Series 10 will contain just half the amount of episodes in 2016, the Mirror are now claiming. The reason apparently due to Peter Capaldi wanting to work on other projects.

Full report:

Doctor Who will return with half the usual episodes next year when its star Peter Capaldi is granted leave.

The BBC pushed for more than the regular 12 instalments but the Time Lord actor wants to do other projects too.

He told bosses working harder was not on, for both himself and the “exhausted” crew.

“If you did the series all year there’d be casualties – and one would be its quality,” he said. “There’s a point where you can’t drive people any harder.”

Capaldi, 57, is to direct a film loosely based on his time in Glasgow punk band The Dreamboys and two episodes of the US TV series Veep. Peter was lead singer and guitarist in The Dreamboys – which also counted Late, Late Show host Craig Ferguson among its numbers – while a student at Glasgow School of Art in the early 80s.

Insiders on Doctor Who have revealed that – as with Matt Smith – the next series will be reduced significantly to allow Capaldi the time off he needs.

Next year’s reduced run for Doctor Who will be supplemented by a Christmas special.

But Capaldi has admitted: “Playing the Doctor takes up so much time. It doesn’t leave much room for other things.”

Show boss Steven Moffat stressed that Capaldi is not quitting the star role, saying: “Peter is going nowhere.”