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Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey: New season of 'Doctor Who' coming faster than a speeding TARDIS

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Author: 
Andrew Warren / TV Media
Jodie Whittaker stars in "Doctor Who"

Jodie Whittaker stars in "Doctor Who"

Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey: It may not even have a release date yet, but news about the upcoming 11th season of one of Britain's most famous exports has been flowing across the pond so rapidly that fans of the series could be forgiven for feeling like they need a TARDIS to keep up. Hold onto your colorful scarves -- "Doctor Who" returns to BBC America this fall with more changes than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at.

Of course, the biggest change is that the Doctor himself -- make that HERself -- has regenerated. When the time-traveling alien dies, he regenerates a new body and personality, but with all of his memories intact, and until now, all 12 incarnations have been men. It's a clever way to explain new actors taking over the role within the series' continuity, and for the first time ever, a woman will be portraying the legendary Time Lord.

English Actress Jodie Whittaker ("Broadchurch") has taken over the iconic role from Peter Capaldi ("Paddington," 2014), and the iconic alien's gender-swap shouldn't be a big surprise: it's been established in the series' lore that Time Lords, the Doctor's alien species, are able to change genders when they regenerate, something that's even been seen on-screen.

Of course, the new Doctor won't be traveling through time and space alone. Three new companions will be joining her on her adventures, with Bradley Walsh ("Coronation Street"), Mandip Gill ("Hollyoaks") and Tosin Cole ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens," 2015) all hopping into the time-traveling blue box with Whittaker.

The new Doctor and new companions are just the most visible changes incoming. The sci-fi series has a new showrunner and head writer in Chris Chibnall ("Torchwood"), a new composer in Segun Akinola ("Black and British: A Forgotten History") and even a new logo.

It's a lot of change, but for Whovians ("Doctor Who" fans), a new Doctor is always an exciting time. "Doctor Who" returns to BBC America this fall.

 

Teens' time: Teens spend most of their days being told what to do, with teachers, parents and other authority figures running the show, but once a year the youth get a chance to have their say in the entertainment industry. The Teen Choice Awards are that opportunity, and this year the awards show is being held Sunday, Aug. 12, on Fox.

Comedian and rapper Nick Cannon, the former host of "America's Got Talent," co-hosts this year's ceremony alongside Instagram and YouTube celebrity Lele Pons ("Scream"), who's up for three awards including Choice Female Web Star and Choice YouTuber.

With dozens of categories, all of which had their nominees voted on by teens across America, there's going to be a lot of star power out for the show. The awards celebrate the year's best -- as chosen by teens -- in film, music, comedy, sport, fashion and online entertainment.

Some of the year's biggest movies are up for the prize in their respective categories, with "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) and "Pacific Rim: Uprising" (2018) battling for supremacy against three other nominees for the Choice Action Movie crown, while "Black Panther" (2018) and "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) take on their own challengers in the Choice Sci-Fi Movie category.

As for television, K.J. Apa takes on his "Riverdale" co-star Cole Sprouse and three other challengers for the prize in the Choice Drama TV Actor category, while their fellow "Riverdale" stars Camila Mendes and Lili Reinhart do the same in the Choice Drama TV Actress category.

With music, fashion and so many more movie and TV categories up for grabs, this year's Teen Choice Awards has something for everyone -- even people a little too old or too young to have participated in the voting. This year's ceremony can be watched Sunday, Aug. 12, on Fox.

 

The end: The end of humanity is in the works at FX -- at least, the end for half of us. A pilot for a TV adaptation of acclaimed comic book series "Y: The Last Man" is well underway at the network and an impressive cast has been assembled to bring the project to life on the screen.

Barry Keoghan ("Dunkirk," 2017) has been cast as Yorick, the last man alive on an Earth that has seen a mysterious plague wipe out not only men, but all male mammals -- except for him and his pet monkey, Ampersand. The cause of the plague, and the reason for his and Ampersand's survival, are two of the story's central mysteries.

Amber Tamblyn ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," 2005) has also been cast as the U.S. president's daughter, a young woman groomed for a political career and who's now dealing with the fallout from the mysterious plague. Diane Lane ("Under the Tuscan Sun," 2003), Imogen Poots ("28 Weeks Later," 2007) and Marin Ireland ("Homeland") help round out the cast.

The series is still in the pilot stage, but with the acclaim earned by its source material "Y: The Last Man" may wind up being a winner for FX.