Everyone remembers the viral video of the girl who happily exclaimed, “The New Doctor’s a Girl!” while viewing the reveal of Jodie Whittaker as the thirteenth Doctor.
The girl’s Name is Wednesday and Jodie Whittaker sat down for a video chat with her, courtesy of BBC America.
Whittaker said to Wednesday, “Thank you for the best reaction I’ve ever had.”
Whittaker went on the explain how Sheffield steel went into the construction of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver before interviewing Wednesday.
Wednesday hoped the new Doctor would be female but assumed she would see another male during the reveal.
She got her wish!
Did you spot this amazing Doctor Who Easter egg in Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House?
Note: Mild spoilers follow for The Haunting of Hill House.
Terrifying new horror series The Haunting of Hill House has just dropped on Netflix and undoubtedly will become your latest binge.
From horror supremo Mike Flanagan (Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game), the ten-part series tells the story of Hill House, the family that resides in it and the ramifications they face over the years as a result of their terrifying experiences.
But fans of a certain BBC sci-fi series may be surprised to learn that the new Netflix show references Doctor Who in a major way.
In episode two, the Crain family have to deal with a dead kitten – the cat had been newly-adopted by one of the children, Shirley, who was having a tough time dealing with death for the first time.
Her mother Olivia, played by Carla Gugino (pictured above) offered these words of remembrance for her grieving daughter: “When we die, we turn into stories. And every time someone tells one of those stories, it’s like we’re still here, for them. We’re all stories in the end.”
That’s right, Who fans – We’re all stories in the end.
It’s a line first heard uttered by Matt Smith’s Doctor to a young Amelia Pond in the 2010 episode, ‘The Big Bang’: “I’ll be a story in your head. But that’s okay. We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”
Digital Spy reached out to former Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat, the man responsible for writing the iconic quote, for comment.
He exclusively told us: “If that line is a deliberate tribute, I am extremely touched.”
Moffat, who is adapting The Time Traveler’s Wife for HBO, added: “[But] if it’s just a case of two writers coming up with the same idea (happens all the time) then I’m hugely embarrassed to have been so presumptuous and will hide in this cupboard for the rest of the day. Now, go away, leave me alone.”
The Haunting of Hill House showrunner Mike Flanagan is a self-confessed “major Whovian” and even cast former Doctor Who companion Karen Gillan (Amy Pond) in his 2013 film Oculus. So it’s highly unlikely that this is sheer coincidence, and most likely a brilliant and loving homage.
And, as Matt Smith’s Time Lord himself said: “Never ignore a coincidence.”
The Haunting of HillHouse is available now on Netflix.
The BBC has upped its commitment to female writers and stories
Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s content director, has been chatting about the Beeb’s recent uptick in supporting female writers, and the importance of giving female-focused stories an amplified voice in the industry.
Moore spoke at the Steve Hewlett Memorial Lecture last night, and what she had to say was downright inspirational:
“45% of the dramas we’ve commissioned at the BBC in the last two years are from female writers… It’s not 50:50, yet, but it’s more than double where we were in the past,” Moore revealed.
She also stated that the BBC is “just at the start of a very long journey to address a huge historical failing of female voices”.
Moore added, “There’s a whole generation of female stories, perspectives and experiences that’s coming to the surface. It’s our responsibility to make that generation heard – and help them inspire a new generation in turn. They bring with them a promise of a society that is fairer, better, and more equal than ever before.”
Moore also touched upon the importance of female representation on screen, using the example of Doctor Who‘s recent regeneration as a key example of inspirational equality in action:
“I defy anyone who saw that viral video of the little girl, waiting for the new Doctor Who to be unveiled – who witnessed the expression on her face when she shouted: ‘The new doctor is a girl’ – not to think we’ve done something good and inspirational.”
We look forward to seeing what other great stories come out of this admirable effort from the BBC. And we’ll be sure to keep you updated as and when we have more to report
Gallery: Episode 2 – The Ghost Monument first-look pictures
Still reeling from their first encounter, can the Doctor and her new friends stay alive long enough, in a hostile alien environment , to solve the mystery of Desolation? And just who are Angstrom and Epzo?
Guest starring Shaun Dooley, Susan Lynch and Art Malik. Written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Mark Tonderai.
The second episode of the new series of Doctor Who airs on Sunday 14th October. UK: 18:55 BST on BBC One. US: 20:00 EST on BBC America.
New information about the third episode of Doctor Who Series 11 has emerged via the Radio Times.
