Series 13 (Doctor Who)

Series 13 is an upcoming series of Doctor Who. Chris Chibnall remained as executive producer, whilst Jodie Whittaker returned as the Thirteenth Doctor. Mandip Gill returned as Yasmin Khan, joined by newcomer companion Dan Lewis , played by John Bishop.

In July 2021, it was announced that both Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker would be departing at the end of this series, making good on a private agreement between the two to leave the programme after three series.

Although initially reported in an announcement by Chibnall that this series would only contain 8 episodes, it was later announced that an additional feature-length special was in the works for the end of the era, to be released alongside two other specials in 2022 (similar to those at the end of David Tennant's run). This would bring the total count up to 9, including this "trio of specials". The reduced episode count was due to constraints running a production during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At San Diego Comic Con @ Home on 25 July 2021, it was also announced that the main series would follow a serialised format, meaning it would be one serial spanning six episodes, similar to Torchwood: Children of Earth (and most Doctor Who television stories prior to the 1996 TV Movie).

The series continued the ongoing storyline exploring the Doctor's past and the Timeless Child.

Storyline continuation
According to Chris Chibnall, the previous series finale Ascension of the Cybermen/The Timeless Children laid the groundworks of the storylines throughout this series.

On 8 October 2020 at the live-streamed New York Comic-Con panel, Mandip Gill revealed that series 13 would delve deeper into Yasmin Khan's past and touch on "mental health issues".

On 5 December 2020, Gill told Radio Times that while her co-stars, Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole, felt ready to leave during the preceding New Year Special Revolution of the Daleks, she was not ready to leave the TARDIS behind, saying there's still more to explore about Yaz's past and mental health.

On 1 January 2021, following the broadcast of Cole and Walsh's final scenes, comedian John Bishop was officially announced in a teaser trailer as playing incoming companion, Dan.

Returning foes
Similar to the preceeding series 12, this series would see a list of returning foes:

The Sontarans would make a return in their first proper villainous comeback since their "New Who" debut story, series 4's The Sontaran Strategem/The Poison Sky. Although several Sontarans have appeared since, most notably Strax last seen in series 8's Deep Breath.

The Weeping Angels would also make a return to the series, presenting a threat for the first time since 2013 Christmas Special The Time of the Doctor. Although they did make cameos in series 9 finale Hell Bent and the immediately preceeding New Year Special Revolution of the Daleks, respectively.

The Daleks also made it back to the screen, having last been seen in the preceeding special Revolution of the Daleks.

Production during COVID-19
On 31 March 2020 it was reported by Radio Times that due to a lucky break in filming, Doctor Who might have dodged a bullet and inadvertently gone around the whole Lockdown crisis that other production have suffered, and therefore escaped the COVID-19 virus altogether.

However, it was reported on 18 June 2020 by The Mirror that Director of BBC Wales Rhodri Talfan Davies had said that the series would not be continuing filming during current social distancing rules.

On 11 September 2020 it was claimed by the Metro Entertainment that due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, series 13 could potentially be moved to 2022 due to significant delays in principal photography as a result of the virus.

That same day, a conflicting report from Radio Times mentioned that filming was set to begin "soon", noting that little was known about what social distancing rules would mean for the series or the number of episodes.

On 11 November 2020, Chris Chibnall announced to The Mirror that the series run had indeed been impacted by the virus, and had been reduced to eight episodes. He stated: "In this strangest of years, the Doctor Who production team have worked wonders to get the show back into production. Given the complexity of making Doctor Who, and with new and rigorous Covid working protocols, it’s going to take us a little longer to film each episode, meaning we expect to end up with eight episodes, rather than the usual 11."

In an interview with the Radio Times on 28 November, Chibnall opened up a bit more about the struggles of making the show during a global pandemic while trying to avoid fans thinking about the pandemic while watching the series, saying: "Basically, for the past six months we’ve been going, 'How do we make Doctor Who in the middle of a pandemic?' We had to re-interrogate absolutely everything. We couldn’t do Spyfall this year. We won’t be able to do overseas filming. Editorially, production-wise, logistically, health and safety-wise, it’s had a massive impact. But where we are is incredibly exciting. As much as possible at the moment everybody's smiling, and we've got some really lovely, great, mad scary ideas."

