10 Doctor Who Characters Who Almost Had Different Endings
2. Ruth Was Never Supposed To Be Revealed As The Doctor
It's obviously not possible to talk about the final end of the Ruth Doctor quite yet, given that she was only just introduced. Presumably, we'll see her again at some point in the future, perhaps in the imminent Series 13.
So instead, let's talk about the ending of her introductory episode - Fugitive Of The Judoon - and how it was almost wildly different to the final, broadcast version.
Right from the beginning of his stint as Doctor Who showrunner, Chris Chibnall has had big plans for the show. The Timeless Child was a significant part of those plans, but contrary to popular belief, the idea of introducing Ruth as a never-before-seen incarnation of the Doctor was not part of Chibnall's original gameplan.
In fact, it was a last-minute change to a script that was already in progress, meaning that Ruth, originally, wasn't intended to reveal herself as the Doctor at the end of the episode. Here's what Chibnall told The Radio Times:
“We had a story, and Vinay [Patel, Fugitive Of The Judoon co-writer] and I were talking about a story... and then I just called him up one day and said ‘you know this story... what if that’s the Doctor?’”
It's unclear how Ruth's episode arc was originally supposed to conclude, but perhaps she could've been revealed as a random alien fugitive as opposed to an incarnation of the Doctor.