodie Whittaker would be the 13th Doctor, and the first teaser for the upcoming season is finally here. The teaser premiered during the final game of the World Cup, much to the world’s delight. Check out the short, but exciting teaser below to get an exciting glimpse at the upcoming 11th season!
Although the teaser is brief, it packs a lot of exciting things into just 50 seconds (possibly because it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside). It features three characters the BBC has described as the Doctor's "friends": Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill), and Graham (Bradley Walsh). It's unknown whether any of those friends—or all of them—will be joining the doctor as Companion, but this teaser hints that she has something big in store for all of them (and she's bringing snacks!).
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While every new Doctor has the same core personality, they each come with different personality traits and quirks. Besides being a different gender, what else will Whittaker's Doctor bring to the table? In an interview earlier this month, Gill raved about Whittaker’s portrayal of the Doctor, comparing her performance and personality to to Matt Smith as the 11th Doctor in terms of high energy and a more relatable personality. Notably, this teaser contains two Easter Eggs referencing the Eleventh Doctor era —fish fingers and The Beano 1981 Summer Special.
The portrayal of the Doctor by a woman has been a long time coming. There have never been specific gender-based rules about the Doctor’s regeneration, and during the 11th Doctor era, they set the stage for the possibility of a female doctor. The original co-creator of the show, Sydney Newman, even suggested that the 7th Doctor be a woman. While there's never been a female Doctor, The Master, the Doctor's nemesis has been portrayed by Scottish actress Michelle Gomez. So it was only a matter of time before the Doctor herself was a different gender. Whittaker was the number one choice to play the Thirteenth Doctor, and the Doctor Who showrunner, Chris Chibnall, has called her funny and inspiring. Though it's taken many years to get here, we think that Whittaker will be an exciting choice to carry on the expansive legacy of the Doctor.
Whittaker appeared very briefly as the 13th Doctor at the end of the 2017 Christmas special.
- Photo Credit: BBC
After nearly 55 years of male doctors, we can’t wait to see what Whittaker does as the beloved Time Lord. The series is set to return in September. We'll be watching the teaser on loop until then. What about you?
[via The Mary Sue]
Featured still from "Doctor Who" via BBC
