Luxury brand Corgi and BBC Studios have today launched the range of Doctor Who knitwear worn by Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor in the latest series of the BBC One show.

Corgi’s Doctor Who range will include 100% cashmere socks, wool socks, a cashmere scarf, a wool scarf and a hand-made cashmere and cotton blend jumper. All our luxury yarns are sourced from the very best suppliers in the UK who use yarns from sustainable sources. The knitwear is made using traditional hand knitting techniques and hand finished to the very highest standard. All the products are made in the UK at Corgi’s factory in Ammanford, Wales.

The range was designed by Costume Designer Ray Holman (Doctor Who, Torchwood) for the Thirteenth Doctor’s costume and is now available to fans across the world for the first time.

Ray Holman, Costume Designer, said:

“I chose to work with Corgi after visiting the factory and seeing the high quality materials they use and the beautiful products they create. As a small company in the heart of Wales the craft of knitting is still very much alive and we were able to use these skills in the creation of the jumpers, socks and scarves for this range. It has been a pleasure to work with Corgi and create such a wonderful range of garments for The Doctor.” 

Corgi is a Welsh, family-run company producing luxury socks and knitwear. Established in 1892, the company is still located in a small Welsh mining town and has developed a reputation as a leading luxury sock and knitwear brand. Corgi was awarded a Royal Warrant by HRH the Prince of Wales in 1988, and continues to supply the Royal family with knitted goods.

The launch coincides with a royal visit at the Corgi factory in Wales, with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal arriving to meet staff in her capacity as President of the UK Fashion & Textile industry. Princess Anne was shown the new Doctor Who range as part of this visit, and presented with a cashmere Doctor Who scarf as a gift.

Chris Jones at Corgi, said:

“We’re very excited to be working with BBC Studios on a product range for Doctor Who. Working with the creative team, we have produced a beautiful line of distinctive knitwear and socks that deliver both style and high quality that we hope fans will love!” 

Products are available to fans worldwide on the Corgi website www.corgisocks.com and range in price from £19 to £295 RRP.

+ Post your questions to Ray Holman in the DWO Forums Ask & Answer section!

[Source: BBC Studios]

Toy Fair 2020 (London) is upon us; the annual event that showcases some of the merchandise coming out throughout the year. In recent years there has been a steady decline in the volume of Doctor Who related releases, and, unfortunately, this trend continues for 2020.

DWO trawled the many stands finding very little in the way of Time Lord offerings, save a few posters, puzzles and some FUNKO Pop's, we literally couldn't find anything worthy of note.

Thankfully, Character Options - makers of the official Doctor Who action figures, were able to give us a sneak peek at their 2020 range.

Whilst admittedly the range is small, we will be getting the following 5.5" action figures, currently slated for release this February:

- The 13th Doctor (with Bag & Sonic Screwdriver Accessories!)
- Graham O'Brien
- Judoon Captain
- Reconnaissance Dalek (with Dalek Mutant Accessory!)

We also saw Ryan and Yaz action figures, which we expect to be released in due course.

In addition to the above figures there will also be The Thirteenth Doctor Electronic TARDIS, featuring a loyal replica of the on-screen TARDIS with lights, sounds and opening doors. Also on show was the 13th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver replica, although it was unclear whether this was the same one released last year or an updated model.

Having attended Toy Fair for the past 10 years, it was quite disheartening to see the limited number of Doctor Who related licenses. One can only hope this will change during 2020...

[Source: DWO]

Doctor Who fans will soon be able to step inside a virtual reality version of the TARDIS, in an upcoming immersive VR film based on the beloved series called Doctor Who: The Runaway. Jodie Whittaker reprises her role as the Doctor in animated form in the interactive story, which will run for around 12 minutes and will be available on selected VR headsets in the coming months.

Viewers will join the Thirteenth Doctor on board the TARDIS in this animated interactive story from the BBC and Passion Animation Studios. Fans will get the chance to be the Doctor's champion and help her on this exciting adventure, as they find themselves at the centre of the action facing a deadly threat.

