It’s safe to say that Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Thirteenth Doctor has been a rip-roaring success. Critics and audiences loved the premiere episode, which earned record viewing figures for Doctor Who, and I personally thought it felt like a proper step forward for the show in terms of production values. But with her first adventure out of the way and a group of new companions in tow, what dangers face them in the upcoming outings?
Well, we already know that classic enemies like Daleks and Cyberman won’t be turning up in this season, and during a panel at NYCC last weekend, showrunner Chris Chibnall and producer Matt Strevens spoke about who we can expect in their place, saying:
“For the generation of viewers who are going to hopefully come on board now, we want it to feel like these are their monsters, the ones they can own, whether they’re a kid, or a first-time viewer of 28 or 98. … We’re being really cagey about spoilers because the story of Doctor Who and the story of the episodes is always ‘who are the monsters? What do they want? What’s their plan?’ If I tell you now, I’ll ruin episode five for you, and I don’t want to do that.”
Strevens also added:
“I think some of the biggest fun is seeing how they land with the audience. I’m thrilled to see what happens, and who takes what monsters to their heart, and how they react – that’s so great to watch.”
The arrival of a ‘new’ classic monster is always a nice surprise in Doctor Who. Perhaps the best example of a new enemy that instantly became iconic were the Weeping Angels. First introduced in the Tenth Doctor episode “Blink,” they quickly cemented themselves as one of the revival’s signature baddies (before immediately getting a bit played out in subsequent appearances). The Silence from the Eleventh Doctor era were almost as good, too, and at this point, I’m ready for Chibnall, Strevens and Whittaker to wow us with whatever grotesque beings from beyond the cosmos they’ve got up their sleeve.
