“Why did you call me ma’am?” asked Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor in the middle of her first big scene of premiere episode “The Woman Who Fell to Earth.” “Because you’re a woman,” replied Yasmin (Mandip Gill). The Doctor responds with brief surprise and happiness—and then promptly moves on to continue her Doctor-ing. No jokes or references about her new body were present here. Despite this supposedly monumental change with this iconic character’s gender identity, Whittaker told attendees of the Doctor Who New York Comic-Con panel that she only wanted this to be “a second in history to be forgotten”—she wants this to be the new normal.
Whittaker was joined by new showrunner Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch), or “Chibs” as he is affectionally called, and new series producer Matt Strevens (An Adventure in Space and Time) introduced the series 11 premiere to attendees of the panel, before the episode’s simulcast around the globe. A total change in cast and creative team can understandably cause some hesitance and worry for hardcore Whovians, but all of those worries were more than alleviated by the time the credits rolled.
Source: Destructoid NYCC: Doctor Who panel premiered new episode, promoted inclusivity and lasting change