Jo Pearce, creative director for the BBC's digital drama team, said:

“Fans will experience the TARDIS like never before in this thrilling new interactive story. As ever, the Doctor is full of warmth, wit and charm – helped by a wonderful performance from Jodie – which puts fans at the heart of the story as they immerse themselves in this beautifully animated world.” 

Zillah Watson, head of BBC VR Hub, said:

“Our team at the BBC VR Hub has been creating new experiences with the goal of helping to usher virtual reality into the mainstream, and Doctor Who is exactly the sort of series that can help more people to try this new technology. The show has been pushing boundaries for over 55 years, and VR enables Doctor Who to explore a whole new dimension of storytelling.” 

Featuring new original music from series composer Segun Akinola, Doctor Who: The Runaway has been written by Victoria Asare-Archer and directed by Mathias Chelebourg, whose previous VR films include Alice, the Virtual Reality Play and The Real Thing VR. It has been produced by the BBC’s digital drama team, BBC VR Hub and Passion Animation Studios. 

[Source: BBC Publicity]

The BBC have confirmed recent rumours that the traditional Christmas Special slot has moved from Christmas Day to New Year's Day. Below is the BBC press release in full:

With 2018 marking a brand new era for Doctor Who it is only right that 2019 kicks off in spectacular style. 

So to mark the occasion, in this year’s festive episode the TARDIS will travel through the time vortex from its traditional timeslot on Christmas Day and will land in style on New Year’s Day.

Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, says:

“We’re delighted the Doctor and her companions will be welcoming BBC One audiences into 2019 with this exciting new episode. The Doctor's fans are in for a special treat on the first day of the new year.”

Showrunner, Chris Chibnall says:

“We’re thrilled to be starting the New Year with a bang on BBC One, as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends face a terrifying alien threat in an action-packed, hour-long special adventure for all the family.”

As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

[Source: BBC Studios]

Last month, it was confirmed that British jewellery designer, Alex Monroe, would be producing an officially licensed range of Doctor Who jewellery.

The collaboration between Alex Monroe and BBC Studios, offers fans the chance to buy an exact replica of the 13th Doctor's ear cuff, as well as a supporting capsule collection in celebration of the first female Doctor.

DWO caught up with Alex, for one of our '5 Questions With...' interviews.

How did the opportunity come about?

I’ve been making jewellery for the BBC for a long time. I remember the first things were for Eastenders and French and Saunders back in the early eighties! It’s lovely because Jodie has worn our jewellery since she was at drama school, so we have a long connection, and of course the amazing Ray Holman was the costume designer on Dr Who. We’ve done some wonderful projects together over the years. So it was just a really natural fit, I suppose.

Did you ever watch Doctor Who as a child, and if you did was there a particular Doctor / Story you remember? 

Oh my days yes. I was addicted. I think Dr Who was responsible for my fear of spiders. And there was just a new one with spiders in which hasn’t helped! Slightly strangely I always really liked the Brigadier. He popped up from time to time over the years. I’ve no idea why he was my fave character! All three of my daughters have loved it. Now my youngest has Sunday night Dr Who parties. All her mates over, they order pizzas, settle in for the opening credits then chatter incessantly all the way through. It drives me mad!

Your galaxy ear cuff is exquisite! It’s literally an exact replica from the one we see on screen! How much of an input did Jodie have in the final design?

Jodie was so important. We were designing for her character so she was my main inspiration. We talked and discussed and I made all sorts of sketches. Then I made a few prototypes which we discussed together, until we settled on the final design. Each element has all sorts of inspirations and meanings but I think I’ll keep all that between me and Jodie.
 

Is there a possibility we could see more great, who-themed pieces from you? 

I never rule anything out! The sketchbook is full of all sorts of great ideas.

If you could take a round trip in the TARDIS, anywhere in time and space, where would you go and why?

Do you know what… I’m really quite keen on the here and now. There’s so much going on, so many new challenges and so much to do! But I guess the nice thing about the Tardis is that I could do all sorts of stuff then re-appear as if no time had passed!

