As Chris Chibnall reaches the end of his era as Doctor Who showrunner, he’s taken some time to reflect on the show he’ll leave behind. In an interview with Doctor Who Magazine (courtesy of The Radio Times), the Broadchurch writer revealed his least favourite script.
It came at the end of Series 11, Jodie Whittaker’s first series as the Thirteenth Doctor in the finale. The title alone was long-winded enough, and the plot is arguably more so. The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos saw the Doctor and her companions take on Tzim-Sha, who had returned on a revenge campaign following his defeat in the series opener.
In truth, it sounds like a decent finale, but the story was riddled with problems and left an otherwise strong series on a low note. Chibnall explains that throughout the production of Series 11, he “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 continues. The first draft of the script became the final product on screen. Due to time constraints, he admits he “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 adds. “So that’s my least favourite script of mine.”
There were, however, higher points within Series 11. Tzim-Sha’s first appearance in the opening story was a hugely promising start to the series. Later, Chibnall’s would collaborate with Malorie Blackman for an episode set in 1950s Alabama with Rosa Parks at the centre of a civil rights movement. The Doctor and her companions also joined King James I in 1612 Lancashire and fought a resurrected Dalek in Sheffield on New Year’s Day.
For more Doctor Who content, take a look at Flickluster’s review for “Legend of the Sea Devils.”