Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has responded to the show’s return date being leaked during the Six Nations.
It was confirmed last month that the sci-fi show is due to return with its 15th season on April 12, though this announcement was initially scheduled for a later date.
In a new update for Doctor Who Magazine, Davies revealed that the transmission date was intended to be announced at the beginning of March, until it was bizarrely leaked during BBC Sport coverage of the Under-20s Six Nations rugby on February 22.
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“The entire production team awoke to the news that the date had been leaked during, incredibly, (consults notes) half-time of the Under-20s Six Nations England vs Scotland match available on the BBC iPlayer via the Red Button,” he wrote.
“Okay! It becomes an exciting morning. Texts fly. People scramble to fix it. At one point, the whole match is pulled off the iPlayer. I send an email, ‘Bit tough on the rugby mums?’ The match is restored.”
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He continued: “But why and how?! Oh, glitches, systems, endboards, etc, it was an honest mistake.
“But I think this is fun. Remember last year, when a trailer was dropped on Facebook on the wrong morning? For about 20 minutes? Seen by absolutely no one?
“What this proves is, you now have to watch every single second of any BBC transmission anywhere in case you catch a lucky break. What a great strategy!”
The new season will see the return of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), while Varada Sethu will make her debut as new companion Belinda Chandra.
It was recently confirmed that The Traitors US host Alan Cumming will guest star in the second episode of the season, voicing a cartoon character named Mr Ring-a-Ding.
Other guest stars for season 15 include Rose Ayling-Ellis, Anita Dobson, Christopher Chung, Michelle Greenidge, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruth Madeley, Jemma Redgrave and Susan Twist.
