Chris Chibnall says he's done with Doctor Who: "Absolutely never again!"
Don't expect Chibnall to follow in Russell T Davies' footsteps.
It's soon to be the end of an era for Doctor Who, as showrunner Chris Chibnall and his Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, leave the show.
Chibnall is to be replaced by Russell T Davies, who returns to the show after previously stewarding it through its revival from 2005 to 2010.
Davies' return has, of course, got people asking who else could return to the sci-fi in future, but in an interview with this week's Radio Times magazine, Chibnall has made his position on a potential comeback for himself very clear.
He said: "Absolutely never again! Clear red line, final script. I never expected to come back after working with Steven [Moffat], really, and I’d turned it down a couple of times after that.
"I never thought I’d be offered the job and built into that is why I wanted to keep it to a very specific three-series thing.
"Supervising teenagers’ revision is taking up my time now and there’s lots of other things to write! I will happily sit back and watch. For all that it’s been gorgeous all along, now it’s like, 'Oh I remember this. This is what real life is like!'"
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Chibnall spoke to Radio Times magazine with his penultimate episode, Legend of the Sea Devils, set to air on Sunday.
In the interview, Chibnall also shared what former showrunner Moffat had said to him before he left: “Steven told me, ‘I miss the work, but I don’t miss the workload. That’s where I’m heading towards.”
Chibnall's time on the show is set to end with the Centenary Special later this year, in which Jodie Whittaker will regenerate into the as-yet-unknown Fourteenth Doctor.
The new issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale on Tuesday (12th April). Subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door, and for more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.
Doctor Who: Legend of the Sea Devils airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 7:10pm on Sunday 17th April. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.