RUMOUR: What’s next for Doctor Who? Well, it doesn’t look good… probably

We are all aware that series 13 of Doctor Who is currently filming in Wales (more on that shortly) and that one of our favourite comedians John Bishop is joining the team as Dan (here) but if this new set of rumours turns out to be true, then that could be the end of the good news for the series.

A new set of rumours, from a source we trust but who wants to remain anonymous, seems to be pointing towards a bumpy road ahead for the 13th series, with potentially a lengthy – like, really lengthy – hiatus afterwards.

So, before I go ahead, allow me to repeat that, while I’m confident a lot, if not all, of this will pan out, at the moment it must be treated as rumour.

Ready?

Ok, let’s get into it.

Possibly due to that damned virus, this series will be a shorter adventure, with six episodes and two specials stretching out from late 2021 to early 2022.

It seems that, to the delight of many fans, Chris Chibnall will be stepping down at the end of this series. It’s also likely Jodie Whitaker is done too – although I maintain that Whitaker deserved a better shot at the role.

Sadly, at the minute there’s no plans for the series to continue beyond 13, so there will be an unresolved regeneration at the end of the series – potentially never being resolved.

Next year marks the 60th Anniversary of the series and, at the minute, it looks like there will be a special, but it won’t resolve the regeneration but rather will feature a past Doctor and will be a story set somewhere in the character’s past. My money, on a personal note, is on the Doctor either being Paul McGann or actress Jo Martin, left.

McGann would the absolute fan-favourite choice as the actor only got two chances to play the character on screen – in Doctor Who: The Movie and in the short Night of the Doctor, below.

Martin played the Doctor in Fugitive of the Judoon and then The Timeless Children –  she is a black actress and played a past incarnation of the character who the Doctor, as we know the character, has not been aware of before. Her episodes were among the only good ones in Chibnall’s era on the show and her story would certainly be one to lend itself to a standalone adventure.

We’re also hearing that after series 13, the show’s history with Wales is likely to come to an end.

So, let me be honest here… I love Doctor Who but I feel that the last few seasons have been poorly written, boring history lessons that failed to capture any of the magic or excitement that the show is known for. I like Jodie Whitaker and feel she could have been a cracking Doctor and deserved so much better than she got.

Now, on the plus side, I think a legacy 60th Anniversary Special is a great opportunity, especially to bring back McGann and give the fans – and the actor who has made a career out of playing the role on the Big Finish adventures – what they have wanted since 1996 when the movie hit our TV screens. And no, that’s not a slight on Jo Martin –  I actually enjoyed her in the role and feel she needs to be explored more in the series… it just looks like the show has gone so far downhill that it may never happen. Unless Big Finish can step in and take over that massive bit of Who lore.

But, while I do think Doctor Who needs a fresh slap of paint and a new approach – like it had in 20o5 – I don’t like the idea of the show ending on a cliffhanger with no plan to return.

Man, BBC just doesn’t deserve this show.

Anyway, that’s what we’re hearing, so let’s speculate on this lot.

The Day of the Doctor 50th Anniversay Special: