Rumours about both the immediate and longer term future of Doctor Who have been flying around the Internet this week. In a bid to either discover the truth or put those rumours to bed, STARBURST magazine has been in touch with the series’ production office for confirmation one way or the other.

The BBC was happy to go on the record about the programme’s short-term future.

There had been a lot of chatter about Jodie Whittaker’s second run in Series 12 being planned for a broadcast in the spring of 2020, rather than in the autumn of 2019 as everyone had originally assumed. This is not true.  They were told that Series 12 went into production this week, and that it will definitely be broadcast next year, as part of the autumn 2019 TV schedule.

That’s one rumour that has now been scotched.

The second rumour that’s currently doing the rounds is that new showrunner Chris Chibnall hasn’t been happy behind the scenes, and is set to quit after Series 12.

We can only speculate as to his possible reasons – if indeed the story is true – but Chibnall told us quite firmly in January 2013 that he didn’t want the showrunner job, and it’s possible after the success of Broadchurch that the BBC pursued him for it against his better wishes. Or simply that he changed his mind.

Either way, if there is any truth to this rumour then it’s also been said that Jodie Whittaker would not want to continue on as the Doctor without Chibnall at the helm, and would leave at the same time as he did.

Both Chibnall and Whittaker have certainly looked happy enough during the pre-publicity for Series 11, and with the ratings success they’ve had it would be a loss for them both to go after one more series. But the BBC is an odd, double-headed beast (the programme is essentially now a co-production between the BBC and its autonomous subsidiary BBC Studios), and Chibnall would seem to be happier working with his own production company on series like Broadchurch. We have been somewhere very like this before, with Christopher Eccleston’s departure after just a single series in 2005.

In other news, the BBC has also this week confirmed that this year’s seasonal special will be broadcast on New Year’s Day rather than in the traditional Christmas Day spot.

Could the 2019 run of episodes be set to finish with another regeneration for the Doctor? It’s unlikely we’ll know for sure one way or the other for some while yet. But one thing’s for sure, if Whittaker should leave the series after only two series, and with 2018 having seen some of Doctor Who’s highest ratings yet, it won’t be because the ‘experiment’ in changing the Doctor’s gender was a failure.

More news on this when we get it.

Watch the trailer for the seventh episode of the new series, Kerblam!

Tonight’s Children in Need featured a very special edition of Doctor Who, that reminded us all why Jodie Whittaker’s casting was so important.

In the segment we were introduced to nine-year-old Anna Mark, who suffers from cystic fibrosis.

Anna’s favourite show is Doctor Who, which she sits down to watch with her parents and brother Alex every Sunday.

We got to observe Anna as she watched a special episode of the show and declared that Jodie was: “so much better than the boy Doctors.”

But little did Anna know that the episode was made just for her, and it was actually a personal invitation for her to come down to Cardiff and visit the Doctor Who set.

With a TARDIS appearing outside their front door, Anna and Alex made the trip to the the BBC’s show’s set, where they met up with The Doctor’s companions Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh).

Anna was given her own special outfit exactly replicating Jodie’s, and she even got the chance to use a Sonic Screwdriver.

But that wasn’t all, as Anna got a major surprise when The Doctor herself made an appearance.

Comparing their matching outfits, Anna was thrilled that she and Jodie were “twinning” in their stripped jumpers, braces and blue trousers.

Of course Jodie is not only the 13th incarnation of The Doctor, but it is also the first time a female has taken on the role.

Jodie’s casting was controversial to some, but witnessing Anna meet her hero gave us all an emotional reminder as to why it was so important to have a female Doctor.

