Doctor Who Writers Say Season 11 Will Be Dark And Spooky At Times

Now that the BBC’s roster of talent has been announced, those in charge of writing (and directing!) Doctor Who season 11 have spoken out about the wondrous adventure that awaits Jodie Whittaker’s incoming Time Lord.

She takes up the mantle from Peter Capaldi, who said his goodbyes to the beloved franchise last Christmas. But now, a whole new era beckons, and thanks to the folks at Doctor Who Magazine (h/t Digital Spy), we have some precious intel about season 11 and the kind of episodes it has in store.

Writer Malorie Blackman, for instance, hailed her own installment of Doctor Who season 11 as “heartfelt, thought-provoking and timely.” Granted, she didn’t specify which episode she’ll be writing, but we know Blackman is about to make history as the first writer of color to have a crack at the illustrious Time Lord.

Part of the joy of writing for Doctor Who is to try to surprise your audience, no matter what their age. I love unpredictability – where you introduce the unexpected, even into a story the audience may already think they know.

Meanwhile, her co-writer Vinay Patel (Murdered by My Father) described his effort as “educational, epic [and] emotional,” with series newcomer Pete McTigh promising to deliver a “creepy fun rollercoaster.” Perhaps his will be saved for around Halloween time?

Whatever the case, Joy Wilkinson and Ed Hime went on to describe their episodes as “dark, funny and… squelchy” and “really rather spooky,” respectively.

Pull all this together and you have a frankly unmissable season of top-tier television, and while the BBC is yet to commit to a firm date, we know Doctor Who will be back on our screens sometime in October.