Chris Chibnall, former showrunner of Doctor Who, has said he remains “super proud” of the Thirteenth Doctor era.

The writer, who helmed the lion’s share of Jodie Whittaker’s time as the Time Lord, said:

“We had such a great time making it. I’m so proud of the stories we told and the people we worked with, and of Jodie’s Doctor and the companions and all the writers we brought in and the things we did with the show that were new. I really feel super-proud of it.”

He was even positive about the audience response, explaining that he’d prepared for some controversy:

“We knew that going in. You don’t cast the first female Doctor if you’re thinking you’re going to go in and just do the same as has been done before.”

Jodie’s era was met with a decidedly mixed reaction — and that’s quite generous. Indeed, Chibnall introduced elements that remain highly divisive, notably the Timeless Child thread which saw the Doctor elevated to the status of immortal god, essentially the founder of Time Lord society as she was experimented on as a child to give them regeneration, and her origins put into question once more.

And it’s a curious quote. On one hand, if he had stuck with things that had been done before, Doctor Who might’ve been more warmly welcomed, i.e. the Doctor just fighting baddies and being a force for good while connecting with humans thanks to companions; on the other… he did do a lot of things that had been done before anyway, like destroying Gallifrey and the Time Lords, making the Master barking mad again, and, in Yasmin Khan, having the Doctor form a tenuous romantic relationship.

Still, it’s good to know that Chibnall remains content with his tenure as showrunner, especially seeing as he’d been a Doctor Who fan since he was a kid.

We’re sure the comments section is going to be quiet and harmonious on this issue.