There’s a hidden secret in this Jodie Whittaker Doctor Who picture
Chris Chibnall hints that there’s more to the latest image of the Thirteenth Doctor than meets the eye
When Doctor Who’s new logo was released last month, it came accompanied with a dramatic picture of Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, framed in silhouette as she looked over a grassy plain.
However, it now seems there is more to this picture than meets the eye, with Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall suggesting there was quite an interesting story behind it.
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“Remind me to tell you the story of the silhouette photo of the Doctor that you’ll find elsewhere in this issue,” Chibnall wrote in Production Notes, his irregular column in the monthly Doctor Who Magazine.
“There’s a nice fact behind that. One for later in the year. Promise.”
Could this “nice fact” relate to something that happens in the series, maybe even suggesting a hint of a future storyline? Perhaps some real-life or pop cultural inspiration for Whittaker’s pose? Or is it just an intriguing anecdote from the shoot itself?
Sadly, it seems we won’t know for a while, with secrecy paramount for the new series, as Chibnall’s fellow executive producer Matt Strevens explains in a separate interview for the magazine.
“In a way, I think our job is to protect the audience and the fans,” he said.
“I genuinely believe that audiences want to come to the show and be surprised – I don’t think they want all the secrets out there. We’re trying to retain the mystery and keep the magic of discovery intact for them.”
Oh well – at least we still have the logo to enjoy, a topic Chibnall waxed lyrical on in his column.
“Don’t say we never reveal anything,” he joked. “Look at it, fizzing and glowing with energy and warmth – with a Tardis bursting through the central line in the animated version.
“Clever people came up with that. I mostly grinned and enthused and encouraged.”
Chibnall added that the future of the BBC sci-fi series was in very good hands when it came to his new team.
“All these brilliant people, working on all these different components of our favourite show right now,” he said.
“Not just the production, but the whole way it’ll roll out, the support structures, the holistic world of Doctor Who.”
If he’s right, we’re sure the series – and the accompanying anecdotes – will be worth the wait.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 this autumn
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
