The start date for the new series of ‘Doctor Who’ has been confirmed, with the BBC moving the sci-fi show to Sunday nights.
Jodie Whittaker’s first series at the helm of the TARDIS will kick off on BBC One on Sunday 7 October, with the move show’s to the end of the week being billed as a “new era” for ‘Doctor Who’.
New showrunner Chris Chibnall said of the decision: “New Doctor, new home! Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is about to burst into Sunday nights — and make the end of the weekend so much more exciting.
“Get everybody’s homework done, sort out your Monday clothes, then grab some special Sunday night popcorn, and settle down with all of the family for Sunday night adventures across space and time. (Also, move the sofa away from the wall so parents can hide behind it during the scary bits).”
He concluded: “The Thirteenth Doctor is falling from the sky and it’s going to be a blast.”
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s director of content, added: “With Chris Chibnall at the helm and Jodie Whittaker’s arrival as the new Doctor we are heralding a brand new era for the show and so it feels only right to give it a new home on Sunday nights at the heart of BBC One’s autumn schedule.”
Chris has also penned the first episode of the series, dubbed ‘The Woman Who Fell To Earth’, a nod to the extra-terrestrial David Bowie film of a similar name.
While Jodie made her first appearance as the Time Lord at the end of the most recent Christmas special, when Peter Capaldi’s character regenerated into the Thirteenth Doctor, the upcoming series marks the actress’s first full series in the role, and the first time a woman has taken the lead in the show’s history.
She’ll be joined by a whole team of new companions, made up of Graham (played by ‘The Chase’ presenter Bradley Walsh), Yasmin and Ryan (portrayed by newcomers Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole).
The three new stars replace former companion Bill Potts, who was played by Pearl Mackie.
The character only lasted one series, having joined the show in 2016, but did returned for last year’s Christmas special in honour of Peter Capaldi’s final outing as the Doctor.