Series 11 (Doctor Who)

Series 11 of Doctor Who premiered Sunday, 7 October 2018, helmed by new showrunner Chris Chibnall. It stared Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor (the first woman to take the role, following Peter Capaldi's regeneration in series 10), Tosin Cole as Ryan, Mandip Gill as Yasmin and Bradley Walsh as Graham.

A Female Doctor
Chris Chibnall, revealed in July 2017 that he "always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman, and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice." Prior to Jodie's reveal, bets on who would be the next Doctor were hype, with names like Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Kris Marshall among fan favourites.

Whittaker, herself, stated, "I'm beyond excited to begin this epic journey … It's more than an honour to play the 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."

Peter Capaldi, Whittaker's predecessor, has full confidence that "she's going to be a fantastic Doctor". "Anyone who has seen Jodie Whittaker's work will know that she is a wonderful actress of great individuality and charm. She has above all the huge heart to play this most special part." Capaldi had previously expressed that he wants the next actor to take the role to finally be a woman.

In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Whittaker stated that the new incarnation will not fundamentally change the character of the Doctor, saying: "It's a brand new body, and the body happens to be female."

In an interview with Rolling Stone on 5 September 2017, Whittaker said that: "As a young girl, I did not think that 'Time Lord' would ever be on my CV." She continued: "I’m playing an alien and gender is not a part of that. A moment like this of being the first woman cast as something, it makes you really think about your sex, whereas actually what you want to do is play a part where your gender is irrelevant. I am a woman, so I don't need to play that. And so for me, this was the most freeing experience because there's no right or wrong way to do it. The rules went out the window."

Speaking exclusively to The Big Issue, Whittaker said she hoped her role as the Doctor would help people to start seeing women as more than just a genre.

Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, Jodie revealed that her Doctor will be "high energy" and that "…every episode requires a different side to her".

New TARDIS Team
On 22 October 2017, it was revealed that Whittaker would be joined by Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole in the TARDIS, as well as Sharon D Clarke joining the show as a "returning role". The BBC said in a statement: "New head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, who made the decision to cast the first ever woman in the iconic role, is also shaking up who will travel with the Doctor in [the TARDIS], with a team of new characters", at the same time also confirming that the new series will run through 10 weeks, with 50 minutes each episode and kicking off with a feature-length opener.

Jodie Whittaker further told Times Magazine that there will be no romance between the TARDIS crew.

In a video recorded by the BBC America, Jodie teased huge character arcs for the Doctor and her companions.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Chibnall and Jodie revealed that the new series will not be focused on the Doctor, saying it will have "an ensemble feel".

Changes in Production
In early 2018, Murray Gold announced his departure from Doctor Who at the Gallifrey One convention, confirming that the 2017 Christmas Special, Twice Upon a Time, was his last episode. On 26 June it was announced that Segun Akinola, would be composing the music for the new era, including a fresh new take on the legendary theme tune, which Akinola said he was "thrilled" about. Akinola later revealed that his version of the new theme will feature original recordings of the very first Delia Derbyshire BBC Radiophonic Workshop tune from 1963. Excluding the reuse of that intro theme, as well as the title sequence, for the 50th Anniversary special The Day of the Doctor in 2013, this marks the first time any bit of the original track from 1963 has been used.

Series 11 marks the first time since 2012's The Snowmen, with the exception of 2014 and 2015 stories Death in Heaven and Sleep No More, in which the current Doctor's face or eyes does not appear in the title sequence (a feature that also dates back from 1967's The Macra Terror to 1989's Survival). The sequence will also not feature the TARDIS for the first time since the 1987 story Time and the Rani (a feature that was briefly in use from 1974 story Robot to 1980 story The Horns of Nimon).

Series 11 will also mark the end of the Milk VFX team's run on Doctor Who for visual effects. Following Twice Upon a Time, their duties are being handed over to Double Negative, whose previous work can be found on Blade Runner 2049, Interstellar, Inception, and more. On the 20 July, the company themselves, rebranded as DNEG, announced that they were taking over VFX duties. Series 11 would set a record for the most CGI/VFX effects ever used in the franchise.

Promotion
A teaser was released on 21 February 2018. The new logo was designed by the LittleHawk agency following Chris Chibnall and Matt Strevens' directions, while the music and sound effects were the work of Matthew Herbert.

