Jodie Whittaker gets the seal of approval as first female to star as Time Lord

There is only one thing fans wants to know about Jodie Whittaker’s debut as the Doctor — can she pull off a role held exclusively by men since 1963?

Well, rest assured she delivers a sensational turn in the preview I saw of the new series’ opening episode The Woman Who Fell To Earth.

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She may also be the breath of fresh air needed to revive a flagging franchise.

Jodie, 36, is a huge improvement on Peter Capaldi and brings back some of the spirit of David Tennant and Matt Smith — even if she doesn’t nail the character quite as well as they did.

She doesn’t always strike the right balance between quirky geek and masterful Time Lord. And at times she comes across as irritatingly childlike.

But the highest praise is that you quickly forget you’re watching a female Doctor and just accept you’re watching THE Doctor.

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New showrunner Chris Chibnall has also hired a much more diverse cast overall — part of his drive to show “heroes come in all shapes and sizes”.

But only time will tell if it is all enough to delight devotees and claw back fair-weather followers.

Doctor Who Episode 1: The Woman Who Fell to Earth

★★★★☆

• The new series of Doctor Who starts on Sunday, October 7 at 6.45pm on BBC One

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