Jodie Whittaker
On 16 July 2017, Whittaker was announced as the Thirteenth Doctor in the science fiction television series "Doctor Who"; she is the first woman to play the title role. She had previously worked with incoming "Doctor Who" showrunner Chris Chibnall on "Broadchurch". She admitted that she had to "tell a lot of lies" after being cast to keep the information secret and used the codeword "Clooney" when talking about the role. She urged fans not to be afraid of her gender, saying ""Doctor Who" represents everything that's exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one." Chibnall said that he always wanted a woman for the part and that Whittaker was their first choice.
Doctor Who (series 11)
The series consisted of 10 episodes, a shorter run compared to the 12 and 13 episodes that have comprised the previous ten series of the revived era. Episodes ran for an average of 50 minutes each, with the premiere running for 64 minutes, described by the BBC as "feature-length". Chibnall stated at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con that each episode of the series was set to be a standalone story with no multi-parters; Chibnall also stated that the series would not feature the Daleks; however, on 25 December 2018, the BBC announced that the New Year's Day special would feature the return of the Daleks.