As much as a new sonic screwdriver, Tardis interior or costume, one of the main accessories for any new Doctor in Doctor Who star is a revamped version of the iconic theme tune, with Delia Darbyshire and Ron Grainer’s original theme song going through multiple iterations over the years.


And with Jodie Whittaker taking the wheel of the Tardis this autumn it’s no different, with acclaimed composer Segun Akinola coming on board to provide a refashioned arrangement of the theme alongside a brand spanking new opening title sequence.

However, it’s now been revealed that fans will have to wait a little longer than expected to hear the new theme and see the new title sequence – because according to series boss Chris Chibnall, they won’t actually turn up until the second episode of the series.

“There’s a new opening title sequence too, and a new arrangement of the opening theme, by our brilliant new composer Segun Akinola,” series showrunner Chibnall wrote in the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

“You’ll have to wait till episode two to see those in situ, though. Episode one starts slightly differently.”

Just how this difference manifests itself remains to be seen, though we already have a few theories. Will the first episode ignore the theme tune entirely as Whittaker’s Doctor makes her crash-landing in Sheffield? Will the title appear within the story itself in a less obtrusive way, like it did in 2015 found-footage episode Sleep No More?

Or could they go back to the original version of the theme like the series did for the 50th anniversary in 2013, perhaps as a way to connect Whittaker’s Doctor to the grand Doctor Who tradition?

For now, we’ll just have to wait and wonder – it could be that there’ll just be a slightly shorter or earlier version of the title sequence – even if that does mean waiting a week longer than anyone expected.

You can read Chris Chibnall’s exclusive Doctor Who series 11 preview in the latest issue of Radio Times, on sale now


Doctor Who returns to BBC1 on Sunday 7th October