The BBC makes a “Key” announcement about the 13th Doctor!

With a flair for the bravado, the BBC released a video on Twitter with the single line “It’s Almost Time” and  #DoctorWho.  The video begins with a shot of what looks like a granite monument almost reminiscent the iconic monolith of “2001 A Space Odyssey”, but this looks more like a dark shadow of the TARDIS.

At the top of this monument, enclosed in a golden ring, is the TARDIS Key, an item as iconic as the TARDIS herself. For the actor playing The Doctor, on many occasions as he has changed it is often said they have not taken on the role but they have been “handed the key to the TARDIS” and now the BBC is presenting a video that seems to do it literally. Beyond the actor, the series itself has made this icon be connected to some defining “key” moments.

The 9th Doctor tries to retrieve the missing TARDIS using the key’s link to it in “Father’s Day”; the 10th Doctor makes giving the key to companion Martha as the moment he decides to take on a new “frequent flyer” after the loss of Rose; the 11th Doctor holds the key up for the Victorian Clara Oswald inviting her along with the line “I never know why, I only know who.”; and in a dark twist, modern day Clara assumes she wields the key to controlling the 12th Doctor as she stands on a volcano holding The Doctor’s life in her hand. (And this is just a small handful of the moments.)

The TARDIS lives

Frequent Flyer Privilege

I Only Know Who

The Doctor’s Life

This key is so iconic that at the soon to be closed Doctor Who Experience one of the items in the special admission merchandise package is an Official Companion Key in a special case.  (I have two!)

Doctor Who Experience Key

 

 

 

 

At the end, the Key dematerializes with the announcement that on Sunday, July 16th – after the key event of the  Wimbledon Men’s Final – the BBC will reveal to the world WHOse hand the Key has materialized into.

Here is the BBC Official Twitter