In the spring of this year, Pearl Mackie was named the new “Doctor Who” companion, starring alongside Peter Capaldi’s Time Lord in the Tardis, replacing Jenna Coleman, whose character Clara Oswald left the show in 2015.
Pearl Mackie’s character’s name is Bill Potts and she’s described as “wicked… cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in.” Mackie’s season as the new companion on the long-running popular series begins in the spring of 2017 when the 10th season of “Doctor Who” premieres on BBC America.
The network has released a first teaser for the upcoming new season which is embedded below:
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Doctor Who family,” the British actress said earlier this year. “It’s such an extraordinary British institution, I couldn’t be prouder to call the Tardis my home.”
She added: “Peter Capaldi is such a brilliant actor, and his Doctor is such a wacky and wonderful character, I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for him and Bill throughout time and space.”
Star Capaldi chimed in with: “It is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to ‘Doctor Who.’ A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she’s a refreshing addition to the Tardis and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to The Doctor’s adventures.”
The companion figure in the series – generally a human – has been a constant feature in “Doctor Who” since the program’s inception in 1963. The Doctor’s most recent traveling companions have generally been women who occupy a much larger narrative role than previously. Head writer and executive producer of the series, Steven Moffat, has even described the companion as the main character of the show, as the story begins anew with each companion eventually undergoing more change than the Doctor.
Prior to being cast in “Doctor Who,” Pearl Mackie graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2010, played Anne-Marie Frasier in “Doctors” in 2014, and most recently performed in the National Theatre’s West End production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time.”
In January of this year, it was announced that the head writer and executive producer of “Doctor Who,” Steven Moffat, was stepping down from the show.
The next series will be his last, after which he will be replaced by “Broadchurch” writer Chris Chibnall.
Watch the teaser for the upcoming season 10 below:
