Meet the 13th Doctor, Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker, the newly crowned 13th Doctor, gave her first interview to Blogtor Who! Here are the highlights from her comments.

On being the first female Doctor:

“It feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible.

“I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.”

Jodie Whittaker IS the 13th Doctor!

The 13th Doctor on DOCTOR WHO will be portrayed by Jodie Whittaker, best known to American audiences from BROADCHURCH.

Whittaker, the first woman to ever play the role, takes over from Peter Capaldi, who played the 12th Doctor for three seasons, culminating in the just-concluded 10th series.

While DOCTOR WHO fans have known since January that Capaldi would not be returning for the 11th season, word that the identity of the next Doctor would be revealed today only came on Friday, via a wordless video from the BBC.

DOCTOR WHO returns to BBC America with its traditional Christmas special on Dec. 25.

Don’t Worry About the New Doctor – Yet…

Everybody can just relax. Chibnall’s got this.

New DOCTOR WHO showrunner Chris Chibnall – whose work won’t be seen until after Steven Moffat‘s upcoming 10th series has run its course – has his own ideas about how to cast the next Doctor, and it has nothing whatsoerver to do with what former stars, fans or bookmakers want.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Chibnall said:

“We’ll cast the role in the traditional way: Write the script, then go and find the best person for that part in that script. You couldn’t go out and cast an abstract idea. The creative possibilities are endless, but I have a very clear sense of what we’re going to do, without even knowing who’s going to play the part.”

Translation: Chibnall isn’t going to cast someone and write to fit the actor; he’s going to create a character and then hire the right person to play that role.

I totally agree that he’s doing it the right way. The actor must suit the role, not vice-versa.

Peter Capaldi‘s third and final season as the 12th Doctor will end with this year’s Christmas Special, in which he will regenerate into the 13th Doctor.

DOCTOR WHO returns to BBC America on April 15.

It’s Almost Time for More ‘Orphan Black’

“Orphan Black” is gearing up for its fourth season, and BBC America has released a short little teaser for its original series.

What it lacks in length it makes up for in creepiness…

BBC America will only hint:

Season 4 of the drama will see leader-of-the-pack, Sarah, reluctantly return home from her Icelandic hideout to track down an elusive and mysterious ally tied to the clone who started it all — Beth Childs.  Sarah will follow Beth’s footsteps into a dangerous relationship with a potent new enemy, heading in a horrifying new direction. Under constant pressure to protect the sisterhood and keep everyone safe, Sarah’s old habits begin to resurface. As the close-knit sisters are pulled in disparate directions, Sarah finds herself estranged from the loving relationships that changed her for the better.

Celebrate Wholloween on BBC America

Weeping Angels! A mummy! The Crooked Man — and that Thing Under the Bedspread!

What’s a more fitting way to celebrate Halloween day than a marathon of the creepiest, spookiest DOCTOR WHO stories? BBC America thinks nothing could be finer, and so it has programmed a whole afternoon of regenerating delights, dubbed WHOLLOWEEN!

Wholloween begins at 1 o’clock Saturday, Oct. 31 on BBC America!

Photo Gallery for 2nd New DOCTOR WHO Episode

The second installment of DOCTOR WHO season nine is called “The Witch’s Familiar,” and it picks up where “The Magician’s Apprentice” left off.

Here is a gallery of newly released pics. Some people apparently consider some of them spoiler, although I don’t see anything new here. However, if you’re totally spoiler phobic, then, I guess…. SPOILERS!

 

“The Witch’s Familiar” premieres tomorrow night at 9 o’clock on BBC America.

DOCTOR WHO Smashes BBC America Ratings Record!

The season nine premiere of DOCTOR WHO drew 2 million total viewers to BBC America Saturday night, with double-digit growth in all the key demos, making it the network‘s biggest season premiere ever, according to AC Nielsen and the net itself.

Sarah Barnett, president of BBC America said:

“DOCTOR WHO is unlike anything else on television, a storied franchise that is as fresh and contemporary as ever, with brilliant writing and superb performances. We couldn’t be more thrilled that new and returning DOCTOR WHO fans tuned into the live premiere in record numbers and we look forward to bringing more of the Doctor to this passionate audience.”

DOCTOR WHO: Make Your Own Sunday!

BBC America, the U.S. home of DOCTOR WHO, wants to know which episodes we fans think portray the Doctor in the most heroic light, so the network is inviting viewers to vote for the episodes to be included in an all-day marathon on Sept. 20 — the day after the premiere of series six.

Fans will get to choose from every story involving the latest incarnations of the Doctor: David Tennant‘s 10th Doctor, Matt Smith‘s 11th Doctor and Peter Capaldi‘s 12th.

According BBC America, here’s what to do:

1. Select a single episode from each poll on this page (one per Doctor) and cast your votes. The poll will stay open through Sept. 11 at noon EST.

2. Tune in to the DOCTOR WHO marathon all day Sunday to see which episodes made the cut.

DOCTOR WHO returns Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. on BBC America.

The Hath and the Judoon Hath Returned!

Judoon

Hath

The new season of DOCTOR WHO will see the return of some alien species not seen since Russell T Davies‘ reign on the show: the rhino-like Judoon and the fish/turkey hybrid Hath.

The Judoon debuted in series three’s premiere episode, “Smith and Jones,” which also introduced the 10th Doctor to Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman). The rhino soldiers and their trademark barking, untranslatable language last appeared in the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith) story “A Good Man Goes to War.”

The Hath were introduced in series four’s 10th Doctor story “The Doctor’s Daughter,” and a representative of the species was glimpsed in David Tennant‘s final story, “The End of Time.”

DOCTOR WHO returns Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. on BBC America.

New Pics From the DOCTOR WHO Premiere

The BBC have released a few new pictures to promote the debut episode of DOCTOR WHO’s ninth series, “The Magician’s Apprentice.” The images feature the Doctor (Peter Capaldi), Clara (Jenna Coleman), Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and Missy (Michelle Gomez).

Doctor & TARDIS

the 12th Doctor

Clara

Kate

Missy

Clara

 

DOCTOR WHO returns Sept. 19 at 9 p.m. on BBC America.