BBCDoctor Who fans, meet your new TV best friend!
Pearl Mackie has been announced by the BBC as the Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) new companion, replacing Jenna Coleman, who left the series in December.
The theatre actress, who most recently appeared in the West End production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, will play a character named Bill, who she describes as "cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in."
Capaldi praised his new costar, saying, "It is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to Doctor Who. A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she's a refreshing addition to the Tardis and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to The Doctor's adventures."
Mackie, who is also a trained singer and dancer, joins a long list of actors who have played companion to the legendary time-traveling alien, including Coleman, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Freema Agyeman, Katherine Tate, and Billie Piper.
Ever since the long-running show was rebooted in 2005, companions typically stick around for no more than three seasons before moving on from the show. When we last saw Coleman's character, Clara Oswald, she was sailing off in her own time-traveling Tardis with guest star Maisie Williams to travel the universe before returning to the eventual time of her death.
While the show seems to be in a constant state of shake-up, that will be especially true over the next couple seasons as showrunner Steven Moffat exits after season 10 and Capaldi may also be exiting, since his contract is up after one more year.
Capaldi took over from previous Doctor Matt Smith in 2013, and has now been in charge of the Tardis for two seasons, but as of December, he wasn't sure if he would stick around past season 10.
"This could be my final year—it's terrifying," he told The Telegraph. "I love Doctor Who but it can be quite an insular world and I want to do other things. There will come a time when this is over. But I knew that when I started."
Moffat, on the other hand, confirmed his exit, saying "my timey-wimy is running out," and praising incoming showrunner, Broadchurch's Chris Chibnall. "I am beyond delighted that one of the true stars of British Television drama will be taking the Time Lord even further into the future."
Chibnall will take over from Moffat at the start of season 11 in 2018.
Season 10, meanwhile, will begin production later this year but won't air on BBC America until 2017. You can get a sneak peek at Mackie in action with Capaldi on the BBC site.