The next series of Doctor Who has been cut from 11 episodes down to eight due to coronavirus, showrunner Chris Chibnall has confirmed.
Filming on the new run has already begun, with Jodie Whittaker returning as The Doctor alongside Mandip Gill as her companion Yaz, and is expected to continue until early Summer 2021.
However, due to restrictions brought about by coronavirus, producers have now taken the decision to drop three episodes in order to get the show on air late next year.
"In this strangest of years, the Doctor Who production team have worked wonders to get the show back into production," Chibnall told The Mirror.
"Given the complexity of making Doctor Who, and with new and rigorous COVID working protocols, it's going to take us a little longer to film each episode, meaning we expect to end up with eight episodes, rather than the usual eleven.
"But rest assured, the ambition, humour, fun and scares you expect from Doctor Who will all still be firmly in place. For everyone around the world, this is a challenging period - but The Doctor never shirks from a challenge."
The eight episodes are expected to air towards the end of next year, with the possibility of the eighth being held back to air over Christmas 2021.
This year's festive special, featuring the exits of Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole as companions Graham and Ryan, was filmed last year and is due to air on BBC One over Christmas as planned.
