Jodie Whittaker WILL get a Doctor Who Christmas special after all
There had been rumours that the BBC were scrapping the Time Lord’s seasonal adventures
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2...ial-after-all/
By Huw Fullerton
Thursday, 19th July 2018 at 7:02 pm
In some unseasonably festive good news for Whovians, it has been confirmed that 2018 WILL see a Doctor Who Christmas special come to BBC1, following previous rumours that the now-traditional Yuletide sci-fi story was being scrapped for Jodie Whittaker’s first run.
New showrunner Chris Chibnall confirmed the return of the special at San Diego Comic-Con, also revealing that the episode will come in addition to the already-announced 10 episodes, meaning we’re getting even more Doctor Who than we expected in 2018..
Ever since Who returned to screens in 2005 the Doctor Who Christmas special has been a linchpin in the BBC’s seasonal schedule, with every year of the series’ return marked by a festive escapade for the Time Lord right up until last December, when the 2017 special introduced Jodie Whittaker’s new Thirteenth Doctor for the very first time.
However, despite this pedigree fans had become worried that the Christmas specials could be scrapped under new series boss Chibnall, especially after no seasonal episode was announced within the new series’ 10-episode order.
This, plus the falling ratings for the extended episodes led some viewers to wonder if Who was struggling to maintain the specials, a worry only strengthened when previous showrunner Steven Moffat suggested the slot was a big challenge after 13 years of Christmas stories.
“I think it was a brilliant idea [in 2005] and it lasted a very, very long time,” the screenwriter told RadioTimes.com last year.
“I sort of think we might have mined and possibly over mined every single thing we could about Christmas in Doctor Who and the last time we more or less ignored it.”
Still, now those fears have been vanquished – and given that the new series is set to air this autumn, fans will probably end up with the shortest wait ever between series finale and Christmas special in Doctor Who history. Just call it an extra Christmas present.
Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor on the cover of the Radio Times magazine
Radio Times’ special Doctor Who preview issue, featuring exclusive interviews, pictures and behind-the-scenes secrets, is on sale now
Exclusive: Doctor Who series 11 won't feature any two-part stories
It's 10 standalone adventures for Jodie Whittaker and friends.
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-...o-two-parters/ © BBC / BBC Studios
By Morgan Jeffery
19 July 2018
There's more change afoot for Doctor Who – the new series of the BBC sci-fi saga won't feature any two-part stories, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.
The decision's been made by new showrunner Chris Chibnall as a way of making the 10-part run – starring Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor – as accessible to audiences as possible.
"It's 10 standalone episodes, there's no two-parters or anything like that," Chibnall told us during an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
"What we want is for people to feel like we've got the range and variety of Doctor Who this year. So if you've never seen it before, you're gonna fall in love with it, and if you have seen it, you're gonna get those things that you love about the show across the 10 episodes."
© BBC Pictures
Related: Doctor Who season 11 trailer drops – and it's definitely whet our appetite
Following reports that the new Doctor Who would be crafted in a writers' room set-up, Chibnall confirmed that the writing of the 10 episodes was "a big group endeavour" with "a lot of new writers to the show" working "in a very collaborative way", in a blend between "the British way of working and the American way".
But while the new series will bring plenty of changes – new writers, a new cast, a new composer and more – Chibnall insisted that he's simply bringing us "a new era, not a clean slate".
Those comments were echoed by new Doctor Who regulars Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, playing the Doctor's friends Ryan and Yaz. "It's picking up where it left off and just making minor adjustments to it, to make it more enjoyable for the audience," said Cole. "Like, now we're shooting on anamorphic lenses, so that gives it a whole new cinematic feel."
© BBC / BBC Studios
Related: Doctor Who's 2018 Christmas special might have just been confirmed
"But it also will always relate to the old fans from before," insisted Gill. "They're not left out. There's still a way in [for them]. It's just we're going on a different journey, in a different direction."
"That formula's still there," echoed Cole. "It's still Doctor Who, just with a little sauce on it!"
"It's a continuation," Chibnall picked up. "It's like in the same way that [Jon Pertwee's 1970 debut] 'Spearhead from Space' is a continuation of [Patrick Troughton's 1969 swansong] 'The War Games' – it's something different, but exactly the same.
"It's really important that there's no barrier to entry for new audiences. But if you're a Doctor Who fan, all the things you love about Doctor Who are in there, I think."
Doctor Who will return to BBC One this autumn. Stay tuned to Digital Spy for more news direct from Comic-Con International in San Diego.
