BBC bosses want ‘Doctor Who’ to feel like a "brand new show" when it changes management in 2018.
Chris Chibnall, 46, will be taking over from current showrunner Steven Moffatt when he steps down from the role in 2018, and the ‘Broadchurch’ writer is set to start with a "clean slate" in order to revamp the sci-fi show.
Insiders suggest the new Time Lord – currently played by 58-year-old Peter Capaldi – will be younger and more "dashing", in a bid to boost the sales of merchandise that have severely dropped in recent years.
A source told the Daily Mirror Newspaper: "BBC management wants a return to the format from the David Tennant era, when you had a dashing male lead and young female companion.
"Merchandising has dropped off sharply in recent years and there is a strong desire to boost the show’s popularity among kids."
But the decision to start fresh comes as bad news for the recently signed Pearl Mackie, 29, who is set to be starring as the time traveller’s new companion Bill when the show returns next year, as it means she’ll likely depart the show along with Peter and Steven after the 2017 Christmas special.
Speaking about her role, Pearl said previously: "I knew I could bring her to life. She’s funny and geeky and vulnerable. There’s a goofiness to her and a big heart. She gets things wrong; she has a temper. I thought, ‘I know her. I could play her.’"
The news comes after BBC bosses have also stressed they want a full series each year, as 2016 won’t have aired a new episode until the Christmas special. Chiefs are also reportedly calling for more accessible story arcs, after complaints that the previous series’ have been too complicated for casual viewers.
BBC call for Doctor Who revamp in 2018
