It's about time. The BBC announced on Sunday that actor Jodie Whittaker has been named the 13th doctor on Doctor Who. She is the first woman to take on the role in the iconic British series' lengthy 50-year history. According to the BBC, the Attack The Block and Broadchurch actor will make her debut in the TARDIS in the show's annual Christmas special. “I’m beyond excited to begin this epic journey, with [showrunner Chris Chibnall] and with every Whovian on this planet,” Whittaker told Variety. “It’s more than an honor to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait.”
The historic announcement was made on Sunday after the Wimbledon men's tennis championship match through a filmed introduction of Whittaker as the new Doctor. The video shows her dressed in a long black coat and hooded sweatshirt covering her blonde hair as she walks in the woods. At around 40 seconds in, she reveals her face to the audience, smiles, and heads to the blue police box known as the TARDIS, glowing in a clearing. The cult hit British sci-fi series centers around the mysterious Doctor, who travels through time and regenerates every few years, allowing new actors to take on the role.
New Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch) told Variety that he is excited to lead the series with Whittaker as its first female in the starring role. "I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman, and we’re thrilled to have secured our No. 1 choice," he said. "Her audition for the Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role.”
It will be super exciting to see a woman take Doctor Who into a brand new era.
