Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who Almost Killed the Multi-Billion Dollar BBC Franchise: “It literally went down to the wire”

With one of the most critically acclaimed British shows inching towards its 60th anniversary, Doctor Who is set to move in a new direction with its 14th season. But it appears that the 13th season of the show, which marked the end of Jodie Whittaker’s iconic run as the thirteenth doctor, was almost canceled.

The former showrunner of the show, Chris Chibnall opened up that he wasn’t sure whether the final season under his reign would would happen. And the iconic multi-billion dollar BBC franchise came very close to its cancellation.

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The Doctor Who series almost got canceled following covid delays

While speaking with Radio Freaks Skaro, Chris Chibnall expressed that after the pandemic, which led to an extensive delay in the production process, he wasn’t sure whether the show would get completed. And considering that the lead, Jodie Whittaker was being offered many more roles at the time and he was too being offered another show, he was assured that BBC was ready to scrap the Doctor Who franchise. He said,

“There was a week where it was not going to be made. There was a week where I’d been offered another job. And it literally went down to the wire, there was an hour on one day when it’s like, it was done.”

But they eventually managed to complete the show and wrap up Jodie Whittaker’s story in a satisfying manner and Chibnall went on to acknowledge Whittaker’s sacrifices for the role.

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Despite the delays, Jodie Whittaker stuck with the series

Chibnall shared that Jodie Whittaker, who has portrayed the character in three series and five specials, was adamant about completing the season. And despite being offered a plethora of roles after the delay of the show, she stuck with the development and their sacrifices eventually paid off. He stated,

“And you know, she’s in demand, and so she sacrificed a lot. Everybody sacrificed a lot. But yeah, we did have those moments. Yeah, completely. And there was, yeah, there are some things I’ll just keep to myself.”

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And with the duo of Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker leaving the franchise after the 13th season, the upcoming season will pass on to Disney, considering their recent deal with BBC. And the upcoming season will introduce Ncuti Gatwa as the next Doctor.

The 13th season of Doctor Who is available to stream on HBO Max.

Source: Radio Freaks Skaro