Doctor Who Star John Bishop Reacts to Jodie Whittaker Leaving
John Bishop has spoken about how “weird” it is now that Jodie Whittaker’s era of Doctor Who is coming to an end. It was announced back in July that both Whittaker and current showrunner Chris Chibnall are leaving Doctor Who next year. Whittaker will play the thirteenth incarnation of The Doctor in the upcoming season 13 and in a trio of specials that will serve as a swan song before her regeneration.
Bishop, best known in the UK as a prolific stand-up comedian, joins the cast of Doctor Who this year as Dan, a builder from Liverpool who’s set to be The Doctor’s latest companion. The 2021 special “Revolution Of The Daleks” saw Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) leave Team TARDIS behind, meaning that Dan will be traveling space and time alongside The Doctor and Yaz (Mandip Gill). Bishop’s trademark self-deprecating wit will hopefully help ground Doctor Who season 13, even though Dan’s time with Thirteen will be limited as the season has a shorter runtime of just six episodes.
Now, Bishop has revealed what his limited time acting alongside Whittaker has been like. In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine (via Digital Spy), the actor and comedian praised Whittaker’s talent, calling her “phenomenal” and revealing that both her and Gill had been very “welcoming and supportive.” Bishop went on to admit that despite the short length of the series, the actors built up a rapport so quickly that it will be “weird” not seeing each other every week. Read his full quote below:
"They've been great to work with. So welcoming and really supportive, particularly to someone like me who's not done a run on a series like this before. I know everyone knows it, but as everyone says, Jodie is phenomenal…The way [Jodie] carries this show – the amount of responsibility that she wears so lightly on her shoulders – is staggering. The run's coming to an end soon and we were all talking earlier about how weird it will be not seeing each other every week."
Bishop’s praise for Whittaker suggests once again that the failures of her tenure as The Doctor have been due to problems with Doctor Who's writing, but not her acting. The Doctor is one of the most complex, well-known, and iconic roles in television history. Whittaker should be remembered for her triumphs as the first female incarnation of The Doctor rather than her era’s poor characterization and issues with storytelling.
As a completely new character, Dan will hopefully bring a new and exciting energy to the new season. Even if his time with the Thirteenth Doctor is shorter than most companions get with their Doctors, there’s a good chance that Bishop will be able to make a lasting impression, especially as he’s emphasized his strong rapport with his fellow cast members. Doctor Who may still need to see a radical change after Whittaker and Chibnall exit the show, but Bishop may be the one to help things get back on track.
Source: Digital Spy