Doctor Who was filming near you

Season 11 of Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction show, was partly shot in South Africa.

For three weeks in January this year, the hit series was filmed with Out of Africa Entertainment, a local production company that has serviced an impressive list of international TV series.

“The crew over there are extraordinary,” says Jodie Whittaker, Doctor Who’s thirteenth doctor. “We were so well looked after.”

Doctor Who moved from winter in Sheffield to the peak of South African summer – during a drought.

“It was amazing,” says Whittaker. “It was January and it was freezing in the UK and boiling in South Africa.”

So hot that Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), who plays Ryan Sinclair, one of the doctor’s new friends, got sunstroke.

“I was really sick. Sunburnt as well,” he adds. “It was hot.”

This was particularly challenging because of their wardrobe.

“I was wearing a Barbour jacket and a scarf in that heat,” says Bradley Walsh (Law & Order: UK), who plays Graham O’Brien, another of the Doctor’s new friends.

“We said, ‘We’ve got to take these off. And costume designer Ray Holdman said ‘Remember where you’re going after this, back to Wales. Night shoots. If you take this off now in this scene, you’ve got to have it off in the next scene too [for continuity]. And it’ll be cold. So think about it’. So we just had to sweat.”

Doctor Who has won over 100 awards in its 55-year run and is at #100 on IMDB’s list of the top-rated TV of all time, with an 8.7/10 rating. The first episode of season 11 is now streaming only on Showmax in South Africa, with new episodes every Monday.

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