10 Things You Never Knew About The Doctor Who Specials

9. 2009 Is Known As "Gap Year"

Although many other aspects of life may seem disappointing or unreliable, Doctor Who fans can always rest assured that their favourite show will come through with a new batch of episodes to sink their teeth into. On a yearly basis, Whovians await a new season that will (ideally) present refreshingly new adventures, familiar faces and unexpected plot directions. However, in 2009, many were left unsatisfied with the year€™s harvest of only four specials as opposed to the stringent, thirteen- episode template that had defined all of the previous series. According to Russell T Davies, this stagnant period of filmmaking was intended to "let the production team make its transition", as a sort of rehabilitation phase to wean off of the Doctor Who experience. It allowed those currently at the helm to become acquainted with their successors and admonish them about the duties that come with managing all of time and space in the Whoniverse. Whovians can empathize, though. Sometimes, the Doctor just needs to take a deep breath and rejuvenate for few moments before he starts all over again. There€™s no rush, considering that he has all the time in the universe.