I think I’d go back and tell my younger self not to be so insecure. Especially with the girls. Once I’d sorted my younger self out I’d go and spend a week on the Bounty as it sailed into Fiji to collect the breadfruit. And a week on the Endeavour with Captain Cook and Joseph Banks. Not Cape Horn… Fiji and the discovery of Australia please. I think I would have liked Cookie and Banksie.

Watch Alex discuss the creative process behind the jewellery in this video from the BBC:

[youtube:msSdDdhA1qk] 

+  Check out Alex Monroe's Doctor Who jewellery range via their website!

[Source: DWO]

As I was watching the reveal on BBC One, I was genuinely shocked when Jodie Whittaker was revealed to be our first-ever female Doctor in Doctor Who. I've always been of the opinion that The Doctor is male, and, perhaps, always should be - it has clearly been his preference for 12 (ok 13) incarnations, but maybe now really is the time for a whole new take on the role?

We live in a time of equality and representation, and TV is an important platform to portray this. The sad reality is that it has taken so long for these issues to start being reflected realistically, and even now there's still a long way to go.

I genuinely didn't think the BBC would commit to the casting of a female actor in the role of The Doctor - especially now that Top Gear has lost its shine and put Doctor Who front and centre, but I fully support and applaud them for doing so. It's a bold move to take the franchise in this direction; just as it would be to change the gender of James Bond or Buffy, but Doctor Who lends a real opportunity now that Steven Moffat has paved the way for Time Lords to change their gender as part of canon.

I do not believe this is an "experiment" or "stunt casting" - or even an attempt to "boost ratings", which, by the way, are still excellent. I think this is the BBC, and Chris Chibnall saying "the time is right!".

When Jodie removed the hood and revealed herself as the Thirteenth incarnation of The Doctor, despite my initial shock, there was something so right about her. Having watched Broadchurch from the start, I was already aware of her as an actress, and can honestly say she has a huge amount of talent that she is going to bring to the role. I am genuinely excited, and cannot wait to support Jodie and the show when it returns in 2018 (after the Christmas special, of course).

Another happy side product of the decision is that there will be a whole new generation of fans - both female and male, growing up with a new role-model to look up to. But hasn't that always been The Doctor? Throughout the show's long history The Doctor has always been on the side of good; a character everyone can look up to, and now that he will become a she, that very same trait will still be at the core.

Back in 1986, Sydney Newman (creator of Doctor Who) sent a letter to the then head of BBC, Michael Grade, actually proposing and supporting the idea of a female Doctor:

"At a later stage Doctor Who should be metamorphosed into a woman. Don’t you agree that this is considerably more worthy of the BBC than Doctor Who’s presently largely socially valueless, escapist schlock? ... This requires some considerable thought – mainly because I want to avoid a flashy, Hollywood Wonder Woman, because this kind of heroine with no flaws is a bore."

If there was any further worry that this was a bad decision, not in keeping with the show, then surely its creator, essentially giving his consent to the idea is something to take comfort in.

Yesterday was our most active day on Twitter (twitter.com/DrWhoOnline), with literally thousands of tweets from our followers and visitors, mainly in support of the new choice. There were, however, a group of fans spouting a lot of hate speech towards the BBC and Jodie Whittaker, which is completely unacceptable. Freedom of speech is one thing, but hate speech has no place in fandom. I was appalled at some of the comments I read, with some fans saying they would stop watching. One has to ask the question if they truly are fans? 

There is no denying that this has split fandom somewhat, but now is not the time for division or segregation, we should come together and rally around our new Doctor, after all, she IS The Doctor, whether you like it or not.

Fandom should be a safe place for fans of all ages to share their opinions and discuss things, and DWO will not tolerate any hate speech or intolerance of others. We will therefore be stepping up to anyone doing so on any of our website or social media platforms.

We would love to hear from you in the comments below or via the Forum Discuss link, below.

- Sebastian J. Brook; Site Editor 

[Source: DWO]

 

The BBC today announced to the world that Jodie Whittaker will be the 13th Doctor in Doctor Who. 

The identity of the new Doctor was revealed exclusively on BBC One and on social media around the world after the Men’s Wimbledon Final on Sunday 16th July.

She will be the Thirteenth Time Lord (or is that Time Lady) and take over from Peter Capaldi who leaves the global hit show at Christmas.

