Controversial Doctor Who Showrunner Reacts to Surprise Billie Piper’s Regeneration Twist

Doctor Who has had a good year, between the departure of star Ncuti Gatwa after just two seasons as the titular Time Lord and Disney+ ending its distribution deal for the BBC series. However, one of the most talked about moments occurred at the end of Gatwa’s final episode, in which he regenerated into Billie Piper.

This is hardly foreign to Doctor Who the fans, Piper played iconic companion Rose Tyler for the first two seasons of the series’ 2005 reboot.before making a few additional appearances in the early 2000s. Despite her popularity, the idea of ​​her being the Doctor sparked widespread criticism among many fans, contrasted by others intrigued by the twist.

By Radio schedulesControversial showrunner Chris Chibnall, who helmed the series during Jodie Whitaker’s 13th Doctor, has weighed in on the final moments of Gatwa’s tenure, although he refused to go into detail about his opinion. According to the former executive producer of Doctor Whohe actively avoided seeking spoilers from current showrunner Russell T. Davies.

“I had no idea when I was watching it” Chibnall said of the regeneration of Gatwa into Piper. “The only thing I knew was that Jodie was in this episode. Because also, when I finished, I made it very, very clear to Russell that I didn’t want to know anything.” He then added that he “love[s] to be a spectator again.”

“I never ask and I never want to know” added Chibnall. “It’s what brings you back to where you are [started] at the age of five, or whatever; You’re there watching Doctor Who and being back in that position, having had your own TARDIS, quote unquote – I didn’t have a real TARDIS – but it’s nice to go back and say, “Oh, what happens now?”“

Chibnall also discussed Whitaker’s surprise regeneration into fan favorite David Tennant in his second run as the Doctor. “So I really didn’t want to know that Jodie was going to regenerate into David.“, he continued. “But they were like, ‘You have to know because you’re an executive on this episode.’‘”

Does Billie Piper really play the 16th Doctor in Doctor Who?

Although Chibnall himself kept his comments about Piper’s surprise casting low, fans have widely speculated about what her role would be in the series and whether she was really going to be the next Doctor. Since Piper is back Doctor Who in a different role than Rose previously, appearing in the 50th anniversary special as a holographic projection of the Moment, it’s not entirely out of the question that this new stint in the series could be either Rose or another iteration of the Doctor.

“All I can say is that I was approached at the last minute, and I can’t say in what capacity, but I found it very emotional to film and I think it’s a very beautiful ending.,” » Piper said, addressing the problem. “As it went along, I found it quite moving, and it was really fun to film because there was a sort of cloak-and-dagger feel about the making of it. So yeah, I have to lie a lot about everything Doctor Who it seems.“

Whatever role Piper plays, Doctor Who is expected to return sometime after the 2026 Christmas special. After the deal between the BBC and Disney ends, it is unclear which service will act as the global streaming partner.

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  Doctor Who

  Release date

  2005 – 2021-00-00

  Directors

  Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy

  Writers

  Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies

  
  

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    Jodie Whittaker

    The Doctor

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  Doctor Who

  
  

  5/10

  Release date

  May 11, 2024
  

  Network

  BBC One