The eleventh season of Doctor Who was already going to be momentous what with Jodie Whittaker’s casting as the new Doctor, but the show’s push for inclusion and representation will also extend behind the camera.
Today, the BBC announced through Doctor Who Magazine the full roster of writers and directors slated to craft Doctor Who’s newest season and the list, thankfully, includes a number of women and people of color, something the series has needed for some time now.
In a public statement, new showrunner Chris Chibnall expressed his faith in the creative team and emphasized how the diversity of their experiences is sure to make the show stronger:
“Hailing from a range of backgrounds, tastes and styles, here’s what unites them: they are awesome people as well as brilliant at their job. (It matters!) They love Doctor Who. And they’ve all worked above and beyond the call of duty in an effort to bring audiences something special, later this year.”
The list of writers and directors includes Pig-Heart Boy writer Malorie Blackman, playwright Vinay Patel, Joy Wilkinson, Sallie Aprahamian, Mark Tonderai, and Jennifer Perrott. Director Perrott really captured the overall spirit of the season saying:
“Space travel has become more a part of modern life and this has opened the door for more human stories to be told amidst the escapist fantasy of saving the world from alien invasion. The aliens are now as emotionally complex as the humans, and I was really excited by that.”
When Doctor Who returns for its eleventh series this October, it’s going to be markedly different than its previous incarnations and honestly, it’s about damned time. Here’s the breakdown via Doctor Who TV.
Writers:
- Malorie Blackman
- Ed Hime
- Peter McTighe
- Vinay Patel
- Joy Wilkinson
Directors:
- Jamie Childs (Block 1 – episodes 1 & 7, Block 5 – episodes 9 & 10)
- Mark Tonderai (Block 2 – episodes 2 & 3)
- Sallie Aprahamian (Block 3 – episodes 4 & 6)
- Jennifer Perrott (Block 4 – episodes 5 & 8)