Time has come for the 13th Doctor. After months of teasing, and the lingering shadow of Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall’s exit from Doctor Who next year, the BBC has revealed just when we’ll start the first steps on the road to the Doctor’s end. Plus, our first look at season thirteen in a new teaser.
Doctor Who’s thirteenth season — unlucky for some — will begin October 31, 2021. The news was revealed by the BBC after a series of cryptic text and audio messages from the Doctor attempting to reach out to the world from her TARDIS console room, and after, uh, briefly deleting multiple official Doctor Who social media accounts. Everything’s fine now! Except for all the monsters and threats to the universe the Doctor and her friends are about to be dealing with.
Instead of a series of standalone tales, each of the eight episodes in season 13 will be connected as part of one large story — perhaps “the Flux” teased here. Aside from setting the stage for Whittaker and Chibnall’s exit next year (the duo will bow out in a series of three specials next year, before returning showrunner Russell T. Davies takes the reigns in 2023), the season sees the 13th Doctor and Yaz (Mandip Gill) encounter two new friends in their latest epic adventure, one more down-to-earth than the other. The first is new companion Dan — played by comedian John Bishop — seemingly an ordinary human being from contemporary Earth. You may recall he was first glimpsed at the very end of the New Year’s Day special from earlier this year, “Revolution of the Daleks.” He’s also not the only new addition: first revealed at San Diego Comic-Con, a major guest actor across the new season is Game of Thrones’ Jacob Anderson, who will play futuristic new ally Vinder.
The Doctor returns for her biggest adventure yet.#DoctorWho: Flux premieres 31st October ✨ pic.twitter.com/iStI1vEmFG
— Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils (@bbcdoctorwho) October 9, 2021
Doctor Who season 13 begins on the BBC and BBC America on October 31.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.