Producer Matt Strevens reassured fans that the quality of the series would not be affected, saying: "The biggest thing is that when series 13 finally does air, whenever that is, we never want people to watch it under the caveat of COVID, going, 'Ah, well, but they made this during the pandemic.' We want to make sure that when you watch it, it's – no pun intended - timeless, and feels as exciting and as high-end as we've tried to make the series since we took over. That was the driving impulse behind looking at the narratives and reducing the number of episodes slightly: we want to make sure we can give people the biggest production values possible."

On 25 July 2021, during the Comic Con @ Home, Chibnall announced that the series had undergone changes in format, giving it a storytelling style similar to Classic Who era, with it being a singular multi-part story throughout the entire season.

Announcement
Unusually, the series was announced as being "in the works" by Chibnall on 21 November 2019, a little over a month before the previous series began airing.

In May 2017, it was announced that due to the terms of a deal between BBC Worldwide and SMG Pictures in China, the company has first right of refusal on the purchase for the Chinese market of past and future series and spin-offs of the programme.

In October 2019, it was revealed that due to the show heading to HBO Max, the network had struck a deal for additional series of the programme.

Whittaker briefly mentioned her return in Doctor Who Magazine on 9 December 2019, a little under a month before series 12. She later spoke about it publicly to Entertainment Weekly on 22 January 2020.

Promotion
Following the broadcast of Revolution of the Daleks on New Year's Day 2021 was a clip promoting this series featuring two men loading a truck while reading horoscopes. The horoscope in question read amongst others that "lucky number is 13, the colour blue will be important", the camera then pans to John Bishop and flashes a few brief clips of various sequences from the upcoming series. This new upcoming companion was later revealed to be named "Dan". Bishop himself said of the experience: ''If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it. ''

On 25 July 2021 San Diego Comic Con @ Home was held to promote the new series, with John Bishop, Mandip Gill, Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall, in which they talked about the changes made to the series along with what it was like to work on set during pandemic times and their favourite things about it, also each sharing a word to describe the series. The panel also introduced a special guest Jacob Anderson as recurring character Vinder. At the end of the panel, the Series 13 trailer was shown, and following that it was released on the Doctor Who YouTube Channel. At the panel were also shown publicity photos of the new Team TARDIS and Vinder, respectively.

The BBC Doctor Who website also put up a “mystery” puzzle that had to be solved as part of the #FindTheDoctor series leading up to Series 13.

On 29 July it was announced on the Doctor Who website that Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall would be handing over the control of the show to someone else following a 6-part event series and a trio of specials stretching all the way into autumn 2022 as part of the BBC Centenary celebrations. Chibnall said of the experience: "Jodie and I made a “three series and out” pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we’re handing back the TARDIS keys. Jodie’s magnificent, iconic Doctor has exceeded all our high expectations. She’s been the gold standard leading actor, shouldering the responsibility of being the first female Doctor with style, strength, warmth, generosity and humour. She captured the public imagination and continues to inspire adoration around the world, as well as from everyone on the production. I can’t imagine working with a more inspiring Doctor – so I’m not going to!" to which Whittaker adds: "''In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories.''"

On 16 August the Official Doctor Who social media accounts posted a new publicity photo. The photo featured Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill and John Bishop as the Doctor, Yaz and Dan, respectively, in front of a graffitied brick wall.

On 18 August BBC America, in conjunction with AMC Channels, released a summary of the upcoming series. In this summary it was revealed that the Doctor would "be questioning everything about her past" and that she would "undoubtedly be searching for answers". The summary further said that the audience should expect "action", "fun", "scares", "new worlds" and that Team TARDIS would be confronting "a deadly evil".

