Doctor Who Season 11 Trailer Breakdown: 13 Secrets & Reveals

The first proper trailer for Doctor Who Series 11 has dropped, revealing a lot of details about the new season - and Jodie Whittaker's Doctor.

Doctor Who's panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 was already highly anticipated; the prospect of hearing the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, and the new showrunner, Chris Chibnall, discussing her casting, was enticing. Then came news that a longer trailer would debut, following on from the very brief teaser that debuted last weekend.

After an impressive entrance to the panel itself from Whittaker, fans in Hall H were treated to the first look at the trailer. At 40 seconds long, it's not extensive, but it does give a good look at what to expect from Doctor Who season 11, as well as some exciting reveals that power some interesting theories. Check out our breakdown and discussion below.

13. The Doctor Wakes Up

The opening of the trailer still has Whittaker's Doctor in Peter Capaldi's costume, as she wakes with a gasp as if from a bad dream. When she first regenerated, Thirteen was flung out of the TARDIS and sent crashing towards the ground. It's not clear if this is her waking up straight away, but in the trailer opening, she doesn't seem to be in the TARDIS itself.

Fittingly, the first lines we hear from her are"All of this is new to me." Could it be that it's all so new, that the Doctor doesn't know how to drive her TARDIS yet?

12. Meet The New Companions

The short teaser for Doctor Who season 11 gave us our first look at the Doctor's new companions, Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan (Tosin Cole), and Yaz (Mandip Gill), and this trailer highlights them again. None of the trio speak, but as the Doctor narrates, we get a lingering shot of all of them in turn. Yaz looks as though she's contemplating something, though it's hardly surprising given the fact that an alien Time Lord has come into her life. Ryan is investigating a glowing object, while Graham looks exhausted.

All three are then present in many more scenes during the trailer, so the Doctor must make quite the compelling case for them to stick around.

11. New Worlds To Explore

The Doctor explains that everything is new to her, including new faces and new worlds. We don't get an extensive look at any of these new worlds individually, but the glimpses highlight their variety. The first planet we see looks like some kind of war-torn space wasteland, with damaged machinery dumped on a desolate land. The second world we see has a beach, with the Doctor and her new friends climbing a sand dune. Chibnall has said that a lot will be brand new locations this season, and the trailer definitely highlights that.

10. New Times

It's not just space, though, but time too. The Doctor also mentions exploring "new times", teasing some of Doctor Who's classic period episodes. One shot appears to be in a military base, going by the cars 1950s America, which would tie into the rumor that the Doctor will meet Rosa Parks during one episode.

No other past settings are seen, but there's plenty of classic sci-fi locations that could conceivably in the future - as well as a very present-looking parking lot.

9. The Doctor's First Adventure

Much has been made of the Doctor's new outfit, and there are many shots of her wearing it in the new trailer, but what stands out are the other costume; it appears Thirteen's first adventure will see her still in the same clothes as Capaldi's Doctor. It will be interesting, then, to see how or when she does change, and if any reasoning is given for her choice of attire. The Doctors are all renowned for having their own unique looks, and Whittaker's looks set to be another classic.

Next: Our First Impressions of the 13th Doctor

8. The Doctor In Pain

There's one extremely brief shot in the trailer that shows things not going too well for the Doctor, with her seemingly battling a fierce headache. Could it be the effect from one of the many new monsters that Chibnall spoke about at the SDCC panel? We don't see any in the trailer but their threat is ever-present.

We can definitely say it isn't regeneration related, however, given that Whittaker's wearing her standard Doctor costume.

Page 2 of 2: The Rest of Our Doctor Who Season 11 Trailer Breakdown

7. Graham Gets A Head Implant

In all the publicity so far surrounding the new companions, Graham has looked like any other regular British guy. As such, this shot really stands out: here's Bradley Walsh with some kind of impact on the side of his face holding what appears to be a weapon. It's hard to speculate what's going on here - is it a simple part of a story or something more nefarious - but, clearly, some missions are going to push the characters out of their comfort zones.

6. The Doctor's New Best Friends

"Will you be my new best friends?" It's only one line, but the end of Whittaker's speech is an evocative one. First of all, how times have changed. The Doctor always had an assistant; someone who was clearly not operating at the same level as the Time Lord themselves, but merely there to help out a little bit. Then, that moved to the companion role; a person who got involved in the action as well as offering friendship and emotional support. However, the Doctor has been lonely for a while now, and his (now her) recent companionships have ended in sadness. To hear her asking if Graham, Yaz, and Ryan - such a diverse range of ages and personalities - will be her new best friends was really wonderful. The Doctor has hope and positivity once more.

5. New Doctor, New Screwdriver

One of the big reveals both in the trailer and during the SDCC panel, was the Doctor's brand new sonic screwdriver. It's a very new design, much more space-age than previous versions and almost wand like on the end. Importantly, it fits Whittaker's hand perfectly.

Chibnall teased that we'll learn how the sonic screwdriver comes about in Episode 1, but there's also a shot in the trailer of her using it in action. It may be reaching, but the shot of the Doctor doing something akin to forging or welding could possibly be the sonic screwdriver's creation, especially since she's still in Capaldi's clothes.

4. The Doctor Runs

There have been lots and lots of corridors or underground bunker type scenes in Doctor Who over the years, and with everything being so new, it's actually quite refreshing to see the Doctor underground once more, dodging sparks and running for her life. Who or what she's running from remains to be seen, but with no two-part stories, and lots of new monsters, there's going to be tons of possibility here.

3. The Doctor Visits The Wild West

Well, there are horses, anyhow. A shot in the Doctor Who season 11 trailer features people on horseback and the setting looks distinctly Wild West themed lighting. With historical figures said to play a part in Doctor Who season 11, could it be that we're taken either back in time to the Wild West in the U.S., or to another planet where the Wild West lifestyle is the norm? That's something Stephen King has already explored in his Dark Tower series; maybe his work has proven to be inspirational to Chibnall?

2. The Doctor Meets Some Familiar Guest Stars

New Doctor Who showrunner Chibnall was previously the showrunner on Broadchurch, which starred Tenth Doctor David Tennant alongside Whittaker. This is, of course, how Chibnall knew Whittaker had the talent needed to pull this role off, although it seems he's brought another Broadchurch alumni along for the ride. In a shot near to the end of the trailer, we can see Shaun Dooley standing next to Whittaker. He played a prominent role in Broadchurch season 2, making this nighttime episode something of a reunion.

1. "This Is Gonna Be Fun"

Finally, the Doctor closes out the trailer with a bright smile, saying by "Right then. This is gonna be fun." Whatever she's referring to here - her new regeneration, making her sonic screwdriver, or some bonkers plan - she's undoubtedly right about season 11 as a whole too

Everything highlighted in the Doctor Who trailer looks promising and exciting, and it will definitely be interesting to see the dynamic between the Doctor and her new best friends evolve. As for the Doctor herself; with her quirky outfit choices, happy demeanor and broad Yorkshire accent, doesn't she look brilliant?