Doctor Who Series 11: 10 Big Questions After 'The Woman Who Fell To Earth'

It’s not clear whether the Doctor will have a catchphrase – early contenders are her first line in Twice Upon a Time - “Oh, brilliant.” “Let’s get a shift on” from the trailers, and in this episode “It should be fine”.

The story follows the convention of the Doctor needing time to adjust to her new body and personality, but rather than acting out of character the major side-effect this time around is her loss of memory. So we can expect the same character traits to stay for the duration.

This Doctor shares the childlike charms of Pat Troughton, Tom Baker and Matt Smith, as in when she asks if Yaz can turn on the sirens and lights. But it is David Tennant’s tenth Doctor that is most evident, perhaps no surprise given the two actors friendship. The enthusiasm, the excitement and the energy of the thirteenth Doctor are very much out of the Tennant stable. It may also be a deliberate move given the huge popularity of the Tenth Doctor with the general audience.

Whittaker’s Doctor is adept at making gadgets. The sonic screwdriver is made from scratch out of necessity, but the Doctor’s enjoyment of this particular challenge and her rebooting of Ryan’s phone suggests this might be a recurring talent.

A clear distinctive is the Thirteenth Doctor’s willingness to embrace her weaknesses. She doesn’t seem overly concerned with not knowing the answers, or with being out of her depth - a welcome change from the Twelfth Doctor’s struggles to embrace his flaws. A hint of panic is as important to her saving the day as is the adrenaline rush. There is a moment when we wonder if she is prepared to gamble with her friends lives in the stand-off with Tim Shaw, but it turns out she has covered the bases, protecting them in case her plan backfires. That extra care isn’t often seen with her predecessors.