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Doctor Who Series 13 Production Start "Before the End of 2020": Report

Published Fri, 11 Sep 2020 11:46:48 -0500

by Ray Flook

Last updated Fri, 11 Sep 2020 11:49:54 -0500

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Heading into the middle of the summer, Doctor Who fans weren't exactly feeling too confident about when production on Series 13 would get underway. Now, it sounds like there might be a light at the end of the tunnel (that won't turn out to be a "big bad" that you have to engage in a little wibbily-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff to defeat) with reports that Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, Bradley Walsh, and Tosin Cole returning to filming "in the coming weeks." RadioTimes.com is reporting that the BBC "has committed to beginning production before the end of 2020," which would be the start at around the same time it was originally planned (which means early 2021 was never in play then?).

Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor, Jo Martin as Ruth Clayton - Doctor Who _ Season 12, Episode 5 - Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America — Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor, Jo Martin as Ruth Clayton – Doctor Who _ Season 12, Episode 5 – Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America

A BBC source speaking with RadioTimes.com revealed, "Filming is still going ahead this year as planned, starting in the next few weeks." Production starting in early 2021 doesn't mean that Series 13 won't be ready to air by the end of the year: "We're still hoping for a 2021 airdate, but this may depend on other circumstances." While the BBC has not officially announced the format for the upcoming series, speculation is growing that a longer production run based on new COVID health and safety protocols may result in a shortened series.

Looking ahead to the immediate future of new the Doctor Who universe, viewers at least have the satisfaction of knowing that the holiday special "Revolution of the Daleks" was completed before the COVID-19 shutdown and should be ready to go for the end of the year/start of next year. That gives the episode a major advantage over series that film their holiday specials the summer before, making the Doctor Who special even more of an "event" for fans, as Gill explained to RadioTimes.com earlier this year: "So yeah, Doctor Who's special is something to really look forward to this year –especially considering the amazing series we've just had as well."

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