It's time, for a new Time Lord! And could a New Zealander take up the Sonic Screwdriver and the key to the TARDIS?
The BCC has confirmed Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will both leave the programme in 2022, leaving fans speculating as to who will be next.
The Guardian has compiled a list of potentials, which included Kiwi comedian Rose Matafeo.
Maude Garrett, Jodie Whittaker, Chris Chibnall, and Matt Strevens speak onstage at the Dr Who panel during New York Comic Con on October 7, 2018. Photo: Andrew Toth /Getty Images / AFP
Dr Who Appreciation society member Tony Jordan told Morning Report there could be a lot more people on the list at the moment.
“It’s only been 10 days since it was announced that Jodie and Chris Chibnall were leaving. I have to be honest with, there’s an awful lot of speculation and fun going on.”
Renewal and regeneration have been key elements of the show ever since William Hartnell left in 1966, he says.
“Since it came back in 2005 … there have been three showrunners, Russell T Davis, Steven Moffatt, and now Chris Chibnall, all of whom have had Dr Who in their blood.
“They were fans as kids, they grew up with it, they used to write for the novels that came out.
“I personally believe it’s time for a bit of a drastic change, maybe have someone who’s not got Dr Who in their veins.”
His personal belief is the time has come for a female show runner.
“It’s worth remembering that when Dr Who started in 1963, a Canadian gentleman by the name of Sydney Newman, who was running BBC drama at the time, he appointed a 28-year-old lady called Verity Lambert to produce the programme.
“Without her we would never have had the Daleks, the programme would never be what it was, and she went on to have the most amazing career in television.”
But casting aside, he says the graphics on the show have not been able to compete ever since the emergence of films like Star Wars.
“There’s no way the BBC budget can cope with it, so even though the effects are good, they’re never going to be on the grand scale of those sorts of channels or Netflix or Prime.”
