Season 11 of Doctor Who seriously split the fandom, but the show itself and its lead actress Jodie Whittaker have nonetheless found themselves on the shortlist of nominations for this year’s National Television Awards, a British awards ceremony voted for entirely by the UK public.
Doctor Who‘s naturally up for the Best Drama gong, facing stiff competition from the best of British TV. Specifically, military drama Our Girl, heartwarming period piece Call the Midwife, medical soap opera Casualty and transatlantic hit Peaky Blinders.
The Thirteenth Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker, is up for Best Drama Performance, which is open to both actors and actresses. Funnily enough, one of the competitors shares her name – Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle in Killing Eve. The rest of the nominations are filled by Our Girl‘s Michelle Keegan, Peaky Blinders‘ Cillian Murphy and Bodyguard star Richard Madden.
As one of the most popular shows in the country, Doctor Who and its stars are obviously nearly always nominated and have often won. In fact, the series and its lead actor – first Christopher Eccleston and then David Tennant – got the gong every year until 2010. The last time Who won was in 2014, which was no doubt buoyed by the recent 50th anniversary. But maybe the renewed interest in the first female Doctor can earn it another NTA?
At the moment, it’s a bit difficult to say how much the British public enjoyed the most recent season. The hype was certainly there, as Whittaker’s debut episode was the highest-viewed first episode for a Doctor since 2010. Unfortunately, though, the ratings went down consistently throughout the rest of the season, leaving the recent New Year’s special as the least-viewed festive episode the series has ever had.
In any case, if you want to show Doctor Who and Jodie Whittaker your support, you can vote in the NTAs by following the link below. The ceremony will be broadcast live for UK viewers on January 22nd.
