Production Begins on 'Doctor Who' Season 13 with Shorter Episode Count

Not even a global pandemic can keep the Doctor down for long.

Production on Doctor Who Season 13 - the third to feature Jodie Whittaker as the renegade Time Lady - has finally begun. Thanks to the effects of the coronavirus shutdowns that threw much of the entertainment industry into turmoil, filming on Who has seen its share of delays already. And the show has a notoriously lengthy and involved shoot, usually taking about ten months to put together a single season.

“In this strangest of years, the Doctor Who production team have worked wonders to get the show back into production," showrunner Chris Chibnall said in a press release. "We’re thrilled to be back making the show. Given the complexity of making Doctor Who, and with new and rigorous COVID working protocols, it’s going to take us a little longer to film each episode, meaning we expect to end up with eight episodes, rather than the usual 11. But rest assured, the ambition, humor, fun, and scares you expect from Doctor Who will all still be firmly in place. For everyone around the world, this is a challenging period – but the Doctor never shirks from a challenge!”