Broadcast
to be added

Cast

 * The Doctor - Jodie Whittaker
 * Yasmin Khan - Mandip Gill


 * Dan Lewis - John Bishop

Recurring

 * Neville - Paul Broughton
 * Dan’s mother - Sue Murphy
 * Vinder - Jacob Anderson
 * Voice of the Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
 * Daleks - Nicholas Pegg, Barnaby Edwards
 * Karvanista - Craige Els

Guest

 * Mary Seacole - Sara Powell
 * TBA - Annabel Scholey
 * Mrs. Hayward - Penelope McGhie
 * Diane Curtis - Nadia Albina
 * TBA - Kevin McNally
 * TBA - Steve Oram

Producers
In an interview with Television Magazine in June 2017, Chibnall promised that his run would be "bold" and "risky". . (Contrary to common belief, he made no mention of a five-year plan, but his friend, James Strong indicated his belief that the position was a five year project. ) This plan involved the revelation of the Timeless Child, given at the end of series 12.

Director
Jamie Magnus Stone returned to direct at least one filming block from this series, along with DOP Robin Whenary consisting of episodes 1, 2 and 4.

Azhur Saleem is directing episode 3, 5 and 6 of the season.

Writers
Maxine Alderton was confirmed as a "core writer" for the series.

Ed Hime is also writing an episode of the series.

Pre-production
Tracie Simpson announced at a Gallifrey One convention on 15 February 2020 that pre-production on the series would begin in June the same year.

Filming
Tracie Simpson announced at the Gallifrey One convention on 15 February 2020 that filming would begin in September the same year. This was, of course, delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with spikes in cases and deaths at around this time.

Principal photography officially began on 2 November 2020 at Roath Lock Studios.

Filming on location first began on 13 and 16 November at Morlais Quarry, Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.

Filming continued on 26 November at The Parade in Cardiff, Wales.

The production moved onto the streets of Cardiff on 7 December.

Filming then continued on 8 December in Neptune Court on Vanguard Way in Penarth, Cardiff.

Filming resumed on 11 January 2021 on Cold Knap beach in Barry, Wales.

Filming continued on 21 January 2021 in Saint Hilary, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales.

Filming went on to Barry Island at Friars Point House the night between 25 and 26 January.

Filming took place at Porthkerry Country Park in Barry, Wales on 17 February.

Filming then went on to the Ffresh Cabaret Bar inside the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff on 18 February.

Filming took place inside Cardiff City Hall on 8 March.

Filming then went on at Atlantic College in Llantwit Major, Wales in front of an old stone house located on the campus on 17 March.

Filming later took place at Kongs Cardiff and The Hayes, both located in Cardiff, on 18 March.

Filming took place at the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool on 22 March.

Next, filming took place at the Museum of Liverpool on 23 March.

Filming then took place at the Church of St Luke and Metropolitan Cathedral in Liverpool on 24 March.

Filming moved to St George's Hall in Liverpool on 25 March.

Filming took place in Grangetown in Cardiff on 4 May.

Filming continued in Salisbury Avenue in Penarth, Wales on 13 May.

Filming took place at the A Bond Warehouse at Cumberland Road in Bristol on 4 June.

Filming went to Sully Beach in Barry, Wales on 25 June.

Filming took place at Roath Lock Studios on 5, 6, 22, 23 and 26 July while filming took place again on Sully Beach on 15 July. Additional filming also took place at Cardiff Bay on 26 July.

Aliens and enemies

 * Sontarans
 * Weeping Angels
 * Daleks

Rumours

 * One of the stories is set during the Crimean War.
 * Episode 4 features pumpkins as set dressing, suggesting a possible Halloween episode. Perhaps of interest, if series 13 followed previous series in airing on Sundays, and was broadcast in autumn 2021, an episode would indeed air on 31 October 2021.
 * On 21st June, an urgent casting call of people of Chinese descent for an “exciting BBC programme” and a post on Facebook, seemingly quoting said casting call, calling for people to play sailors on Doctor Who, suggests a possible 19th century story featuring Chinese pirates. The episode may feature "Pirate Queen" Zheng Yi Sao.
 * Jamie Magnus Stone directed the New Year Special.

Home media
to be added

Novels
to be added

Comics

 * "Doctor Who 2021 Event" (suspended until further notice )