Everything we know about new Doctor Who companion John Bishop

A new companion will be joining Thirteen and Yaz in the TARDIS for Doctor Who Season 13. Here’s what we know about comedian and actor John Bishop.

Following New Year’s special “Revolution of the Daleks,” it was pretty obvious that things were going to change in Doctor Who season 13. With the departures of Ryan and Graham from the TARDIS – and the exits of stars Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole from the show – the time-traveling blue police box was suddenly quite a bit emptier.

But not for long.

In a post-credits scene, it was announced that actor and comedian John Bishop would be joining the show in season 13, playing a new character named Dan.

As he becomes embroiled in the Doctor’s adventures, Dan will quickly learn there’s more to the Universe(s) than he could ever believe. Traveling through space and time alongside the Doctor and Yaz, he’ll face evil alien races beyond his wildest nightmares.

Your mileage may vary on whether or not you think Doctor Who needed to add a new companion when Yaz was right there and has been largely ignored for the previous two seasons. But, it is what it is, I suppose.

“It’s time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan,” showrunner Chris Chibnall said in a press release. “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.”

Bishop is best known in the U.K. as a successful comedian, though he has a limited acting resume that includes playing Katie and Emily Fitch’s dad on teen drama Skins, as well as roles in Accused and Fearless.

“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,” Bishop said in a press statement. “It’s an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn’t wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.”

For those who are nervous about someone who is not particularly known as an actor joining Doctor Who, we should remember that both Catherine Tate and Bradley Walsh were best known for other largely non-acting projects prior to boarding the TARDIS. And they turned out to be pretty amazing companions.

There’s no reason to believe the same won’t happen with Bishop and his Dan, whose apparent tradesman background will hopefully provide a new perspective that is not often represented on the show. How will Dan fit in with Thirteen and Yaz? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Doctor Who season 13 is currently filming and expected to air later this year. How do you feel about the news of a new companion? Sound off in the comments.