11 Times Doctor Who Reinvented Itself

Like his predecessor, Chris Chibnall took the reins of Doctor Who with a completely new cast and a new approach in his storytelling. And though he's only been at the job for two seasons, his tenure as showrunner represents one of the greatest departures from previous seasons that we've ever seen.

For example, the opening title sequence uses both entirely fresh imagery and a unique theme arrangement to invoke the spirit of the show. The incidental music is by a new composer and is of a new style. The cinematography is freshly lush and beautiful. Episodes have invoked their social and moral messages more pointedly, and historical characters that are a bit more off the beaten path have played a larger role in the stories.

But most obviously, the Doctor is being played by a woman for the first time. And although Jodie Whittaker doesn't focus greatly on her gender in her performance, the fact that she is female does create a different sort of dynamic amongst the Doctor's "fam" then there has ever been before. It gives the current version of the program its own particular quality.