It’s official: there’ll be no major linking thread through the new series of Doctor Who.

Ever since the BBC sci-fi show returned in 2005, episodes of each series have usually been linked by a recurring theme, starting with ‘Bad Wolf’ 13 years ago.

But executive producer Matt Strevens has confirmed that this idea will be ditched for Jodie Whittaker’s debut series. “I’d say the only series arc is the growing relationship between the Doctor and her new friends, and how that team builds across the series,” Strevens said.

“In terms of a story arc, there’s a few little treats in there if you watch every episode, there’s a few little things, but no – mainly it’s standalone. The ‘serial’, if you like, is the growing relationship between the companions.”

The emphasis on standalone episodes with no linking arc chimes with what Doctor Who‘s new showrunner Chris Chibnall first told us back in July. “It’s 10 standalone episodes, there’s no two-parters or anything like that,” Chibnall said during an interview at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

“What we want is for people to feel like we’ve got the range and variety of Doctor Who this year. So if you’ve never seen it before, you’re gonna fall in love with it, and if you have seen it, you’re gonna get those things that you love about the show across the 10 episodes.”

Doctor Who begins Sunday, October 7 at 6.45pm on BBC One, with Whittaker’s new Doctor being joined by companions Graham (Bradley Walsh), Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Ryan (Tosin Cole) for adventures in time and space.