Entertainment
Doctor Who Flux: When is series 13 coming out and how many episodes will there be?
The series will be titled Flux (Picture: BBC Studios/Zoe McConnell)
It’s been confirmed that Jodie Whittaker’s time as The Doctor will end in 2022 with a trio of specials, culminating in an ‘epic blockbuster’ that will air next autumn.
Showrunner Chris Chibnall’s time on Doctor Who will also come to an end, five years on from his selecting Whittaker to be the first female Doctor in 2017.
Speculation is already swirling over who will replace her in the Tardis, with Olly Alexander, Michaela Coel and Richard Ayoade ranked among the favourites.
Before that tearful goodbye, we still have lots more adventures to look forward to in series 13, as a new trailer offered an exciting glimpse into the highly anticipated season.
But when can fans expect to see the beginning of the end for Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor?
When is series 13 coming out?
The Doctor will be back just in time for Halloween (Credits: BBC Studios/James Pardon)
The next series of Doctor Who – the third to star Whittaker as the Doctor and the 13th since the show’s 2005 reboot – will begin on BBC One from October 31.
The news of the release was accompanied by an official title – Flux – with the series set to tell one overarching story.
How many episodes will there be in Flux?
There’ll be six episodes in series 13, forming part of a single narrative.
‘It’s definitely the most ambitious thing we’ve done,’ showrunner Chris Chibnall recently revealed. ‘It’s epic and ambitious and we do go to a lot of places.’
Whittaker, pictured with Gill and Bishop, made her Doctor Who debut in 2017 (Picture: BBC)
Comedian John Bishop will make his Doctor Who debut in the series as a man called Dan, while Mandip Gill will return as the Doctor’s companion Yaz.
The latest trailer also confirmed that Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison and Line Of Duty’s Craig Parkinson will also be part of the cast.
Who could be the next Doctor Who?
Olly Alexander recently starred in Russel T Davies acclaimed drama It’s A Sin (Picture: Getty)
There has already been a great deal of speculation over who might take over the famous role, with Davies’ It’s A Sin star Olly Alexander the current favourite.
‘Olly Alexander has been a very popular selection in our next Doctor Who market’ said Coral’s John Hill.
‘Other names which are prominent in the betting include Kris Marshall, Michaela Coel and Michael Sheen,’ added Hill.
Whittaker’s departure also opens the door for a non-white actor to be cast as the Doctor for the very first time.
Paterson Joseph auditioned for the role when David Tennant stepped down, only for it to go to Matt Smith instead.
‘I pretty much knew that I hadn’t got it, and weirdly wasn’t disappointed,’ he told The Independent in 2014.
It has been rumoured that Chiwetel Ejiofor was offered the role around the same time.
Moffat revealed in 2016 that a black actor (who he did not name) was offered the part ‘but for various reasons, it didn’t work out.’
How long has Jodie Whittaker been The Doctor?
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Whittaker became the 13th Doctor when she took over the Tardis from Peter Capaldi in 2017.
Since then she has been seen in two full series as well as two New Year’s Day specials.
‘In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes,’ said the 39-year-old. ‘I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them.
‘My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life.’
Why are Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall leaving Doctor Who?
Chris Chibnall previously worked with Whittaker on Broadchurch (Picture: BBC/Getty)
According to Chris Chibnall, he and Whittaker made a ‘three series and out’ pact when they first took over the show from previous showrunner Steven Moffat.
The announcement they are moving on follows months of speculation about their future on the show.
Russell T Davies – who rebooted the show back in 2005 – is coming back to take over as showrunner in 2023 following Whittaker and Chibnall’s final episodes.
MORE : Doctor Who: Jodie Whittaker already filmed regeneration scene ahead of 14th Doctor announcement
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