There had been rumours that the BBC were scrapping the Time Lord’s seasonal adventures
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2...ial-after-all/
By Huw Fullerton
Thursday, 19th July 2018 at 7:02 pm
In some unseasonably festive good news for Whovians, it has been confirmed that 2018 WILL see a Doctor Who Christmas special come to BBC1, following previous rumours that the now-traditional Yuletide sci-fi story was being scrapped for Jodie Whittaker’s first run.
New showrunner Chris Chibnall confirmed the return of the special at San Diego Comic-Con, also revealing that the episode will come in addition to the already-announced 10 episodes, meaning we’re getting even more Doctor Who than we expected in 2018..
Ever since Who returned to screens in 2005 the Doctor Who Christmas special has been a linchpin in the BBC’s seasonal schedule, with every year of the series’ return marked by a festive escapade for the Time Lord right up until last December, when the 2017 special introduced Jodie Whittaker’s new Thirteenth Doctor for the very first time.
However, despite this pedigree fans had become worried that the Christmas specials could be scrapped under new series boss Chibnall, especially after no seasonal episode was announced within the new series’ 10-episode order.
This, plus the falling ratings for the extended episodes led some viewers to wonder if Who was struggling to maintain the specials, a worry only strengthened when previous showrunner Steven Moffat suggested the slot was a big challenge after 13 years of Christmas stories.
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“I think it was a brilliant idea [in 2005] and it lasted a very, very long time,” the screenwriter told RadioTimes.com last year.
“I sort of think we might have mined and possibly over mined every single thing we could about Christmas in Doctor Who and the last time we more or less ignored it.”
Still, now those fears have been vanquished – and given that the new series is set to air this autumn, fans will probably end up with the shortest wait ever between series finale and Christmas special in Doctor Who history. Just call it an extra Christmas present.
Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor on the cover of the Radio Times magazine
Radio Times’ special Doctor Who preview issue, featuring exclusive interviews, pictures and behind-the-scenes secrets, is on sale now
Exclusive: Doctor Who series 11 won't feature any two-part stories
It's 10 standalone adventures for Jodie Whittaker and friends.
http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-...o-two-parters/ © BBC / BBC Studios
By Morgan Jeffery
19 July 2018
There's more change afoot for Doctor Who – the new series of the BBC sci-fi saga won't feature any two-part stories, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.
The decision's been made by new showrunner Chris Chibnall as a way of making the 10-part run – starring Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor – as accessible to audiences as possible.
"It's 10 standalone episodes, there's no two-parters or anything like that," Chibnall told us during an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
"What we want is for people to feel like we've got the range and variety of Doctor Who this year. So if you've never seen it before, you're gonna fall in love with it, and if you have seen it, you're gonna get those things that you love about the show across the 10 episodes."
© BBC Pictures
Related: Doctor Who season 11 trailer drops – and it's definitely whet our appetite
Following reports that the new Doctor Who would be crafted in a writers' room set-up, Chibnall confirmed that the writing of the 10 episodes was "a big group endeavour" with "a lot of new writers to the show" working "in a very collaborative way", in a blend between "the British way of working and the American way".
But while the new series will bring plenty of changes – new writers, a new cast, a new composer and more – Chibnall insisted that he's simply bringing us "a new era, not a clean slate".
Those comments were echoed by new Doctor Who regulars Tosin Cole and Mandip Gill, playing the Doctor's friends Ryan and Yaz. "It's picking up where it left off and just making minor adjustments to it, to make it more enjoyable for the audience," said Cole. "Like, now we're shooting on anamorphic lenses, so that gives it a whole new cinematic feel."
© BBC / BBC Studios
Related: Doctor Who's 2018 Christmas special might have just been confirmed
"But it also will always relate to the old fans from before," insisted Gill. "They're not left out. There's still a way in [for them]. It's just we're going on a different journey, in a different direction."
"That formula's still there," echoed Cole. "It's still Doctor Who, just with a little sauce on it!"
"It's a continuation," Chibnall picked up. "It's like in the same way that [Jon Pertwee's 1970 debut] 'Spearhead from Space' is a continuation of [Patrick Troughton's 1969 swansong] 'The War Games' – it's something different, but exactly the same.
"It's really important that there's no barrier to entry for new audiences. But if you're a Doctor Who fan, all the things you love about Doctor Who are in there, I think."
Doctor Who will return to BBC One this autumn. Stay tuned to Digital Spy for more news direct from Comic-Con International in San Diego.
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