The latest Doctor Who Christmas special had a lot going for it. It was Peter Capaldi’s final hour, it saw him team up with David Bradley’s First Doctor, Pearl Mackie’s Bill returned and there was even a guest role for Mark Gatiss. Despite all that, however, the biggest talking point was, of course, that we finally saw Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Thirteenth Doctor in the episode’s last few moments.
Without a doubt, this is what everyone’s been waiting for for months now, given that the actress is the first woman to play the iconic role and her casting was hugely controversial, with many claiming that the Doctor should always be male. Over time, though, the divide seemed to get smaller, with almost everyone eventually agreeing to give Whittaker a chance.
Now, she’s finally here and after making her big debut, fans seem to be excited to see more of her – which they’ll be able to do in the spring, when season 11 arrives.
Until then, though, the clip above will have to tide us over, as it allows us to watch Capaldi’s big regeneration into No. 13 over and over again. If you’ve seen the special already, you’ll know that it’s a fantastic moment, executed perfectly and hitting all the right notes. In our opinion, at least. And though we don’t get to see very much of Whittaker here – as is always the case when a new Doctor is introduced at Christmas – what we’ve got is enough to whet our appetite, leaving us cautiously optimistic about the future of the show.
With “Twice Upon a Time” now behind us, it’s going to be a quiet couple of months for Doctor Who fans as they buckle down for the winter and prepare for the long wait ahead. Fear not, though, as we’ve heard that the iconic sci-fi series could be back on our screens as soon as April, and when it returns, it’ll be starring Jodie Whittaker in the titular role, as the actress looks to make history as the first female Doctor.