The third episode of the series is titled Rosa.
The official synopsis is as follows:
The Doctor takes her companions on their first journey back in time – to the dangerous, racially segregated world of Alabama in the 1950s. They encounter one of the era’s heroes, black civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks, but also discover a plot to change the course of history. Vinette Robinson (Sherlock, The A Word) guest stars in an episode by acclaimed children’s author Malorie Blackman.
The guest cast list:
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 Jr: Ray Sesay
Fred Gray: Aki Omoshaybi
Elias Griffin Jr: David Dukas
Arthur: Morgan Deare
Waitress: Jessica Claire Preddy
Chris Chibnall has a co-writing credit for this episode.
Joshua Bowman as Krasko, BBC
David Tennant reacts to watching Jodie Whittaker’s first Doctor Who episode
With an astonishing 8.2 million tuning in to see Jodie Whittaker‘s Doctor Who debut, the Thirteenth Doctor has proved a sure-fire hit.
And despite being abroad for the start of the series, even previous Doctor Who star David Tennant managed to catch the first episode of series 11.
Tennant, 47, who has previously worked with Whittaker and new showrunner Chris Chibnall on ITV drama Broadchurch, had plenty to say on the new look Who, claiming it was “exciting on so many levels.”
“It’s very exciting as a fan,” he said to Entertainment Weekly’s Morning Live radio show.
“It’s exciting as someone who grew up watching Doctor Who. It’s very exciting whenever there’s a rebirth of the show – that’s an exciting moment anyway. But because Jodie’s a friend, and Chris is a friend, it’s exciting on so many levels.”
Tennant, who in 2008 announced live on TV that he was vacating the Tardis, admits it’s strange to watch the show as someone who once starred in it.
David Tennant played the Doctor from 2005-2010 (BBC)
“It’s bizarre because it’s a show I’ve watched all my life, then I ended up being in it which was weird in the first place, and now I’m out of it. There’s kind of a journey back to being an observer again,” he added.
“But five minutes in I was just watching it as a fan again. I’d forgotten that I knew them and they were my mates. I was like, ‘This is fun! This is exciting!’”
Despite being close friends with the people at the helm of Who, Tennant says he’s not privy to any spoilers – and as a super-fan, he wouldn’t want to hear them anyway.
Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who (BBC)
“I knew they were shooting it and I talked to Jodie and Chris a little bit while they were making it and since, but I didn’t know anything about it, it’s all new to me,” he explained.
“I don’t think they’d tell me anything,” he added, “but I also don’t want to go there. I want to experience it like everyone else.”
And while Tennant – who is now starring BBC4’s moving There She Goes – may have handed over his sonic screwdriver, he admits he’s still mobbed by Whovians at events – which sees him having to go incognito when visiting the various Comic Cons around the world.
There She Goes (BBC)
“I do feel now the geek as inherited the Earth,” he joked. “It’s a shame I can’t go as a fan because I’d love to go to all the comic book stalls and meet the guys that draw Spiderman – that would be my idea of heaven! But I have to lurk backstage.
“The other option is to put a mask on but then you get very hot. Maybe I should put a Jodie Whittaker mask on? That’s what I need to invest in.”
Doctor Who continues on BBC1 on Sunday 14th October at 6.55pm
Doctor Who streetwear collection is going on sale at Selfridges
The Thirteenth Doctor’s companions might not have been totally convinced by her fashion choices in last weekend’s Doctor Who series premiere, but lots of fans think she’s got a – wait for it – brilliant eye for thelewks.
Not wanting to waste any time, the science fiction franchise is launching a fashion capsule inspired by all eras of Who-story. It seems fittingly eclectic that that this range will exclusively be available at Selfridges, London.
The Beeb has teamed up with British designer Fyodor Golan for a five-piece streetwear set that will range in price from £110 to £195, and will be on sale in Selfridges from October 16.
This capsule includes a holographic Dalek shirt and other clothing inspired by all of Who-story. Separately, designer Alex Monroe has designed a Doctor Who jewellry collection including a replica of the Thirteenth Doctor’s ear cuff that costs £135, a companion single-stud earring for £75 and a galaxy in-line necklace for £150, available by clicking here.
Couple all these items with your new Doctor Who Barbie and your Thirteenth Doctor Sonic Screwdriver, and you’ll be ready to fight the Cybermen yourself!
Any fan will know how important The Doctor’s attire is. Jodie Whittaker recently chatted about how hands-on she was in developing her Doctor Who costume, particularly in picking the different colour variations.
