The BBC has revealed a new look at the upcoming thirteenth season of Doctor Who, which will also be the last season for series star Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall. The Thirteenth Doctor's tenure will continue with the soon-to-premiere Season 13, although the network has previously confirmed that three feature-length specials will be released shortly afterward to conclude Whittaker's run on the show officially in 2022. A new poster for the thirteenth season, officially titled Doctor Who: Flux, also revealed a premiere date of October 31.
However, a familiar Who face will be returning to the show in time for its fourteenth season. Veteran Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, who first revived the series in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor, will take over from Chibnall starting in 2023. Davies originally served as showrunner from the show’s revival in 2005 until 2009.
Whittaker's departure from Doctor Who had long been the source of speculation, though according to reports, her leaving was always planned to coincide with Chibnall's, who was announced as the showrunner to replace Steven Moffat in 2016. Executive producer Matt Strevens will also be leaving the show ahead of Season 14.
The thirteenth season of Doctor Who is being heralded with a significant amount of chaos, including the Doctor herself sending out many cryptic messages from the show's official Twitter account — which has since been wiped to only include mentions of the mysterious "Flux" referenced in the teaser. According to the Doctor, any number of threats will appear as a result of this Flux — including old enemies like the Sontarans and the Weeping Angels — and she also stresses that "this is the fight of our lives."
Season 13 of Doctor Who will premiere beginning on October 31 and consist of eight episodes. The first Doctor Who feature special will premiere on New Year's Day, with a second feature to air in the spring. Whittaker's time on Doctor Who will conclude by fall 2022. Check out the teaser and poster for Doctor Who: Flux below:
