Neil Gaiman hopes to return to the world of Doctor Who

Award-winning author Neil Gaiman has already penned two Doctor Who episodes but is hoping to get to write one for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.

Though we’ve had multiple adaptations of Neil Gaiman stories on our TV in the past few years – the spectacular Good Omens on Amazon Prime and the mixed bag that is American Gods on Starz – Doctor Who fans have always hoped the author might come home to his Whovian roots once more.

Gaiman – a longtime fan of the series – wrote two stories back during the Matt Smith years, the truly incomparable “The Doctor’s Wife” in Season 6 and the enjoyable but not great Cyberman adventure “Nightmare in Silver” in Season 7.

Since then he’s been asked repeatedly about returning to write further scripts for the show, and most of his answers have been fairly disappointing for fans. When the subject came up during press for Good Omens back in 2018, Gaiman didn’t sound thrilled about the idea of returning to the TARDIS again. But perhaps his experience as showrunner for the Amazon series helped him change his mind because his answer certainly sounds different now. (In the best way possible.)

During a conversation about his graphic novel, The Sandman, Gaiman told Digital Spy that he definitely wanted to write for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, but was simply unsure whether the timing would work out for this incarnation.

"“Everything to do with anything about Doctor Who is always about time,” he told us. “I love The Doctor, I think Jodie Whittaker is a fabulous Doctor. On the one hand, I’d love to write for her, but on the one hand, I really, really, really wanted to write something for Peter Capaldi, and never got there because I was writing and making Good Omens through the Peter Capaldi years."

Sorry, I may just need a moment to go and mourn what might have been had Gaiman been successful in penning a story for Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor. Whew. Imagine.

That said, no matter the reason that Gaiman may have changed his mind, the prospect of him writing more Doctor Who remains a tantalizing one. Especially for Thirteen, the first female Doctor – particularly after Gaiman himself had a hand in establishing the canon that Time Lords could change gender in “The Doctor’s Wife”.

Cross your fingers this dream comes true sooner rather than later, Whovians.

Doctor Who is slated to return for a festive special later this year.