It’s been a rough year for Doctor Who fans, and they’re still patiently waiting for the return of their favorite raggedy alien with a sonic screwdriver, a blue box and two hearts.
Jodie Whittaker made history when she was announced as the Thirteenth Doctor, the first woman in the show’s 50-year plus run to take up the mantle of the Gallifreyan Time Lord. While most fans adored Jodie’s quirky Doctor through her first portrayal of the Lonely God in season 11, many people took issue with Chris Chibnall’s decisions as the new showrunner and found the writing quality and the character development of the new companions underwhelming.
Despite the whirlwind of mixed reactions, there’s still hope for Whittaker’s Doctor. And Arthur Darvil, who previously played Rory Williams during Matt Smith’s run as the title character, has assured fans of as much in a new interview with What’s On TV.
“I think Jodie is amazing. I’m really looking forward to what they do next year. I always think the second series of anyone in that role is the one where they bloom. You’ve had the year of ‘Will they like it? won’t they like it?’ and then the second year is great. We saw that with David, Matt and Peter, the second series is the one where they have fun.”
It’s almost been a year since the last episode aired, and the BBC has yet to confirm the premiere date for season 12, but we do know that it’ll be in 2020. A year without the British sci-fi show is not a particularly new phenomenon amongst fans, but the wait is nonetheless difficult to bear. Recently, though, a new photo teased the Doctor’s imminent return and filled many Whovian hearts with joy and excitement.
There are also rumors circulating online about a surprise Christmas Special episode, but owing to the secretive nature of Chibnall’s era, we wouldn’t get excited before receiving solid confirmation from the BBC. Either way, fans can be certain that Doctor Who will eventually return to their TV screens sometime in 2020.