Thirteenth Doctor

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Within the narrative, this Doctor is a millennia-old Time Lord from Gallifrey with somewhat unknown origins. Her first companions were a trio met shortly after regeneration: retired bus driver Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), his dyspraxic step-grandson Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), and probationary police officer Yasmin "Yaz" Khan (Mandip Gill). After Graham and Ryan departed, food bank volunteer Dan Lewis (John Bishop) joined the Doctor and Yaz. The era also featured one-episode reunions with former companions Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding), and Ace (Sophie Aldred). Her first appearance occurred in the 2017 Christmas special "Twice Upon a Time," where she regenerated from her predecessor. She made her series debut in "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" (2018), landing in Sheffield to repel an alien hunter before building a device to return to the TARDIS.

In Their Own Story

Jodie Whittaker was introduced as the Thirteenth Doctor on 16 July 2017, following a reveal after the Wimbledon men's finals. Showrunner Chris Chibnall stated he always intended for the role to be filled by a woman, calling Whittaker his "number one choice" whose audition "blew us all away." She described her approach as playing "the truth of the scene," having decided against watching previous episodes during preparation to avoid panic. Production for her second series began in November 2018, with the premiere airing on 1 January 2020. Chibnall and Whittaker confirmed early that they would exit after three series and three specials. Upon their departure, Chibnall noted they had made a pact at the start of this "once-in-a-lifetime blast," stating Jodie's Doctor had exceeded all expectations before handing back the TARDIS keys.

Reader's Guide

The Thirteenth Doctor's costume features blue high-waisted culottes with yellow braces, a navy blue t-shirt with a rainbow stripe, and a lilac-blue trenchcoat with a hood. She wears brown lace-up boots, blue socks, and has piercings on her left ear. The outfit was designed by Ray Holman, inspired by a 1988 photograph from Sassy magazine showing a woman in men's clothing; Whittaker loved the "androgyny of it, without it being masculine." Holman added violet to the inside of the coat's sleeves as a reference to Suffragette colors. In character, Chibnall described her as incredibly lively, warm, funny, and energetic, while actress Mandip Gill noted she possessed a similar high energy to Matt Smith's Doctor. Whittaker herself said her Doctor "speak[s] at a hundred miles an hour." Her casting followed years of speculation, with bookmakers favoring actors like Ben Whishaw and Tilda Swinton before the announcement.

Did You Know?

• The concept of a female Doctor was first mentioned in 1981 by Tom Baker, who suggested his successor might be female.
• Whittaker's costume includes violet inside the coat sleeves as a specific reference to the Suffragette colors.
• Jodie Whittaker decided not to watch Doctor Who episodes while preparing for the role because it made her panic.
• The Thirteenth Doctor had one-episode reunions with former companions Captain Jack Harkness, Tegan Jovanka, and Ace.
• Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker made a 'three series and out' pact at the start of their tenure together.