Doctor Who season 13 is fast approaching, but when will the show return, and what will happen in Jodie Whittaker’s third season as The Doctor? The Doctor Who season 12 finale, “The Timeless Children,” rewrote the BBC TV series’ entire history. No longer can Jodie Whittaker claim to be the Thirteenth Doctor, since the time-traveler has no idea how many previous regenerations she’s burned through.
It’s clear that showrunner Chris Chibnall has an overarching vision; his “Timeless Child” theme was set up way back in Doctor Who season 11, episode 2. Execution has been mixed, however, and viewing figures are dropping. In spite of that, Doctor Who remains the BBC’s flagship science-fiction series and one of its biggest exports. “It’s an incredibly important show for young audiences,” the BBC’s drama chief Piers Wenger insists. “It’s still watched by families in a world where there are fewer shows that have the power to do that. It will always be an important show for us and we’re a very long way from wanting to rest it.” Rest assured, Doctor Who is in no danger of cancellation.
Hopefully, Doctor Who season 13 will resolve the problems season 12 suffered, with a number of scripts feeling surprisingly rushed and poor signposting letting down the third-act twists. Chibnall’s Timeless Child has transformed Doctor Who’s mythology, which means - with good writing - this could be a particularly exciting season.
Updated July 28, 2021, by Craig Elvy: This article was updated with details from Comic-Con at Home 2021.
Doctor Who Season 13 Release Date
According to the Radio Times, production of Doctor Who season 13 is due to begin in fall 2020, possibly September. The Chibnall era is noted for its high production quality - gone are the years of bubble-wrap monsters, replaced by top-quality CGI - and, as a result, production is expected to take around 10 months. That will mean Doctor Who season 13 will air in fall 2021, perhaps in the same slot as the October-December season 11.
While an exact release date is yet to be revealed, the first Doctor Who season 13 trailer (released during the show’s Comic Con at Home panel) confirmed a late 2021 date, as anticipated. John Bishop - who’ll be playing The Doctor’s new companion, Dan - mentioned a Fall release on Twitter, but the precise date remains unknown.
Before Doctor Who Season 13, There Was Revolution of the Daleks
Doctor Who season 13 was preceded by a one-off New Year’s Day special, “Revolution of the Daleks,” which picked up from the dramatic cliffhanger ending of Doctor Who season 12’s finale. The festive story largely glossed over the whole Timeless Child ordeal. Instead, The Doctor reunited with Captain Jack Harkness to battle out of Judoon jail and, never one to take a break, rejoined her “fam” to save Earth from another Dalek invasion.
Doctor Who Season 13 Story Details
Doctor Who season 12 came to a dramatic conclusion, with The Doctor imprisoned by the Judoon for crimes she can’t even remember. Her family were returned home via TARDIS, leaving Graham, Ryan and Yaz believing their friend to be dead. This was dealt with in the New Year’s Special, but the repercussions will ripple into Doctor Who season 13.
The revelations of “The Timeless Children” will certainly have a lasting effect on Doctor Who’s mythos, adding even more mystery to The Doctor. She now knows that her entire history is a lie, and that she isn’t truly a Time Lord. It’s possible this will lead The Doctor to try rediscovering her own people - a race never seen before on Doctor Who. Meanwhile, there may be other encounters with forgotten past incarnations, hopefully including Jo Martin’s Doctor Ruth.
Returning villain rumors include the Weeping Angels and the Sontarans, but the trailer gives little away in this regard. At SDCC, however, Chris Chibnall did reveal that Doctor Who season 13 would comprise one big story across 6 episodes, and something called “the Swarm” will play a major role. Doctor Who is also teasing the word “mystery” with an online treasure hunt, but how this pertains to season 13’s story remains unclear.
Doctor Who Season 13 Cast
Doctor Who season 13 will see Jodie Whittaker returning as the Doctor (albeit not technically the Thirteenth Doctor any longer). Both Bradley Walsh (Graham) and Tosin Cole (Ryan) departed during the Doctor Who New Year’s Day Special, leaving Mandip Gill (Yaz) as the only remaining member of Whittaker’s original TARDIS team. The pair will be joined by British stand-up comedian John Bishop, who’ll be playing Dan. Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones’ Grey Worm) portrays a new character known as Vinder.
More: Doctor Who Teases That Graham Is Really The Doctor
