Series 10 Will Reportedly Be Halved [UPDATED]
Full report:
Doctor Who will return with half the usual episodes next year when its star Peter Capaldi is granted leave.
The BBC pushed for more than the regular 12 instalments but the Time Lord actor wants to do other projects too.
He told bosses working harder was not on, for both himself and the “exhausted” crew.
“If you did the series all year there’d be casualties – and one would be its quality,” he said. “There’s a point where you can’t drive people any harder.”
Capaldi, 57, is to direct a film loosely based on his time in Glasgow punk band The Dreamboys and two episodes of the US TV series Veep. Peter was lead singer and guitarist in The Dreamboys – which also counted Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson among its numbers – while a student at Glasgow School of Art in the early 80s.
Insiders on Doctor Who have revealed that – as with Matt Smith – the next series will be reduced significantly to allow Capaldi the time off he needs.
Next year’s reduced run for Doctor Who will be supplemented by a Christmas special.
But Capaldi has admitted: “Playing the Doctor takes up so much time. It doesn’t leave much room for other things.”
Show boss Steven Moffat stressed that Capaldi is not quitting the star role, saying: “Peter is going nowhere.”
UPDATE: Peter Capaldi has responded to the rumours stating: “That’s not what I’ve been told… that’s not what I’m contracted for.” See the video extract below:
Peter Capaldi, talking to @lizo_mzimba, denies reports there’ll be half the number of @BBCDoctorWho episodes in 2016 pic.twitter.com/oqwQ83jKle
— BBC Ents News Team (@BBCNewsEnts) November 6, 2015
Steven Moffat also told the Radio Times that they are “making” a full series, although he did not state if all the episodes will air in 2016, or when:
“We’re making a full series. I can confirm that. I’m making a full series of 12 episodes, plus a Christmas special. I don’t know when it goes out. That’s up to someone else. And even if I did know – which I genuinely don’t – I wouldn’t be allowed to say so as I have absolutely no say in it whatsoever. [But] it’s not being reduced in size. We’re not making fewer episodes. That’s all complete bunk. I can confirm that absolutely.”
