Making headlines with more supposition than surprise, we take apart this past week’s announcement that Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker will be exiting Doctor Who in 2022 after no less than three special feature broadcasts.

We plan on taking apart the theories and wish-lists for the “cast and crew to come” in future conversations, but at the moment we’re particularly interested in the timing of the release, the continually confusing marketing decisions being made, and the re-thinking of what the earlier described “10-part season story” means how that the landscape looks like six episodes in 2021 and the three aforementioned specials in 2022.

What exactly is going on in the BBC Drama department?