It’s been about a year since we’ve seen any newDoctor Whoepisodes, but that will change soon.The Return of Doctor Mysterio, this year’sDoctor WhoChristmas special, airs next month, and will once again seePeter Capaldireturn as the Doctor. But the upcoming tenth season may very well be his last, according to a new rumor.
British gossip siteThe Mirroris reporting that BBC may want to move in a very different direction withDoctor Whofollowing season 10. ShowrunnerSteven Moffatwill be leaving the show after the upcoming season andBroadchurchshowrunnerChris Chibnallwill be taking over the reigns. That being the case, The Mirror is reporting that the BBC wants to have a “clean slate” with a new, younger Doctor. Season 11 will also reportedly feature a new companion as well. Here is what the unnamed source told the publication.
“BBC management wants a return to the format from the David Tennant era, when you had a dashing male lead and young female companion. Merchandising has dropped off sharply in recent years and there is a strong desire to boost the show’s popularity among kids.”
Doctor Whoexploded in popularity during theDavid Tennantyears and remained insanely popular thoughMatt Smith’s run. Season 10 will be the third to featurePeter Capaldi, who is not quite as young and apparently “dashing,” in the eyes of the BBC. So after season 10 they may be wanting to move on and get themselves a classically handsome Doctor so they can slap his face on some merchandise for Hot Topic to sell.
Three seasons is a reasonable run for the Doctor, so even if this is true, it isn’t as thoughPeter Capaldiwill have had a bad run as the famedTime Lord. That said, it would be very unfortunate if he is getting pushed out for reasons such as those cited by this source. It is also worth mentioning thatPearl Mackie, who is taking overcompanionduties for season 10 ofDoctor who, reportedly only signed a one-year deal, so it would be pretty easy to replace her heading into season 11 as well.
The Mirror is a big time gossip site, so none of what is being said in this report should be taken as gospel. Not only that, butDoctor Whoseason 10 still has to air andBBCneeds to see how it is received before making any huge decisions. If this does wind up being true, speculation will surely begin somewhat soon as to who will be playing the next Doctor. Are you ready for aPeter Capaldiregeneration? Or would you like another season or two with the 12th Doctor?
