Doctor Who season 13 has reportedly begun filming. The BBC's flagship science-fiction TV series, Doctor Who, has been running since 1963 - granted with an extended hiatus between 1989 and 2005. But viewers have been somewhat starved of news from the TV show itself of late, largely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Doctor Who Holiday Special had wrapped production in time, but unfortunately, the BBC initially considered it impossible to get to work on season 13 under social distancing rules. In a speech to the Royal Television Society in June, Rhodri Talfan Davies - the head of BBC Wales - noted he didn't believe it was possible to maintain the same production standards, which involve hundreds of people. There's been no word since June, leading many viewers to fear there would be a long wait before Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor returned to the small screen.
The latest reports suggest the BBC has finally begun production on Doctor Who season 13. One fan shared their delight on Twitter when they went for a stroll down the road and discovered Doctor Who filming at the end of the street. Apparently, Jodie Whittaker was there, shooting an emotional scene.
There's a lot of pressure resting on Doctor Who season 13. Showrunner Chris Chibnall ended season 12 with the shocking revelation the Doctor is not a Time Lord at all; rather, she is the Timeless Child, a being who potentially predates the universe itself and became the base genetic code for the entire Time Lord race. It's proved to be a controversial revelation, dividing the fanbase, with some resistance but others curious to see where things go. Presumably, Doctor Who season 13 will allow Chibnall to move on from the Time Lords and begin dropping more clues to the Doctor's true origin. Meanwhile, another mystery is the introduction of a new Doctor, played by Jo Martin. It's unclear how she fits into the Doctor's timeline; is she a forgotten past Doctor, or is she actually the next incarnation of the enigmatic time traveler?
There have been reports both Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole will be leaving after the 2020 Holiday Special, with Mandip Gill sticking around. In truth, that's probably for the best, because scripts in Doctor Who season 12 struggled to handle so many main characters. It will be interesting to see the circumstances that lead to their departures, and whether the Doctor picks up any other companions along the way. Hopefully, it won't be long before we get to learn more about Doctor Who season 13.
Source: Doctor Who Page