With just four days to go until its big relaunch, the cast and creative team of the all-new Doctor Who have explained how they’re looking to change public perception of the long-running sci-fi series.

New series boss Chris Chibnall has said that he’s working to eradicate the idea “that there’s any barrier to entry” for new viewers.

“I think it was really important for us to feel, as with any new Doctor coming in and particularly with Jodie [Whittaker] coming in, that it’s really for everyone,” Chibnall said. “It’s for the whole country, it’s for the whole nation… get on your sofas on a Sunday night!”

“For me, as a new Whovian, because it’s a show with such rich history, you do feel like you might not understand it if you don’t know all the tropes, or you haven’t seen every episode,” Whittaker herself acknowledged.

“That’s absolutely not the case, and I think as well as making the show for such a wonderful set of fans that span the entire world, it’s also [intended] to potentially be someone’s first series as well.”

Mandip Gill, who plays the Doctor’s new friend Yasmin ‘Yaz’ Khan, echoed her co-star’s comments, admitting that she’d previously felt a little intimidated by Doctor Who and its almost 900 episodes.

“I only started watching Doctor Who when I got the meeting [for the part], but prior to that, I wouldn’t have thought that I could join in, just because it seemed so ‘technical’ – whereas this series, you really don’t need to do know anything.

“Everything’s explained, they’re 10 standalone episodes, you can join in, it’s about the sci-fi, it’s about the monsters, it’s about the relationships, and Chris has written it in a way that it’s so truthful. We’re doing, like, sci-fi naturalism.”

“I just think it’s more for everyone,” agreed Tosin Cole, joining the show as companion Ryan. “You don’t have to be a die-hard Doctor Who fan. Just because you’re not familiar with the show, doesn’t mean you can’t be a part of it [now]. It’s open for everyone, so hopefully that [perception] changes.”

Completing the new TARDIS team, Bradley Walsh – playing Graham – is convinced that the “bigger, bolder” and more “cinematic” Doctor Who will “bring a new audience” to the show.

“It’ll almost be difficult to do it justice in people’s front rooms, because it’s shot like we’re making films – it’s like we’ve made 10 one-hour feature films,” he said.

“We had directors fly in from the States to do it, guys that are directing Gotham and stuff like that – big, big shows. Now they’ve come together at the BBC and we’re making this behemoth that is Doctor Who!”

Doctor Who returns to BBC One on Sunday (October 7) at 6.45pm on BBC One.