Doctor Who won’t return until 2020

DOCTOR Who will return for a new series – but Jodie Whittaker’s Tardis will not land again until 2020.

Series 11 came to an end yesterday evening, with the Doctor answering distress calls from a battle-scarred planet.

But there will be no new series next year of the sci-fi show, which has notched up praise for Whittaker’s performance but also complaints about “politically correct” storylines.

Whittaker, and her trio of companions, Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gil and Tosin Cole, will instead reprise their roles on BBC One in 2020.

Doctor Who boss and head writer Chris Chibnall said work has already begun on the 12th series.

“We’re off again! Well, we never actually stopped,” the Broadchurch creator said.

“As Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we’ve been busy with a whole new set of action-packed adventures for the 13th Doctor.

“We adore making this show and have been blown away by the response from audiences, so we can’t wait to bring more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole to BBC One. Brilliant!”

The first episode of the new series of the sci-fi show, starring Whittaker as the first female Doctor, drew the programme’s biggest launch viewing figures in 10 years.

Its stars recently hit back at suggestions that the programme has become too politically correct, with episodes covering the US Civil Rights movement and the 1947 partition of India.