A new trailer for the upcoming season of “Doctor Who” is a helpful primer for those who have never seen the cult sci-fi series. “When people need help, I never refuse,” the title character explains. Twelve men have played the Doctor in previous seasons. For the first-time ever, a woman is playing the time-traveling extraterrestrial being. Footage for the new season sees “Broadchurch” alumna Jodie Whittaker stepping into the iconic role.

“I’m just a traveler. Sometimes I see things need fixing, do what I can,” the Doctor explains. But not everyone is ready for her leadership. We see one character questioning why she’s being asked for advice — likely a nod to the sexist trolls that objected to Whittaker’s casting — but others quickly shut him down and explain that she’s the one in charge.

“Doctor Who” returns to BBC October 7. Things look different behind-the-scenes of the show this season, too. Two of the five writers (40 percent) are women, as are two of the four directors — a dramatic improvement from previous years, where men vastly outnumbered women.