“For me, the most important thing was the use of colour,” she recalled. “Different aspects of the blues to represent the sky. So, the inside lining of the coat is like space and the outside is like [daytime] sky. Things like that!
“I loved referencing the worlds that you’re coming from into the costume, but then it needed to be comfortable. Often with heroic characters, I just think, ‘That looks really sweaty!’ Do you know what I mean? ‘I bet it takes you like an hour to get in that?!’
“Whereas mine is really comfy, and comfy for anyone — boy or girl. Shock, horror!”
The Thirteenth Doctor’s adventures continue next Sunday (October 14) with ‘The Ghost Monument’ on BBC One in the UK and BBC America in the US. Watch a trailer below:
David Tennant and Catherine Tate are returning for more new Doctor Who adventures
David Tennant and Catherine Tate are back for more Doctor Whoadventures… and this time, they’re bringing back Bernard Cribbins!
Tennant and Tate will reprise their roles of the Tenth Doctor and Donna for The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 3, a new boxset from Big Finish comprising three audio plays.
Jacqueline King will also return as Sylvia Noble, Donna’s mother and, for the first time on audio, Bernard Cribbins will be back as Wilfred Mott, Donna’s grandfather.
Out for release in May 2019, the new trilogy of stories will see our hero pop back into history where menacing threats lurk in 1950s London’s smog, explore dangerous underwater worlds with the Judoon, and go on their most treacherous journey yet… into the horrifying world of reality television!
The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 3 will feature ‘No Place’ by James Goss, ‘One Mile Down’ by Jenny T Colgan and ‘The Creeping Death’ by Roy Gill.
“Three box sets in and my excitement about working on The Tenth Doctor Adventures is as strong as ever,” said producer David Richardson.
“When we first started thinking about this new set of stories, I emailed Russell T Davies to ask about including Sylvia. He suggested we should try for Wilf too – it had never occurred to me that we might be able to get Bernard Cribbins involved.
“But a call to Bernard’s agent revealed how delighted he was by the prospect, and there we had it – the Noble family together again, nine years after they last appeared on TV.”
The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 3 (Limited Edition) is available now for pre-order from bigfinish.com. A five-disc collector’s edition – limited to 5,000 copies – is available on CD in deluxe packaging for a pre-release price of £35, with the download version for £25.
Included with the limited edition CD release, Doctor Who and Blake’s 7 costume designer June Hudson has created costume designs for the creatures and aliens featured in the audio plays, while writer and SFX specialist Mike Tucker has created storyboards for the new stories.
The set will also include behind-the-scenes interviews from cast and crew.
The three stories can also be bought individually for £8.99 on download and £10.99 on CD. Or you can buy all three individually but together in a bundle for £22 on download and £25 on CD.
The Tenth Doctor Adventures – Volume 1 was released in May 2016 and saw Tennant and Tate reunited for the first time at Big Finish, while Volume 2 – out in November 2017 – brought Tennant back together with Billie Piper as Rose Tyler.
For the first time in a while, we have a TARDIS team made up of the Doctor and three regular companions. Chris Chibnall explained how this head-count harks back to the show’s classic era:
“What we’ve tried to do a lot this year is trace that golden thread back to 1963, back to the work that people did. We are standing on the shoulders of giants of television. Of Verity Lambert, Anthony Coburn, David Whittaker and Waris Hussain. All those people who created the show.
What’s the format of Doctor Who? If you’re talking about the pilot episode, it’s 3 people travelling in time and space with the Doctor. So really, it’s just connecting it back to that and going ‘What does this look and feel like in 2018?’”
“It’s not fake chemistry”
On meeting co-star Tosin Cole for the first time, Jodie Whittaker recalled:
“The first time I met Tosin and Mandip was in their recall. Tosin had been away and was like “who’s this in my audition?”. He didn’t know who I was.”.
She explained that Tosin thought they had hired an actor just to do the scenes with him but, eventually, the penny dropped and Tosin realised he was stood opposite THE Doctor!
Jodie recalled meeting Mandip Gill for the first time and how hearing her stories made her think: “that is my new best friend.” and said it was a pleasure being able to “steal” Bradley Walsh (or as Tosin calls him, “SHOWBIZ!”) for nine months of filming.
“It’s not fake chemistry, we really get along and love each other.”
