By James Hibbs

Published: Thursday, 12 May 2022 at 12:00 am


All thoughts may currently be on Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor after he was announced to be taking over the iconic role, but Jodie Whittaker still has one last episode of Doctor Who coming up, currently known only as the centenary special.

We already know a fair few details about the special, including the return of some old and new friends (and foes!) but one thing we weren’t sure of was just how long it would be – something returning showrunner Russell T Davies has now seemingly revealed.

Speaking to The Sun Showbiz, Davies said that it was too soon to give many details about Gatwa’s run because Whittaker is still the Doctor.

He continued: “She’s got an enormous finale, epic finale, 90-minute finale in October. We’re polite gentlemen, it’s only right and fair to shut up. 2023, you’ll be fed up of us, we’ll be everywhere, but until then, we bow to Jodie and love her and step back.”

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Russell T Davies
Getty

Departing executive producer Matt Strevens had previously called the special “a massive, feature-length epic – it was huge to shoot – with lots of surprises for fans of all ages”.

He added: “Jodie gets a really good send-off. I think it will push everybody’s buttons.”

If Davies is indeed correct and the special is 90 minutes, this would make it far longer than a standard episode – in comparison, this year’s Easter special Legend of the Sea Devils clocked in at 50 minutes.

Only time will tell exactly how long the final cut of the episode is and how it plays out – for now, all we can do is rewatch the trailer and speculate about what’s to come.

You can also read our list of the best episodes to watch before the centenary special.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.

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