While Jodie Whittaker is expected to make her first full appearance as the legendary Time Lord during the finale of this year’s Christmas Special, comments made by outgoing Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat (Sherlock) suggest the actress’ first season as the Time Lord will begin late next year.
First spotted by Digital Spy, during a recent interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Moffat spoke at length about his tenure at the helm of the hit BBC drama, which will come to an end upon the release of the 2017 Christmas Special – the same episode in which Peter Capaldi is expected to bid adieu to the TARDIS once and for all. Moffat will be departing as well and in his place, Broadchurch writer/creator Chris Chibnall will assume the role of showrunner for Doctor Who‘s eleventh series, which will seemingly premiere in late 2018.
When asked about his long-standing commitment to the gig, Steven Moffat noted that he consciously made an effort to stay involved in the Who-verse until such time as Chibnall was able to pick up the torch. Said he: “The alternative might have been to have had no Doctor Who at all between Christmas 2015 and the autumn of 2018.”
It’s by no means a confirmation, but this rough estimation does indicate that Jodie Whittaker’s first season as the Time Lord will be with us late next year. Whether that holds true is another question entirely, but we do know that the advent of Whittaker’s Doctor will bring with it a handful of new companions. After all, one cast member who won’t be returning is Pearl Mackie, who held the role of Bill Potts opposite Capaldi’s time-travelling hero.
But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, next up is the launch of Doctor Who‘s 2017 Christmas Special, which co-stars David Bradley and Mark Gatiss.