Inclusivity
Chris Chibnall spoke about the diversity in their casting and the stories they will tell in upcoming episodes:
“What does Doctor Who look like in 2018? That was it. Across the production and onscreen, a lot of diversity in our casting. And the show will tell stories from perspectives we’ve never seen before.”
Matt Strevens emphasised the importance of the Doctor’s friends being the eyes of the audience, adding:
“It was important that those friends represent everyone out there that’s watching.”
Later in the Q&A, the panel talked about Ryan’s dyspraxia, revealed in the first episode of the new series.
“My nephew has dyspraxia, I have friends with kids who have dyspraxia… We worked with the Dyspraxia Foundation in the UK. That’s not an episodic story, it will carry on, it’s a part of him, but there are lots of defining parts to Ryan and that is one of them.”
The Doctor’s new clothes
The audience seemed thrilled that the Doctor’s new outfit is practical with trousers boots and pockets, prompting a huge cheer when host Maude Garrett mentioned it. Jodie added: “The Doctor can’t not have a pocket”.
Jodie explained that the costume was a “collaborative and creative journey” that she had a say in.
“One of the images I sent which I didn’t actually mean to send as a costume reference, was a black and white image of a woman walking with purpose, deep in thought with boots, braces and a t-shirt.
It has the fun element of a t-shirt, it has the timelessness of a pleat in a trouser leg. From far away, it was genderless.”
Jodie told the audience that this image was her and the team’s starting-off point. She then went on to talk about the coat and the choices of colour used:
“I wanted to reflect the moments of brightness, but the coat’s interior lining is a dark blue, I felt like it represented the space I was falling through in this episode. The exterior is like a dawn sky.
Every single stitch, every single cut and every piece of lining has a meaning but I won’t tell you, I’ll wait until it’s over because the best thing for me is you guys wear it and you own it. It’s yours, and those things means something to you. And then one day I’ll share.”
Stunts
The panel touched upon some of the stunts in the first episode, particularly the crane jump the Doctor performs towards the end of the episode. Jodie explained:
“On day 2 of the entire shoot, that was terrifying and exhilarating, and everything it should be to work on Doctor Who…
It was brilliant! And I got to do it quite a few times!”
Jodie’s casting
Eventually, the audience got to ask a few questions to the panel. When asked what type of lasting impact her casting as the first female Doctor will have, Jodie replied:
“I want it to be such a second of history, that it becomes forgotten, [it] becomes the norm.”
Chris Chibnall added:
“Everyone in the world talks about division at the moment, and that’s really hard. I think the Doctor is a great symbol of unity and when the Doctor can be male, female and gender non-binary as well, I think the most important thing for me, certainly for my kids growing up, is they can look up to men and women and that heroes come in all shapes and sizes, genders, sexualities, and ethnicities. That’s rule number 1 for the world and I hope this season of Doctor Who shows you that.”
You can watch the full panel from New York Comic Con here:
The second episode of the new series entitled The Ghost Monument will air Sunday 14th October at 6:55pm BST
Jodie Whittaker wants Doctor Who to bring back Rose, River Song and the Daleks
Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who debut was a tremendous success. But the new Doctor has a few old characters she wouldn’t mind meeting.
In an interview with Vulture, Whittaker was asked which returning characters she would like to share scenes with, if it ever happens – and she named two fan favourites.
“I’d love to work with Billie Piper,” she said. “Rose was a brilliant character.
“I love what she brought to that role – it was engaging and strong and vulnerable and dynamic. I’d like to meet Rose.
“And River Song [played by Alex Kingston]!”
Whittaker added that there’s one very iconic monster in particular that springs to mind as well.
“There’s loads of brilliant creatures and monsters,” she shared. “Can you imagine me meeting my first Dalek?”
That’s nothing to take away from the Doctor’s new companions, of course – as Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill), and Graham O’Brien (Bradley Walsh) all impressed in ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’.
The audience for the premiere was huge as well, with 8.2 million people tuning in according to overnight figures, which beats overnight figures for Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, and David Tennant’s first full episodes.
Next week’s episode ‘The Ghost Monument’ sees the Doctor’s companions on an alien planet for the first time and under attack.
The end of the premiere also announced a whole host of upcoming guest stars, including former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, Sex and the City‘s Chris Noth, and Broadchurch‘s Julie Hesmondhalgh, alongside the previously-announced Alan Cumming, Lee Mack and Shaun Dooley.
Doctor Who returns with episode 2 – ‘The Ghost Monument’ – Next Sunday, October 14 on BBC One.
