Chris Chibnall expects Russell T Davies to “ignore” his changes to Doctor Who

By Huw Fullerton

Published: Monday, 11 April 2022 at 12:00 am

Outgoing Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall has almost finished with the BBC sci-fi series, with just this week’s Easter special and a centenary episode this autumn to go before he and star Jodie Whittaker hand in their TARDIS keys.

And Chibnall was in a reflective mood when he recently caught up with Radio Times, looking back on his time making the show as well as the sometimes-controversial changes he made to Doctor Who “lore” (including a new backstory for Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord).

“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,” Chibnall says in the new edition of the Radio Times in an exclusive extended interview.

“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.”

Of course, we know the next showrunner taking over is none other than former series boss Russell T Davies – and Chibnall says he already knows which way the wind is blowing.

“Oh, I fully expect Russell to ignore it!” he laughs.

More generally, Chibnall heaps praise on Davies for returning to steer the Doctor Who ship once more, over a decade after he originally stepped back from showrunning duties.

“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.