Doctor Who: What the Future Holds

 OK, Whovians!  What the future holds for Doctor Who has been the subject of much discussion. 

Art the end of Revolution of the Daleks, a teaser was released announcing the addition of a new companion for the TARDIS, actor/comedian John Bishop in the role of Dan. 

Perhaps John is a perfectly fine actor/comedian. 

But I'm not happy about this. 

After two years with the TARDIS being crowded with 3 companions, I was looking forward to seeing stories with the Doctor and 1 companion. Especially seeing as that 1 companion is Yasmin Kahn. 

There is more to Yaz's story than the available story space has allowed us to explore.  I was anticipating a more direct mentor relationship the Doctor might have with Yaz. I think Yaz as a young woman having another woman like the Doctor as a mentor, as a role model is an important relationship to explore. 

Instead we will have this interloper Dan to contend with. We don't know much about Dan the man. And Dan being the man pretty much sums up what I suspect is going on here. 

Someone somewhere, whether its the producers or executives within the BBC, is not OK with the idea of an all female TARDIS crew.  

Dan the man is there to be the man to alleviate the fears of short sighted people. 

Of course the addition of a new companion is not the biggest change to Doctor Who we may be facing. A week ago, the rumors began swirling that Jodie Whittaker was leaving her role as the Doctor. 

Except the rumors began being reported as fact in some media outlets. Various entertainment websites boldly announced that Jodie Whittaker is leaving Doctor Who as if this was a done deal. 

The BBC refused to comment on the matter. Which is not a denial or an affirmation. 

This not the first time there have been rumors of Jodie's departure from the role but the timing of these reports lend them some veracity. In her fourth year on Doctor Who, Jodie is currently filming her third season. The pattern to date is for actors to stay in the role for about three seasons over 4 years. 

• David Tennant - 3 seasons then a 4th year for specials
• Matt Smith - 3 seasons with 1 season split over 2 years for a 4 year span
• Peter Capaldi - 2 seasons, took a skip year then a 3rd season over a total of 4 years 

So if Jodie holds to that pattern, it makes sense that Series 13 would mark her departure from the role. 

In case you're wondering, the buzz is that Chris Chibnall will be staying on as head writer/executive producer. 

For what it's worth, I think the wrong person is leaving.