A new face will board the TARDIS in the upcoming season of Doctor Who. BBC announced today actor/comedian John Bishop will appear in season 13.

You can watch the teaser that announced Bishop’s casting below. It originally aired following the UK premiere of the special episode “Revolution of the Daleks” on January 1.

Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall said Bishop’s character Dan has been in the works for a while.

“It’s time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan. Oh, we’ve had to keep this one secret for a long, long time. Our conversations started with John even before the pandemic hit. The character of Dan was built for him, and it’s a joy to have him aboard the TARDIS,” said Chibnall.

Bishop’s Dan will join Mandip Gill’s Yaz in the TARDIS with Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor. Former companions to the Thirteenth Doctor Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) made their final appearances during “Revolution of the Daleks.”

John Bishop as Dan in Doctor Who

Bishop himself described the role as a dream come true.

“If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the TARDIS, I would never have believed it,” said Bishop. “It’s an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn’t wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.”

BBC noted that Bishop had already begun filming the next season. A release date has not been set, but the casting teaser does say “2021.”

Source: BBC