I don’to ften write about the Thirteenth Doctor in my editorials. This is largely because we already devote so much space to recent and forthcoming episodes, in articles that I hope speak for themselves. But this issue is different. We’ve arrived at the end of an era, and it’s a moment to reflect.
When I returned as DWM editor, and Peri Godbold returned as art editor, we knew that the programme was on the brink of something very different. The magazine had to be ready.
I met Chris Chibnall, the incoming showrunner, and we had a conversation about our respective histories as fans, as well as our ambitions for the magazine’s future. His determination was admirable, and his enthusiasm for the task ahead was infectious. “Can we interview Jodie Whittaker?” I asked him. “Of course!” he replied.
Jodie hadn’t even seen any full scripts when she first spoke to DWM. “This is a brand-new journey for me, and for everyone,” she said. I thought this sounded enough like a mission statement to put it on the front cover. During the same interview, I asked Jodie if she had a message for us. “I cannot wait to join this amazing world that you guys, the readers, are already part of,” she told me. “To the people that have been here a long time, and to the new people that I hope are coming, I just want to say that I’m going to work so hard and I’m going to enjoy every minute of it. Thanks for your support!”