The importance of Jodie’s role further hit home when Anna said: “The Doctor made me feel supported and that someone is by my side.”

https://twitter.com/WHOITTAKER/status/1063519131453018112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1063519131453018112&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Ftv%2Fdoctor-who%2Fnews%2Fa870776%2Fchildren-in-need-doctor-who-special-jodie-whittaker%2F

https://twitter.com/softyoongibear/status/1063519145910812673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1063519145910812673&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Ftv%2Fdoctor-who%2Fnews%2Fa870776%2Fchildren-in-need-doctor-who-special-jodie-whittaker%2F

I’m sobbing so much children in need has never made me cry like this i just,, she’s so inspired by the female doctor and itS WHAT YOUNG GIRLS DESERVE IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY

— sophie (@sophieddies) November 16, 2018

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THE LITTLE GIRL ON CHILDREN IN NEED SAID “she’s so much better than the boy doctors” THIS IS WHY HAVING A FEMALE DOCTOR MATTERS !!!!!

— hannah (@ctherinetate) November 16, 2018

Already crying at children in need, this little girl getting to go to the doctor who set and feeling so happy

— Marisa (@prettylights_) November 16, 2018

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Jodie ended the special by saying “The Doctor can reappear in any form, so who knows? Anna could be the next Doctor.”

And thanks to Jodie, now Anna and girls everywhere know they can be whatever they want, even a Time Lord.

SURPRISE!! Watch Anna's tour of the @BBCDoctorWho set get kindly interrupted by the cast

More to come from #DoctorWho…

Watch live https://t.co/hAaQKI4Ebb #CiN@BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer pic.twitter.com/vjOx1SKznB

— BBC Children in Need (@BBCCiN) November 16, 2018

BBC Children in Need airs across BBC One and BBC Two tonight (November 16).

Here’s how to contribute to Children in Need 2018: To donate £10, text the word DONATE to 70410. To donate £20, text DONATE to 70420, or to donate £30, text DONATE to 70430. You can also call 0345 7 33 22 33 and make a donation over the phone, or donate online by clicking here.

Doctor Who invites two brave new companions into the TARDIS in preview photos from Friday’s Children in Need special.

The mini-episode introduces viewers to 9-year-old Doctor Who superfan Anna, who has been supported by Sebastian’s Action Trust. Along with Alex, Anna gets a chance to enter the TARDIS and visit with The Doctor’s companions Yaz (Mandip Gill), Ryan (Tosin Cole) and Graham (Bradley Walsh).

https://youtu.be/yeI4vZUeBoA

But the biggest surprise comes when The Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker, arrives to surprise Anna and Alex with a tour around the TARDIS — and an encounter with some of the universe’s most terrifying monsters.

Yes, despite all of those claims from showrunner Chris Chibnall that there will be absolute no classic monsters this series, there’s still a full Zygon costume and an Ood at the ready in the show’s prop room alongside the new Emoji bots. Hmm…

This Doctor Who film will air as part of a full night of special programming to raise money for the organisations funded by Children in Need.

The night will be presented by Graham Norton, Mel Giedroyc and the Humes, and feature a Strictly Come Dancing special with Boyzone, a preview of the Call the Midwife Christmas special and a Disney-themed EastEnders musical medley.

BBC Children in Need airs across BBC One and BBC Two beginning at 7pm on Friday night.

Here’s how to contribute to Children in Need 2018: To donate £10, text the word DONATE to 70410. To donate £20, text DONATE to 70420, or to donate £30, text DONATE to 70430. You can also call 0345 7 33 22 33 and make a donation over the phone, or donate online by clicking here.

Announcing the news, the BBC’s Director of Content Charlotte Moore said:

“We’re delighted the Doctor and her companions will be welcoming BBC One audiences into 2019 with this exciting new episode. The Doctor’s fans are in for a special treat on the first day of the new year.”

Showrunner Chris Chibnall said:

“We’re thrilled to be starting the New Year with a bang on BBC One, as Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends face a terrifying alien threat in an action packed, hour long special adventure for all the family.”

Here’s the episode synopsis:

As the New Year begins, a terrifying evil is stirring from across the centuries of Earth’s history. As the Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz return home, will they be able to overcome the threat to planet Earth?

The festive special is written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip. The Doctor is played by Jodie Whittaker, Ryan by Tosin Cole, Graham by Bradley Walsh and Yaz by Mandip Gill.

