Chris Chibnall: Doctor Who's new budget will be "massive leap forward"

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Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Chibnall explained: "It’s actually an expectation [rather than a hope] and a delight in thinking, for Russell to be able to visualise everything in his imagination and to have bigger freedom to do that is a really, really exciting thing.

"I think you would generally say, for anybody who's ever written, directed, produced, even acted in Doctor Who, the biggest tension on the show is the tension between what you see in your imagination and what you can deliver on screen and so for now, for us to be in a new era, where you've got a budget to deliver the thing that you want to deliver, to go to the places, to do the CG, to do all of that, that is such a massive leap forward and it's part of the really exciting bit of new era.

"So that's the excitement, to go OK, Russell with a huge budget, the budget he's always deserved, and the show has always deserved – you could not have a more exciting moment. And then my hope for it is that it becomes the biggest show in the world because it deserves to be.

"I think it does something that the Marvel shows can't do, it does something that Star Wars can't do. So to see it out there on Disney Plus, in the world. I hope the world takes it to its heart.

"You've got one of the greatest writers in the world writing it, you've got one of the greatest actors doing the specials and then you've got one of the other greatest actors in the world coming in to be the new Doctor with Ncuti Gatwa. So the hope is it becomes as beloved around the world as it is in Britain and always has been in Britain."

Davies previously addressed rumours about the budget, debunking reports that it has risen to the heights of £10 million.

He told Doctor Who Magazine: "That has been exaggerated. If that was the budget, I'd be speaking to you from my base on the Moon.

"That is not the budget, and I worry that misinformation like that creates false expectation. Nonetheless, we have a lovely, handsome budget, and we're very happy with how we're proceeding with it."

Doctor Who's first 60th anniversary special The Star Beast airs at 6:30pm on Saturday 25th November on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Classic episodes are available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.

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