A new run of Doctor Who is still a year away, but the BBC has just announced the Time Lord’s new companion…
In the midst of the FA Cup match between Everton and Manchester United, a rather cosmic announcement took precedence in the half-time interval. It was then that the BBC chose to announce who would be partnering Peter Capaldi in the TARDIS when Doctor Who returns to screens in 2017.
As rumours over recent days circulated, it was indeed confirmed that Pearl Mackie will be the actress who will join the latest incarnation of the Time Lord, though we haven’t any details of her character – except her name which will be ‘Bill’ (we assume it’s short for Belinda). This will be the first major television role for Mackie who has previously appeared in the likes of stage productions such as the West End run of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Doctor Who family,” she said in a statement. “It’s such an extraordinary British institution, I couldn’t be prouder to call the TARDIS my home.Peter Capaldi is such a brilliant actor, and his Doctor is such a wacky and wonderful character, I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for him and Bill throughout time and space.Reading the script at the audition I thought Bill was wicked. Fantastically written, cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in – I can’t wait to bring her to life, and to see how she develops through the series.”
Jenna Coleman was the most recent companion, written out in the last episode of the most recent run and whose next project is playing the young Queen Victoria in the ITV mini-series..
Despite original assurances that the next series of Doctor Who would shoot in 2016, it turns out that while that’s technically true, there will be no new episodes of the hit series actually screened in 2016 – excepting the traditional Christmas special. It is believed that Pearl and Bill will not make their appearance until the next run (rather than the special) which is expected to be transmitted in early 2017 and will come under the control of new show-runner Chris Chibnall, taking over from the departing Steve Moffatt.
You can our introduction to Pearl in the trailer below (though we’re not sure the specially-shot announcement is actually ‘in-continuity’ so much as a teaser…)
