Fans have hailed the long-awaited first look at Doctor Who’s first-ever female Doctor as a bold new era – in pure entertainment.

“The best thing about the new Doctor Who trailer is that it’s quite clear, for the first time in eight years, the show is no longer up its own arse,” tweeted London producer Andi McLellan.

“It’s for everyone once again. Hooray!”

Said another happy viewer, Doctor Who “feels accessible again.”

Released on Friday, the teaser trailer to the 11th season is a history-making moment, giving fans their best look at Jodie Whittaker helming her own show as the Time Lord.

And yes, she’s wielding a sonic screwdriver.

The Broadchurch star, who debuted at the end of last year’s Doctor Who Christmas special with the outgoing Peter Capaldi, is the first woman to step into the TARDIS as boss in the iconic sci-fi show’s 55-year history.

Given that, it’s fitting the trailer is all about new, new, new, and shows the Doctor recruiting companions: Graham (Bradley Walsh), Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), and Yasmin Khan (Mandip Gill.)

“All of this is new to me,” Whittaker says.

“New faces. New worlds. New times. So, if I asked – really, really nicely – would you be my new best friends?”

She adds, “Right. This is going to be fun.”

Watch the new Doctor Who trailer below:

Perhaps the most curious aspect of the clip is that it provides little footage of the new monsters promised by writer Chris Chibnall, or the TARDIS.

The final scene of the Christmas special showed Whittaker falling to earth as the interior of her time-travel capsule disguised as a police box burned and took off without her.

Last year’s casting of Whittaker, 36, created controversy among fans drawing congratulation but also condemnation, with allegations the show was dumping tradition for “political correctness”.

The actress said the significance of playing the Doctor is not lost on her.

“I’m not dismissing this moment at all. But the wonderful thing about this is playing an alien – boys and girls can do that,” Whittaker said.

“When I was growing up it wasn’t the case; as a girl you’d tend to be a sidekick.”

Since the show’s reboot in 2005, Doctor Who has starred a series of strong and resilient females who travel with the Doctor in the TARDIS.

But these women have largely followed the same script.

The Doctor plucks them from their dismal life – as a girl working in shop, a kissogram or as a temp – and whisks them off through time and space.

Inevitably it ends poorly for the companion who either dies, becomes trapped in the past or a parallel universe, or loses her memory of all their adventures and reverts back to her old self.

But Whittaker also said the debate is irrelevant to the character since a Time Lord is long-lived species that regenerates to change appearance, personality and now their gender.

“The wonderful thing about the Doctor is I’m playing an alien, so all those details are irrelevant,” she said.

Also new about Season 11: no Daleks, according to one fan.

BREAKING NEWS: Say goodbye to the Daleks! Chris Chibnall has just confirmed the Daleks will not be appearing in Series 11 as he wants to focus on new monsters. #DoctorWho #SDCC #JodieWhittaker pic.twitter.com/lwTgAmaLO7

— Doctor Who Page (@dwpageofficial) July 19, 2018

Season 11 of Doctor Who is expected to be released in October 2018.

-with ABC