Fans of Doctor Who hoping that the next incarnation of the heroic titular alien would be different than the 12 previous actors will be thrilled: The next Time Lord is a Time Lady. Jodie Whittaker has been officially announced as the the new Doctor, the first woman to take on the role. Will fans keep calling her a Time Lord, or will the term “Time Lady” come back into fashion?
On Sunday, the BBC and its global affiliates made the announcement following the final match of the Wimbledon men’s final. A short video showed a hooded figure walking mysteriously through a forest, seemingly wearing one of Peter Capaldi’s 12th Doctor signature hoodies. The hood was pulled back, and Jodie Whittaker was revealed in character for the first time.
Though not initially considered a frontrunner for the role by the various predictive betting groups that tracked the Doctor Who odds, Whittaker’s name shot to the list of potential actors to take on the role late Saturday night. Whittaker is best known for her role as Beth Latimer on the BBC drama Broadchurch. New Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall is the previous showrunner of Broadchurch.
Whittaker is no stranger to science fiction, having starred with John Boyega (Star Wars) in the 2011 sci-fi comedy Attack the Block.
The next Doctor Who episode, which will be Peter Capaldi’s last and Jodie Whittaker’s first, will air on Christmas Day 2017.
The new season of Doctor Who, with Whittaker as the 13th Doctor, will air sometime in 2018.
