Chris Chibnall reveals "least favourite" Doctor Who script as showrunner
And it's not just because of the catchy title...
When Doctor Who aired its season 11 finale back in December 2018, bringing an end to Jodie Whittaker’s first season as the 13th Time Lord, some viewers were left unimpressed.
Titled The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos, the episode was billed as an epic conclusion for the Doctor as she and her companions went to great lengths to prevent deadly beams from destroying the Earth.
However, the return of season opener villain Tim Shaw, and a lack of plot resolution, left some viewers disgruntled.
And it turns out that Doctor Who followers weren’t the only ones disappointed by the season 11 finale.
In a recent interview with Doctor Who Magazine, outgoing showrunner Chris Chibnall revealed it was his “least favourite” script from his tenure in charge.
“Particularly in that first series, I spent a lot of time helping other writers. We had some problems towards the end and I had to go back and do some big rewrites,” he explained.
“Which meant that the version of episode 10 [The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos] that we filmed was a first draft. But I just didn’t have time to do a second draft. It didn’t feel enough like a season finale, and that was entirely down to time."
He continued: "So that’s my least favourite script of mine. But I really attacked Resolution, so hopefully I made up for it with that one.”
Chibnall is set to be replaced by returning Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies, who is making a comeback to the show after previously stewarding it through its revival from 2005 to 2010.
Davies’ return has, of course, got fans wondering whether Chibnall might return to the sci-fi series one day, but in a recent interview with Radio Times magazine, Chibnall made his position on a potential comeback crystal 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."
He continued: "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!'"
In Radio Times interview, Chibnall also echoed former showrunner Steven Moffat's sentiments on leaving: “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 come to an end with the Centenary Special later this year, in which Jodie Whittaker will regenerate into the next Doctor Who.
You can read the full interview in the new edition of Doctor Who Magazine, on sale now.
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