Doctor Who has announced three new cast members who will join the 13th Doctor when Season 11 kicks off in 2018. Bradley Walsh, Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill have been cast as the new friends of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
This is the first time that the Doctor will regenerate as a woman, and she is “going to need new friends,” Doctor Who’s new head writer, Chris Chibnall, said. Walsh will play as Graham, who is said to be the new assistant. Cole is Ryan and Gill is Yasmin.
Walsh is quite familiar with the Doctor Who world, having been a fan first some 50 years back. “I remember watching William Hartnell as the first Doctor. Black and white made it very scary for a youngster like myself,” he shared, per BBC News . Walsh is known for being a host of game shows like The Chase and Wheel of Fortune.
Gill, who is known for her role in Hollyoaks , said she was “over the moon” that she is joining Doctor Who. She added that a role in the iconic show is one of those roles that seem quite impossible to get, so she could not believe it at first that she is now one of the cast members. Gill appeared in Doctors , Cuckoo , and Casualty, and will also be part of a new drama on BBC, Love, Lies and Records .
Cole, meanwhile, is also excited to be joining the team and is “looking forward to jumping in this Doctor Who universe.” Cole had worked with Gill in Hollyoaks and appeared in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and EastEnders spin-off E20.
Heads up Whovians! Jodie Whittaker will be joined by not one, not two, but THREE brand new companions in #DoctorWho https://t.co/p7rQ3SZdHN pic.twitter.com/a4B8SQ2UPe
— BBC Newsround (@BBCNewsround) October 23, 2017
Doctor Who Season 11 will have 10 episodes, with the premiere episode lasting for 60 minutes and the rest will run for 50 minutes. This somehow makes the sci-fi drama shorter than the previous seasons that had 12 or 13 episodes and duration of around 45 minutes. However, Radio Times pointed out that fans should not be disappointed with the cutback as this might be a part of Chibnall’s reimagining of the series and how he wants the show to grow, change and innovate.
Doctor Who is expected to air fall 2018, although there is no specific air date yet. More details of the roles of the new members of the new Tardis team are also hoped to emerge in the coming weeks.
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