Why Doctor Who Director Joe Ahearne Never Returned After Fan-Fave Episodes

Twenty years ago, Doctor Who came back on TV screens, garnering positive reviews from critics and amassing a fresh group of devoted followers.

In the 2005 season, five episodes were overseen by director Joe Ahearne, known for guiding hit installments such as Dalek, Father’s Day, and The End of the Ways (The Parting of the Ways).

Although Chris Ahearne was instrumental in crafting several episodes during the initial season of Doctor Who, which featured Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, he did not revisit the Doctor Who universe after receiving favorable feedback for his work.

At the Doctor Who: 20 Years On event, held jointly by the BFI Southbank and the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, it was disclosed that there had been talks about the possibility of his return.

Yet, he mentioned, “It seemed to me as if I had returned twice over, for I initially agreed to appear in just two episodes. Then they asked me back for an additional three, making it feel like I completed three series in one.

Initially tasked with supervising the filming segment that included Dalek and Father’s Day, Ahearne was later asked to direct the two-part finale titled Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways, and eventually, the episode Boomtown in the series he was working on. In simpler terms, Ahearne started by overseeing specific filming parts, then moved on to direct important episodes like Bad Wolf/The Parting of the Ways and Boomtown.

Ahearne shared that he enjoyed his work on the project, but found it remarkable that only one director typically handles five episodes within a single series. Given the significant time investment required, he admitted feeling somewhat drained or “Doctor Who’d out” by the end of it.

On BBC One and BBC iPlayer this coming Saturday, Doctor Who carries on with its latest installment starring the present duo of Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu. Meanwhile, Eccleston and Piper are all set to join forces again for a fresh audio drama series by Big Finish, slated for release in August.

The popular TV show, Doctor Who, resumes this coming Saturday, 17th May. In the UK, fresh episodes will be accessible from 8am every Saturday on BBC iPlayer, with rebroadcasts happening on BBC One later in the day. For viewers outside of the UK, you can find this series on Disney+.

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2025-05-14 21:34