Outgoing Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall is confident that incoming showrunner Russell T Davies will ignore his changes to the series’ lore. This will come as a relief to many fans who have questioned some of Chibnall’s choices, the Timeless Child storyline being one of them.
Chibnall has almost completed his stint as Doctor Who showrunner with just the centenary episode to go. In an interview with Radio Times, he reflected on his time on the series and the changes he made.
“You’re not carrying a vase across a room – you’ve got to get in there and say what you want about the show, the character and the world.”
“It’s one of the few drama series without a written bible, and every era contains a contradiction or left-turn from what has come before. Any future showrunner will ignore it or run with it.”
Regarding the specific outcome he was expecting from Davies – who helmed the first five years of Doctor Who’s revival in 2005 – Chibnall jokingly responded, “Oh, I fully expect Russell to ignore it!”
Fans may recall that former showrunner Steven Moffatt had cause to roll back on his own changes to series lore when it came to the Doctor’s regenerations.
Chibnall praises Davies for returning to helm the Doctor Who series once more, over a decade after he initially stepped down as showrunner.
Everybody should have a big smile on their face,” he says. “Russell is one of the elite showrunners, and Who is very lucky to have him, especially off the back of It’s a Sin, one of the greatest shows of all time.
For him to have incredible ideas and passion for it, to want to take it forward again – that’s fab. Nobody has a greater love for Doctor Who.”
He summed up his time on the series, saying: “I’ve absolutely loved it. It’s such a privilege. Few people have done it, and you’re standing in the footsteps of those people across 60 years now.”
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