Doctor Who is about to undergo a major change, both in front of the camera and behind it. Last month, it was announced that, for the first time in the show’s 54 year history, the Doctor would next be played by a woman – namely, actress Jodie Whittaker. Spearheading her revolutionary casting is the other new important figure for the series: Chris Chibnall, who’s inheriting the showrunner position from Steven Moffat.
Whittaker and Chibnall previously worked together on hit British crime drama Broadchurch, and it looks like the actress can’t wait to work with him again on Doctor Who. Speaking to BBC Radio 6, in her first broadcast interview since being named the Thirteenth Doctor, Whittaker promised that Chibnall’s vision for the show will be “amazing.”
“I already know Chris so I know how amazing he is. He’s come from a fan’s point of view and the direction he’s going to take it in is going to be amazing.”
Previously, Chibnall himself has teased what he’s hoping to achieve with his take on Doctor Who. If you recall, the writer said that he was convinced to take on the job after the BBC approved of his plans to bring “risk and boldness” to the series. While we still don’t know exactly what he’s got in store for us, it’s obvious that one risk he wanted to take was casting a female Doctor.
Whittaker’s also right about him coming from “a fan’s point of view.” Chibnall is a lifelong Doctor Who lover and has some hefty experience writing for the Whoniverse before. He’s penned five episodes of the show itself, one for David Tennant’s Doctor and four for Matt Smith, and was also the head writer on the first two seasons of spinoff Torchwood.
Beyond Whittaker’s appointment, we don’t know too much about what else Chibnall will do with Doctor Who – and we probably won’t for a while yet. That’s because after the Thirteenth Doctor’s cameo at the end of this year’s Christmas special – the end of which will be written by Chibnall – we’ll have to wait until late 2018 for season 11 to arrive on our screens. Still, something tells us that wait will be worth it.
