Farwell Doctor! Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall to step down from Doctor Who

Bit of sad news coming from the world of Doctor Who. According to the BBC, Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will be exiting the show after their third season in the TARDIS.

A six-part season 13 will air later this year, before Whittaker’s time as the Doctor concludes with three feature-length specials in 2022. This may in fact be one of the biggest endings to an actor’s time on the series, what with three films to see them out.

Scheduled for departure in autumn of 2022, Whittaker and Chibnall had made a pact to start and leave together,  according to their statement. “We knew that we wanted to ride this wave side by side, and pass on the baton together. So here we are, weeks away from wrapping on the best job I have ever had,” Whittaker said of her working partnership with Chibnall.

Jodie Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall will leave Doctor Who in 2022

Chibnall confirmed their pact and even elaborated on it. “Jodie and I made a ‘three series and out’ pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast. So now our shift is done, and we’re handing back the Tardis keys.”

While the show suffered from lower ratings during its most recent season, many fans and critics praised Whittaker’s performance as the Doctor. The actress has nothing but good things to say as the first Time Lady, speaking of her experience in and out of the show.

"“In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. …I don’t think I’ll ever be able to express what this role has given me. I will carry the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learnt forever. I know change can be scary and none of us know what’s out there. That’s why we keep looking. Travel hopefully. The universe will surprise you. Constantly.”"

While it’s sad to see her go, she definitely made a great run of it.  While the themes of Chibnall’s Docotor Who were very modern, its stories never quite stuck the landing in execution. That may be why the show didn’t stay with as many fans.

On a personal note, I watched the first season she was in, and thought it was pretty good but didn’t exactly make me want to continue watching the series. Admittedly, I didn’t and haven’t. While I love, love, LOVE that there’s a Time Lady and really hope we get more female Doctors in future, the stories Chris and his team were telling were kind of…boring.

I hope the next showrunner (whoever they are) really brings a new spark and passion for the show so we can get excited again.

What do you think of the news? Are you devastated or ready to see a new Doctor? Who do you want to see as the Fourteenth Doctor? Let us know in the comments below!