Despite assurances to the contrary, the BBC has now confirmed that Doctor Who Series 12 won’t air until 2020.
You’ll be forgiven for feeling deflated here, especially after Chris Chibnall reportedly having a five-year plan for the series; it’s not entirely unreasonable to suggest that plan is for three series across half a decade.
Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content said:
“We’re delighted that the Doctor and her friends will be returning to thrill audiences in 2020. I know Chris and the whole team are already working on a whole new set of exciting adventures. In the meantime we’ve got a very special episode on New Year’s Day for everyone to enjoy.”
Chibnall added:
“We’re off again! Well we never actually stopped – as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we’ve been busy with a whole new set of action packed adventures for the Thirteenth Doctor. We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can’t wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!”
You might also be annoyed because rumour had it that Series 12 would be delayed, but the BBC poo-pooed this notion soon after. If it helps, BBC, there are plenty of writers here who would be only too happy to submit a script. Directors? Yeah, we can rustle some up too. In fact, why not look to other shows? The ones that get a whole series each year? I’m sure they can demonstrate how a proper production operates. (Please excuse our exasperation here, DWC readers…)
This means that, as with 2016, only one episode of Doctor Who will air in 2019 – the New Year’s Day special, named Resolution. You can see that on 1st January 2019 at 7pm on BBC1.
Don’t worry, folks – the DWC will be here to give you your daily fix of Doctor Who throughout 2019 and beyond. We’ll have news, reviews, and features covering all of Doctor Who. Stay tuned!