Misery for 'Doctor Who' Fans as Season 11 Gets Pushed Back to Late 2018

2017 brought joy to Doctor Who fans as the series made an epic comeback following its one-year break in 2016. Peter Capaldi, the Twelfth Doctor, was joined by newcomer companion Bill Potts (played by Pearl Mackie), alongside returning character Nardole, portrayed by comedy actor Matt Lucas.

With Season 10 now done and dusted, fans look forward to this year's Christmas Special, which will be Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie's last adventure in the TARDIS before handing over the keys to the show's first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. However, the companion for Season 11 has yet to be confirmed even though a familiar face has been rumored to take on the role.

While fans are excited and nervous for the new season, they've been left with a hugely disappointing bombshell: the release date for Season 11.

A Late Start For Season 11

Tragically, fans will now have to wait until "late 2018" for Whittaker to make her debut as the Doctor, although she will briefly appear at the end of this year's Christmas Special "Twice Upon A Time." Why the late 2018 premiere date?

Incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall will be making many major changes to #DoctorWho when he takes full control of the hit BBC series in the New Year. Speaking to Doctor Who Magazine, outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat said:

"The alternative might have been to have had no Doctor Who at all between Christmas 2015 and the autumn of 2018."

This obviously doesn't set anything in stone, but it is assumed that an autumn release date is highly likely. This is due to filming for the eleventh season beginning in January 2018, giving plenty of time to film what is expected to be another 13 episodes, including the 2018 Christmas Special. Not only that, it also gives BBC time to decide on a new companion, despite it being rumored that Season 11 will see three companions join the new Doctor.

Two-Part Season?

With Season 11 suspected to air in the fall of next year, does this mean Season 11 will be broken into two parts? Assuming the season will air late like reports are suggesting, it would mean the season will clash with the annual Christmas Special.

It hasn't taken fans long to work out that if this were to sadly happen, the first half of the season will require a separate story arc, leaving everything to be resolved in the Christmas Special. Or, the festive episode will air on a huge cliffhanger. The question the becomes, how long will the wait until the second half of the season airs?

If the season were to be split in two, fans will likely have a long wait until spring, when the show will move back to its usual air date. This is so Doctor Who doesn't clash with big shows like BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and ITV's The X Factor.

Final Thoughts

Thousands of fans are ready to see Jodie Whittaker in action as the Doctor and piloting the TARDIS. However, with the long wait scheduled, fans are going to have to hang on just a little longer. Nonetheless, it's already been made clear that Whittaker will be totally worth the wait.