Farewell to Doctor is perfect companion to game-changing stint
When the trailer dropped for Jodie Whittaker’s final adventure as the 13th Doctor, the internet went wild. Change was in the air, as Whovians – the name given to the show’s fiercely loyal fanbase – stood united at the prospect of a groundbreaking crescendo.
The Power Of The Doctor is the farewell that audiences always knew was coming.And yet it’s a goodbye the actor is still finding difficult to come to terms with.
“I’m not even slightly embarrassed about crying,” said a tearful Whittaker. “It’s been the most special time and I got to do it side-by-side with friends – and friends for life.”
Acknowledging she was a “relatively new Whovian” in comparison to many of the past Doctors,Whittaker puts it simply when she says:“My introduction into the universe has been getting the job.
“To have these kinds of experiences
– I know people would kill to be in this position. And so, I knew every second of it, you’ve just got to treasure.”
Coinciding with the BBC’s centenary celebrations,The Power Of The Doctor is a 90-minute episode packed full of Easter eggs.
With the trailer for the feature-length episode hinting at the return of some familiar faces, it’s the delightfully dark smirk of actor Sacha Dhawan as the Spy Master that had viewers rubbing their hands in anticipation.
The first female Doctor, it’s clear Whittaker’s mark, made over the course of three seasons, will be an enduring one.
“I suppose the wonderful thing is you can’t spoiler the end, because we knew I was regenerating,” laughs Whittaker with a shrug.
Describing Doctor Who as a show that “celebrates change”,Whittaker is set to be succeeded by rising star Ncuti Gatwa.
“Ncuti will be extraordinary – and he will bring an audience that we haven’t reached [before],” says Whittaker, 40.
“His performance will be so magical – and we get to sit back and enjoy it as the fans that we can be now.
“Doctor Who is for children. It’s for adults. It’s for everyone,” smiles Whittaker. “And I think that celebrating the outsider and the insider, that’s what makes it unique.
“It doesn’t have the limitations that most shows have.You aren’t restricted to where these characters can go, who these characters are and the social norms that often happen in TV.
“And I think because of that, it always feels incredibly current as well as it feeling completely ‘other’.”
The Power Of The Doctor, BBC1, today, 7.30pm