Jodie Whittaker & Showrunner Exiting Doctor Who in 2019 According to Report
Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall may be leaving
Doctor Who in 2019. The classic BBC show went through quite a lot of changes this year, as Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor, and Chibnall stepped in as executive producer for season 11. Chibnall had previously written for older seasons of the show, starting with the episode titled "
42" in season 3. Whittaker on the other hand, first started working on the show for season 11 in the episode "Twice Upon a Time".
While the eleventh season has gotten small criticisms, such as
not including a Christmas Special and having the
Doctor call her co-travelers "friends" rather than companions, the new season has been doing fantastic with fans and critics. Whittaker's first appearance as the Doctor set the record for being the
most-watched modern debut of a Doctor, and has also been getting
record-breaking reviews. Despite some people being
concerned about the Doctor being a woman, the show has so far proven critics wrong and gone on to be a success. That being said, the success with Whittaker and Chibnall may not last long.
According to
Comic Book, a report from the British sci-fi magazine
Starburst is indicating that Chibnall will leave
Doctor Who, since he doesn't like how the show is being run behind-the-scenes. The report also claims that if Chibnall departs from the series, Whittaker will go with him due to their prior working relationship on the program
Broadchurch. The fansite
Outpost Skaro is also reporting that Chibnall will only be working on a handful of episodes in season 12 if BBC is able to find another showrunner. While these reports aren't impossible to believe, they should be taken as rumors since Chibnall, Whittaker, and BBC have yet to comment.