On 13 July, the BBC released a 12-second soundless teaser showing off the new insignia cut into rock, followed by a black screen which reads, "The Universe is Calling".

On 15 July, the BBC released a new teaser during the half-time of the football World Cup, which showed a brief introduction of the new companions, Ryan, Yasmin and Graham, and lastly the Doctor herself. The music of the trailer was composed by Jamie Salisbury.

On 19 July, the official trailer for series 11 was revealed in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, along with the new sonic screwdriver.

On the 7 September, a second teaser trailer was released showing the Doctor standing in the middle of a great hall, while a glass ceiling crashes down around her, with "Glorious" by Macklemore and Skylar Grey playing in the background.

On the 20 September, a second trailer for the series was released, giving a better look at some of the locations and revealing a few of the new enemies. The music playing is Glorious.

A preview clip for The Woman Who Fell to Earth was released on 28 September. This happens to be the same clip that was leaked back in late June.

Notable Changes
During an interview at the Comic-Con on 19 July, Chibnall stated that series 11 would be all standalone episodes. Matt Strevens told Empire magazine that Series 11 would be "a box of chocolates", giving viewers something new in each episode.

Chibnall further confirmed that for the first time in New Who, the Daleks won't return for the entire series, saying "I don’t know how many times I need to say it. There are no old monsters this series". . Furthermore, there would be no River Song, Missy, Paternoster Gang, Daleks or Cybermen.

In an interview, Chibnall told that the new series will have something for everyone, hoping that while bringing in new viewers the long-term fans can expect everything they love about the show, saying "The show has a history of renewal, while also staying faithful to what it is." Whittaker further told that this would be a very inclusive series, saying "Doctor Who is for everyone and anyone…".

Jodie Whittaker has revealed that this series will "go back to basics", being as simplistic and easily understandable as possible, given recent series' decline in viewing numbers and criticisms for being too convoluted.

Whittaker and Chibnall said, during an interview with The Times, that this Doctor would have "no tears" (a far cry from recent incarnations) and would be more outward-looking compared to Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor.

Broadcast
Sharmill Films has announced a cinema event for series 11 that will see The Woman Who Fell to Earth shown in select cinemas in Australia and New Zealand. BTS stuff will also be shown. The AMC Theatres chain will be showing said episode on 10 October in the U.S., also including bonus content, it will be done in collaboration with Fathom Events.

After the UK broadcast, ABC iView will premiere the episodes. Following that, ABC Comedy will run the fan show Whovians, hosted by Rove McManus.

A press launch screening of The Woman Who Fell to Earth has been announced as happening on 24 September in Sheffield. Fans would be able to attend the Red Carpet and meet the cast up close, but the actual screening is invite-only. The press launch screening would happen in the Light Cinema.

The opening episode, The Woman Who Fell to Earth would be screened at New York Comic Con in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden at 1.45pm simultaniously to its premiere on BBC America. The screening would be followed by a Q&A panel with Jodie, Chibnall and Matt Strevens.

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jodie Whittaker
 * Graham O'Brien - Bradley Walsh
 * Ryan Sinclair - Tosin Cole
 * Yasmin Khan - Mandip Gill

Recurring

 * Grace O'Brien - Sharon D Clarke

Guest

 * Sonia - Asha Kingsley
 * Tim Shaw - Samuel Oatley
 * Karl - Jonny Dixon
 * Rahul - Amit Shah
 * Janey - Janine Mellor
 * Ramesh Sunder - Asif Khan
 * Andy - James Thackeray
 * Dean - Philip Abiodun
 * Dennis - Stephen MacKenna
 * Gabriel - Everal A Walsh
 * Angstrom - Susan Lynch
 * Epzo - Shaun Dooley
 * Ilin - Art Malik
 * Voice of the Remnants - Ian Gelder
 * Rosa Parks - Vinette Robinson
 * Krasko - Joshua Bowman
 * James Blake - Trevor White
 * Mr Steele - Richard Lothian
 * Police officer Mason - Gareth Marks
 * Raymond Parks - David Rubin
 * Martin Luther King - Ray Sesay
 * Fred Gray - Aki Omoshaybi
 * Elias Griffin Jr - David Dukas
 * Arthur - Morgan Deare
 * Waitress - Jessica Claire Preddy
 * TBA - Chris Noth
 * TBA - Shobna Gulati
 * TBA - Tanya Fear
 * Mud Witch - Marina Stoimenova
 * King James I - Alan Cumming
 * TBA - Lee Mack
 * Trine - Lisa Stokke
 * TBA - Siobhan Finneran
 * TBA - Paul Sturgess

Production
Unusually, it had a global premiere, with many markets around the world having at least the same start time. Oddly, though, The Woman Who Fell to Earth was initially broadcast in an altered visual form in some markets. Although it was the first episode of the programme filmed in a 2:1 aspect ratio, its global premiere on networks like BBC America and Space was actually in the previous standard of 16:9. This had the effect of truncating some of the frame.

Producers
Chris Chibnall and Matt Strevens will co-executive produce. They were later joined by Sam Hoyle. Nikki Wilson will return as a producer, now joined by Alex Mercer.

Filming
Jodie Whittaker used the codename "The Clooney", a reference to George Clooney, when discussing her role.

On the 3 August 2018, it was announced that filming of Series 11 had officially wrapped.

Directing
Jamie Childs directed the trailer that revealed Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. He will also be directing the opening block for this series consisting of episodes 1 and 7, as well as episodes 9 and 10. Sallie Aprahamian will direct the third filming block consisting of episode 4 and 6. Mark Tonderai will direct episodes 2 and 3. Jennifer Perrott will direct episodes 5 and 8. Wayne Yip will go to direct the Christmas Special.

Writing
Alongside Chris Chibnall, a variety of new names have been confirmed to pen the series. These are Malorie Blackman, who previously wrote an official Seventh Doctor tie-in novella, Ed Hime, Vinay Patel, Pete McTighe and Joy Wilkinson. Chibnall is writing episode 1 and 2.

When interviewed for the latest issue of SFX Magazine, Chibnall revealed that the writers had no idea that they were writing stories for a female Doctor, saying "a lot of drafts of scripts have got 'he' in".

Acting
At the premiere of The Woman Who Fell to Earth in Sheffield on the 24 September, Jodie revealed that for episode 1 only, she did all of her own stunts. For the remainder of the series, Whittaker's stunt woman Belinda took over. Tosin Cole additionally added that he acted being bad at riding a bike. This would prove to be because Ryan suffers from dyspraxia.

At the same event, Bradley Walsh revealed that he's wearing a wig for the entire series, due to his character's requirement to look older, and him not being that old, and because he's hosting The Chase too.

Episode Notes

 * Chris Chibnall has revealed in Doctor Who Magazine that we won't see the new title sequence "in situ" until episode 2, saying that "Episode one starts a little differently."
 * For the second episode, The Ghost Monument, Timeslice Cinematography provided aerial shots.
 * Series 11 will be the third season in which every story has the same episode count, following Season 18 and Series 7.
 * Series 11 will be the first season in the revived series without any episodes written or co-written by Steven Moffat, the first since Series 4 without any by Mark Gatiss, the first since Series 7 without any by Peter Harness or Jamie Mathieson, and the first since Series 8 without any by Toby Whithouse or Sarah Dollard.
 * With the exception of Season 1, Series 11 will be the fourth season without any returning antagonists, following Season 7, Season 13, and Season 16.

Aliens and enemies

 * Gathering Coil (semi-species)
 * Stenza
 * Tzim-Sha
 * Remnants
 * "Laser-gun men"
 * Ribbons
 * "Giant spider"
 * "Tall mole-like slender-creature"
 * "Goblin-like pointy-eared creature"

Series Mysteries

 * Robertson
 * The Ux
 * Umbreen
 * Kandoka's moon

Rumours

 * Anton Lesser may have been cast in series 11.
 * Chris Chibnall will be bringing the show back to its original intention of being an educational show. Three episodes will be set in past, three episodes will be set in future and the rest will be set in present day.
 * The Christmas special might be moved to New Year's Day and renamed "Seasonal Special".

DVD / Blu-ray
In the summer of 2018 — before and during the San Diego Comic-Con press junket — logged-in US Amazon Prime customers were given at least two release dates for both the DVD and Blu-ray versions of The Complete Eleventh Series. On at least 27 June, the US release date was said to be 27 August. By at least 20 July, that date was said to be 18 September.

Novels

 * The Good Doctor
 * Molten Heart
 * Combat Magicks

Audiobooks

 * to be added