‘Doctor Who’ Season 11 Spoilers: Everything Revealed About New Episodes So Far

The “Doctor Who” Season 11 premiere is three weeks away, but fans already know a bit about what to expect in the new episodes. Check out everything we know so far about the BBC America show’s return:

New Companions: Jodie Whittaker is taking over as the Doctor and she’ll have a new cast to help her. Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yasmin (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) will also board the TARDIS, which will get an update this year as well.

Release Date: The global premiere date is Oct. 7, and the U.S. won’t have any wait at all. BBC America will air the Season 11 premiere at the same time as the U.K. An exact release time has yet to be announced, but fans should expect to see the first episode, titled “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” in the early afternoon or possibly late morning. Those who want to wait for primetime will be able to catch an encore in the evening.

Goodbye Familiar Faces: Along with a new face, the Doctor is sticking to new friends and foes. New showrunner Chris Chibnall revealed to RadioTimes that longtime adversaries like the Daleks, Weeping Angels, Cybermen and Missy (Michelle Gomez) will not appear. The new Doctor will be short on old friends as well. River Song (Alex Kingston) and the Victorian trio — Vastra (Neve McIntosh), Jenny (Catrin Stewart) and Strax (Dan Starkey) — will also be missing.

Returning Mystery Character: Someone is returning, though. Sharon D. Clarke was announced as part of the “Doctor Who” Season 11 cast as a “returning character,” but she hasn’t been credited in any other episodes of “Doctor Who.” Who could she be?

King James I: What would “Doctor Who” be without a blast from the past? The show will include a visit to King James I, played by Alan Cumming. The actor accidentally revealed his guest spot in March.

No Romance: The Doctor’s gender has been changed, which raises questions for some about her sexuality. It looks like the BBC America favorite will dodge those inquiries for now. Whittaker told The Sunday Times that romance isn’t in the cards for Thirteen this year. “We are a friendship group in this season,” she said (via RadioTimes). “But we all love each other.”

New Sonic Screwdriver: It seems the Thirteenth Doctor is sticking to the sonic screwdriver (which Twelve temporarily turned into sonic sunglasses, much to many fans’ dismay), but she put her own spin on it. Judging by the toy replica, the new tool looks a little less electronic than past incarnations. The glowing tip seems to be a crystal, which matches the new logo, and it glows orange and red, a step away from the greens and blues of recent screwdrivers. The handle looks like a metallic wood, which is curved for an easier grip.

Extended Episodes: Instead of 45 minutes, each episode will be 50 minutes long, but overall the season is shorter with just 10 episodes (plus a Christmas special). The season premiere will clock in at 65 minutes.

New Writers and Directors: It took 55 years, but “Doctor Who” finally has a diverse writing staff. Malorie Blackman, Ed Hime, Vinay Patel, Pete McTighe and Joy Wilkinson will write “Doctor Who” Season 11, which will feature no two-parters. Sallie Aprahamian, Jamie Childs, Jennifer Perrott and Mark Tonderai directed new episodes of the series.

“Doctor Who” Season 11 premieres Sunday, Oct. 7 on BBC America.