Everything You Need To Know Regarding Season 11 of 'Doctor Who'

Following Doctor Who's exciting comeback this year with Season 10, fans now wait patiently for the eleventh season of the hit sci-fi show. Season 10 of #DoctorWho had quite a bit in store; 13 episodes, including the Christmas Special, which is yet to come. Not only that, a brand new and young companion in Bill Potts joined the TARDIS team, who makes one final appearance this Christmas. However, Season 10 was Peter Capaldi's last season, but we still have one final episode to come where he will star as the Doctor.

With Season 10 done and dusted, a lot of fans are focusing on Season 11 and what the new show runner, Chris Chibnall, has up his sleeve in preparation to "wow" the Doctor Who fandom. It may be over a year away but that doesn't mean we can't speculate, am I right? So here's everything we know about Season 11 of Doctor Who and what we hope to see.

Season 11 Release Date

With Capaldi's swan song featuring 12 episodes over and done with, it has been revealed that the eleventh season will unfortunately air in autumn 2018. Chris Chibnall finished his final season of ITV's Broadchurch, then decided to take a holiday before moving to the BBC. This is primarily because he did not wish to interfere with Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi on their final episode together.

With Season 11 airing in the autumn next year, this leaves nearly a year's gap between Capaldi's final episode and the brand new season. Filming for the new season is expected to start in the first few weeks of the new year, leaving plenty of time to get everything filmed in time for September.

Who Is the New Doctor?

It was announced in January 2017 that Peter Capaldi will be passing on the Sonic Screwdriver and TARDIS key to someone else as he announced his resignation to fans from the show via radio. Despite Capaldi nearly signing onto a fourth season, he decided not to, giving the new showrunner a fresh start. This means Chris Chibnall had the all important role of casting the new lead for Doctor Who.

It may have been a long wait until the BBC finally announced who Capaldi's replacement is, but, they were certainly worth the wait. Announced in a special clip during the men's final of Wimbledon on July 17th 2017, it was revealed the actress, Jodie Whittaker, will be taking on the role as the Thirteenth Doctor. Of course, this caused a major uproar, as numerous fans highly disagree with a female Doctor, but, they're going to have to face the fact it is happening.

Whittaker has actually worked with Chibnall in the past, which was when she acted in Chibnall's Broadchurch series. Whittaker will make her debut as the Doctor this Christmas when Capaldi will regenerate.

It seems like ages ago since Pearl Mackie was announced as the new companion, who starred alongside Peter Capaldi for his final season. However, fans saw the companion have an early departure, as she bowed out of the show in the Season 10 finale. But, in the trailer for the upcoming Christmas special, Mackie is set to make a huge comeback, but little does she know her beloved Doctor is about to change.

Disappointingly, Mackie has now confirmed that her appearance in this year's Christmas special will be her last ever episode for the show. Speaking at SDCC, Mackie said this:

'No, that’s it – Christmas special, last chance to see Bill. But, I mean, hey, it’s Doctor Who, so never say never!'

With that being said, we may see Mackie in the future for a special episode? With Mackie departing the TARDIS for good, this leaves a space for someone else to jump in her shoes. Who will join Whittaker in the iconic blue box for Season 11? Many fans have been calling for a male companion to travel with the show's first female Doctor, and some familiar names like Captain Jack Harkness have cropped up.

Following on from this, it has now been reported that Whittaker will in fact be joined by a male companion for Season 11. A rumour has emerged by The Mirror that former soap star, Bradley Walsh, will take on that important role of accompanying the Doctor. However, the BBC and Walsh himself are yet to comment, meaning, this still remains a rumour. But, fans are surprisingly happy if it turns out to be true.

At this stage, the BBC are yet to comment or announce as to who will be the next companion, however, fans are hoping for some eye-candy to jump on-board.

The Smaller Details

With no more information currently revealed about Season 11, there's a few other things fans have been thinking about. Will the TARDIS interior change? This is highly likely due to the fact when a new showrunner takes on the job, they want everything to look brand new and fresh. When Russell T Davies left the show, a brand new and unique TARDIS interior was introduced, fitting Matt Smith's Doctor incredibly well.

What about the Sonic Screwdriver — is that going to change? This is currently unknown. The Sonic Screwdriver has only just been resigned and hasn't been onscreen for a huge amount of time, but, it is expected to be revealed as the months pass by. Or, will the BBC bring back the Sonic Lipstick for Whittaker's Doctor?

Finally, should we expect a new opening sequence for Season 11? Again, highly likely. With it being a new series, new showrunner, new companion, and of course, a new Doctor, there's little doubt there'll be a new opening sequence. This will act like the show is brand new to television and hopefully be as eye catching as the current one! In other words, Chibnall wants to make the show feel like a complete reboot now that he is in charge.

Final Thoughts

Nonetheless, with Season 11 being months and months away yet, we still have this year's Christmas special to look forward to, which is titled 'Twice Upon A Time.' David Bradley and Mark Gatiss will both make guest appearances in the special, making Capaldi's final episode as magical as possible.