New head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall who takes over from Steven Moffat on the next series made the decision to cast the first ever woman in the iconic role. 

Jodie Whittaker says:

“I’m beyond excited to begin this epic journey - with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet. It’s more than an honour to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait.”

Chris Chibnall, New Head Writer and Executive Producer says:  

“After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we’re excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away.  Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way.”

Peter Capaldi says:

“Anyone who has seen Jodie Whittaker’s work will know that she is a wonderful actress of great individuality and charm. She has above all the huge heart to play this most special part. She’s going to be a fantastic Doctor.” 

Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content says:

“Making history is what Doctor Who is all about and Chris Chibnall’s bold new take on the next Time Lord is exactly that. The nation is going to fall in love with Jodie Whittaker - and have lots of fun too!”

Piers Wenger, Controller BBC Drama says:

"Jodie is not just a talented actor but she has a bold and brilliant vision for her Doctor. She aced it in her audition both technically and with the powerful female life force she brings to the role. She is destined to be an utterly iconic Doctor." 

Matt Strevens, Executive Producer says:

"I'm so thrilled that Jodie Whittaker said yes to playing the Doctor. I've been a fan for years and always hoped to work with her. She is an actor of great emotional range and inhabits every role with complete passion and conviction. Just thinking about what she will bring to the Doctor makes me as excited as a kid at Christmas. It's going to be a lot of fun."  

13 Quick Fire Questions, Answered By Jodie Whittaker:

1) What does it feel like to be the Thirteenth Doctor?

It’s very nerve-racking, as it’s been so secret!

2) Why did you want the role?

To be asked to play the ultimate character, to get to play pretend in the truest form:  this is why I wanted to be an actor in the first place. To be able to play someone who is literally reinvented on screen, with all the freedoms that brings: what an unbelievable opportunity. And added to that, to be the first woman in that role.

3) Has it been hard to keep the secret?

Yes. Very hard! I’ve told a lot of lies! I’ve embroiled myself in a whole world of lies which is going to come back at me when this is announced!

4) Who was the first person you told when you got the role?

My husband. Because I was allowed to!

5) Did you have a codename and if so what was it?

In my home, and with my agent, it was The Clooney. Because to me and my husband, George is an iconic guy. And we thought: what’s a really famous iconic name? It was just fitting.

6) What does it feel like to be the first woman Doctor?

It feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible.

7) What do you want to tell the fans?

I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.

8) What are you most excited about?

I’m most excited about becoming part of a family I didn’t even know existed. I was born in 1982, it’s been around longer than me, and it’s a family I couldn’t ever have dreamed I’d be part of. 

9) How did Chris sell you the part?

We had a strange chat earlier this year where he tricked me into thinking we were talking about Broadchurch. And I started to quiz him about his new job in Wales, and asked him if I could be a baddie! And he quickly diverted the conversation to suggest I should consider auditioning to be the 13th Clooney.

It was the most incredible chat because I asked every question under the sun, and I said I’d take a few weeks to decide whether I was going to audition. He got a phone call within 24 hours. He would’ve got a phone call sooner, but my husband was away and there was a time difference! 

10) Did he persuade you? 

No. There was no persuasion needed. If you need to be persuaded to do this part, you’re not right for this part, and the part isn’t right for you. I also think, for anyone taking this on, you have to want to fight for it, which I certainly had to do. I know there will have been some phenomenal actors who threw their hats in the ring. 

11) What are you going to wear? 

Don’t know yet.

12) Is that your costume in the filmed sequence which introduced you as the new Doctor?

No.

13) Have any of the other Doctors given you advice? 

Well they can’t because they haven’t known until now, but I’m certainly expecting a couple of calls – I’ve got a couple of mates in there. I’m mates with a companion [Arthur Darvill], I’m mates with a trio of Doctors. I know Matt Smith, Chris Eccleston and obviously David Tennant. Oh! And let’s throw in David Bradley! Four Doctors! So I’m hoping I get some calls of advice. 

Watch the official reveal video in the player, below:
[youtube:_-_bSdWEYK8]
[Source: BBC Worldwide]