Doctor Who showrunner addresses Jodie Whittaker "erasure" – sort of
Has the Thirteenth Doctor's era been erased from Doctor Who history? Russell T Davies weighs in.
Following claims on social media that Jodie Whittaker's time as the Doctor is being erased from Doctor Who history as the show heads towards its 60th anniversary, returning showrunner Russell T Davies has responded to the online chatter - sort of.
The claims that Whittaker's time in the TARDIS is being erased from the show's history have largely related to suggestions that she has been absent from marketing material surrounding the show, such as magazine and annual covers, and that Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor regenerated already fully in costume - meaning Whittaker's costume will not been seen at the start of the new era.
Davies has now responded to the online discussion in tongue-in-cheek fashion, in his latest Letter from the Showrunner segment in this month's Doctor Who Magazine. In the piece, Davies reacts to watching the final cut of The Star Beast, the first of the three upcoming 60th anniversary specials.
In a wide-ranging nod to online fan discussions, which also mentions the Snyder Cut of Justice League and Who fans' calls for the season 10 soundtrack to be released, Davies says as he watches the TARDIS come on-screen: "Oh my God, the TARDIS, the Jodie exterior, she has NOT been erased (and yet by not erasing her, are we erasing the argument that she's been erased and therefore this is an act of erasure, IS IT?)".
Davies also refers to Whittaker's era and the shift the show made to Sheffield during it, rather than being set in London as many Earth-based adventures have been since 2005.
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He says: "Oh my God, that's London, too much London?, I liked Sheffield, SHEFFIELD SNUB." before later adding: "It's still very rude to the people of Sheffield, I will post about this and get REACTIONS to the SNUB."
Whittaker's Doctor regenerated at the end of last year's The Power of the Doctor, marking the end of Chris Chibnall's time as showrunner and the beginning of Davies's second era.
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It also marked the return of David Tennant, who will star opposite Catherine Tate, back as Donna Noble, in the 60th anniversary specials, before Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor takes over for this year's Christmas special.
While we still know little about the plot of the 60th specials, we do know that Yasmin Finney will be playing Donna's daughter Rose, as fan speculation suggesting as much was confirmed last month.
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Doctor Who Magazine #595 is on sale from today, Thursday 14th September 2023.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
