BBC show Doctor Who released its series thirteen trailer as part of San Diego Comic-Con on 25 July 2021. The trailer teases for the upcoming series launch later this year where the show will return for 8 episodes.
Announced from a pre-recorded panel in Cardiff, the cast and showrunners of the show chatted with Salon.com editor Melanie McFarland regarding the show’s return later this year. Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, showrunner Chris Chibnall and newcomer to the cast, John Bishop all added their thoughts and feelings about the upcoming series for San Diego Comic-Con.
In addition to sharing their response on the series, the panel teased an upcoming trailer for the show. Released onto the Doctor Who YouTube channel the trailer described the thirteenth series as the “biggest adventure yet” for Whittaker’s portrayal of alien time-lord the Doctor.
Speaking about the upcoming series, Chris Chibnall described the whole series as “definitely the most ambitious thing we’ve done since we’ve been on the series.”
The upcoming series is to see the return of classic monsters the Sontarans and the Weeping Angels after being seen on set and at filming locations.
Chibnall, who replaced Steven Moffat as showrunner of the show from series eleven has tried to focus on reimagining the show’s future, with series eleven seeing the characters travel without the TARDIS, and redesigning iconic villains such as the Cybermen and Daleks. Critics have responded to Chibnall’s leadership as a mistake for the show, reflected by the low viewing figures for the show since it returned in 2005.
Vinder is Coming John Snow
As part of the Doctor Who series thirteen announcement, the panel also introduced a new face to the show. Actor and singer Jacob Anderson will be joining the cast for the continual story of the upcoming arc. The former Game of Thrones actor, famous for his portrayal as Grey Worm, leader of Daenerys Targaryen’s army, will join the cast as Vinder.
Anderson, who previously worked with Chibnall and Whittaker in ITV’s Broadchurch, spoke of his addition to the Doctor Who cast:
“The Doctor has been a part of my life forever, from watching and rewatching the serials on VHS as a kid and being terrified, to unexpectedly finding my eyes watering when the Tenth Doctor said ‘I don’t want to go’, I always wanted to live in the Whoniverse.
“Not only has a lifelong dream of mine now been fulfilled, but to be playing a character as fun, adventurous and dynamic as Vinder is the cherry on top. This is very cool.”
It is unknown how Anderson’s character Vinder will be involved in the upcoming series, however Chibnall described the character saying “He makes you root for him, and he breaks your heart… he’s got the whole range.”
The 8 episodes of the series are first for the show. The latest series had ten episodes, with the norm being an amount around the ten or eleven mark. The change comes as a result of the pandemic that affected filming and scheduling. This could be an explatation as to why Chibnall is leading series thirteen to be an entire narrative arc remiscent of his successful drama Broadchurch and Classic Who.
Doctor Who returns later this year on BBC One.