In the meantime, the seventh episode of the new series Kerblam! will air Sunday 18th November at 18:30 GMT (20:00 EDT). Release date varies by country – check local listings in the Watch section.

Somehow, we’re already halfway through this series of Doctor Who, with last week’s episode ‘Demons of the Punjab’ bringing series 11 into its second half and marking the beginning of the stretch towards the finale.

But while we all take a moment to consider what life will be like without a weekly trip in the TARDIS once again, we still have four weeks and four episodes left to enjoy – and now we’ve got our first hints at what to expect from the finale too.

Following on from the next two episodes – which will feature a trip to the galaxy’s biggest shop and 17th century witch trials – episodes 9 and 10 of the new series will see the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), Ryan (Tosin Cole), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Graham (Bradley Walsh) encounter a monster on the edge of a Norwegian fjord, before facing the mysteries of the Ux.

First up is episode 9, titled ‘It Takes You Away’, with a synopsis that goes a little something like this:

“On the edge of a Norwegian fjord, in the present day, The Doctor, Ryan, Graham and Yaz discover a boarded-up cottage and a girl named Hanne in need of their help. What has happened here? What monster lurks in the woods around the cottage – and beyond?”

The episode guest stars Ellie Wallwork and the actor Kevin Eldon, who’s popped up in nearly every British comedy of the last decade or two.

It’ll be written by Skins writer Ed Hime, and will be directed by Jamie Childs, who also directed last week’s outing and series premiere ‘The Woman Who Fell to Earth’.

Then comes the big finale in episode 10, titled ‘The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos’. Here’s the synopsis:

“On the planet of Ranskoor Av Kolos, lies the remains of a brutal battlefield. But as the Doctor, Graham, Yaz and Ryan answer nine separate distress calls, they discover the planet holds far more secrets. Who is the mysterious commander with no memory? What lies beyond the mists? Who or what are the Ux?

“The answers will lead the Doctor and her friends towards a deadly reckoning.”

With a battle on the horizon, there’s no better guest star than Game of Thrones’ Mark Addy for this one, and he’ll be joined by Downton Abbey‘s Phyllis Logan and The Innocents‘ Percelle Ascott.

The finale will once again be directed by Jamie Childs, with showrunner Chris Chibnall on writing duties.

Doctor Who continues with ‘Kerblam!’ at the earlier time of 6.30pm on BBC One on Sunday (November 18).

It appears the Grinch has steered his wayward sleigh into the Whoniverse and booted the eleventh episode of Doctor Who Series 11 into the next year.

A Doctor Who Magazine subscriber who received tomorrow’s issue #532 early today shared a photo of the back page which promises an “EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF THE NEW YEAR’S DAY SPECIAL”.

We also got actual confirmation of this particular rumour … #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/8SPMSXpk30

— Darren Purdie (@DarrenPurdie) November 14, 2018

As there were eleven episodes of Doctor Who filmed during the latest production run and the tenth is the series finale, the only episode available to air on New Year’s Day is Episode 11, leaving no episode of Doctor Who to air on Christmas.

The New Year’s Day Special was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Wayne Yip, double-banked (filmed concurrently) with the fifth filming block of Series 11. One of the guest stars is Daniel Adegboyega, who plays a character named Isaac Sinclair, possibly Ryan Sinclair’s father.

The Mirror has claimed that the New Year’s Day Special will be the only episode of Doctor Who to air in 2019.

The episode is likely to be the ONLY outing for Doctor Who next year, with fans facing a ‘gap year’ until 2020.

Filming on Jodie’s second series has been pushed back to early 2019, meaning the series is unlikely to be finished in time to air in the autumn.”

Is this part of The Mirror’s story true? Not necessarily. There are signs that Series 12 production will begin soon.  If production begins a bit later than it did for Series 11, it won’t necessarily take as long to film the next series with a crew, props and a TARDIS set already in place.

We’ll keep you posted as soon as we find out more about the Doctor Who 2019 New Year’s Day Special and the Series 12 situation.