THE THIRTEENTH DOCTOR
JODIE WHITTAKER IS THE THIRTEENTH DOCTOR. LUCKY FOR US, SAYS PAUL KIRKLEY...
So what can we expect when Jodie Whittaker takes over? Here’s why the future is looking “Aw, brilliant!”
the Doctor may be a lorD of time, but in our reality – where one day follows another, all in a neat pattern – only one incarnation owns the future. the thirteenth Doctor is the one whose story has yet to be written; the Doctor who offers the one thing none of the others can: possibility. exciting, isn’t it? Without so much as a shot being fired (or a sonic screwdriver waggled), Jodie Whittaker has put a rocket under Doctor Who. her casting has given the show a new currency, while serving as a reminder that this is the tV series, above all others, that thrives on reinvention – what new showrunner chris chibnall calls its “extraordinary ability to embrace change while remaining exactly the same show people love”.
It is chibnall, not Whittaker, who may yet trigger the real seismic tremors. With a remit to bring “risk and boldness” to the show, he’s likely to make a clean break by dialling down the sort of knotty, möbius strip plotting beloved of Steven moffat in favour of his own house style. Whether that means embracing the long-form drama he employed so successfully on Broadchurch remains to be seen, but the new boss isn’t ruling anything out.
Whittaker will be supported by the biggest regular cast since the early ’80s in the form of Graham (bradley Walsh), yasmin (mandip Gill) and ryan (tosin cole), as well as Sharon D clarke in a recurring role as Graham’s wife. the hiring of Walsh – a man who’s equally at home presiding over the circus of daytime quiz shows as acting in primetime dramas – is, in its own way, as significant a piece of casting as the new Doctor, suggesting chibnall is reaching for the biggest, most inclusive tent possible, from the kids to your nan.
how many of the new #teamtarDIS will actually be fellow travellers inside that famous blue box isn’t clear, but we know at least some of the series is set in Sheffield (including scenes filmed against the backdrop of the city’s iconic Park hill flats), which might indicate a return to the down-to-earth milieu of pubs, living rooms and kitchens familiar from russell t Davies’s watch.
then again, Jodie Whittaker says the stories feel “incredibly epic” and ambitious, while bradley Walsh has spoken of a “cinematic canvas” (the series is using new anamorphic lenses to give it a more filmic look). and with a recent bbc america press release heralding “fun and exciting adventures through time and space”, don’t expect it to be too tied to the kitchen sink.
the series, which is expected to start airing around october, will consist of a 65-minute opener followed by a further nine 50-minute episodes (which may or may not include a christmas special). For the first time this century, the Doctor’s exploits won’t be scored by murray Gold, and there’s a new visual effects kid on the block, too, with Double Negative (whose work includes Blade Runner 2049) replacing milk FX.
thanks to some loose-lipped actors, we know that alan cumming is guesting as King James I (“a kind of dandy, foppy coward,” according to the X-Men star) and comedian lee mack has a brief cameo, while recent filming in South africa saw cape town redressed as what is thought to be ’50s montgomery, alabama for an episode expected to feature the civil rights activist rosa Parks.
of the four directors assigned so far, two (Sallie aprahamian and
Jennifer Perrott) are female, and bbc drama boss Piers Wenger has said “a number” of the scripts are by women – a clear message that the culture-quake is intended to extend beyond the over-the-title lead.
as for how Jodie Whittaker will play the role, we don’t have much to go on so far beyond two words – “aw, brilliant” (and we’re not convinced “aw” is even a word). on that basis, though, we’re going to say: northern, a little bit dorky, with an appetite for adventure and a dash of wide-eyed wonder. (Sharon D clarke describes her co-star’s performance as “up and hopeful… she’s just bouncing around the set”.)
It’s an attitude Whittaker has carried over into real life, too, joyfully posing for selfies and hugging children like tom baker in his ’70s, Pied Piper pomp, while in interviews she’s all puppyish enthusiasm and excitement.
though the Skelmanthorpe-born actress will be the first Doctor to speak with a yorkshire accent, it’s safe to assume the clothes aren’t model’s own – unless “mork from ork meets rod, Jane and Freddy” is Whittaker’s capsule wardrobe of choice. that said, the rainbow shirt and high-waisted culottes are bang on-trend, and we know that Whittaker chose the shade of her trousers (“petrol”, if you want to update your colour charts) after taking a fancy to some bbc wallpaper.
Whether Doctor Who is supposed to be trendy is a moot point (we’re used to him being the worst-dressed guy in the room). but if we’ve learnt anything about our indomitable hero, it’s that everything is now up for grabs.
to the Doctors who filled all our yesterdays with such high adventure, then, we say: splendid chaps, all of you. but tomorrow belongs to Jodie Whittaker.