'Doctor Who' won't return for new series until 2020

The next season of "Doctor Who" will not start until 2020, showrunner Chris Chibnall has confirmed.

Led by Jodie Whittaker's first female Time Lord, Series 11 ended Sunday and she will return for a glimpse on New Year's Day special, BBC reported.

This will be a break from the tradition as earlier the Doctor would turn up for a Christmas special episode.

Chibnall said production on the follow-up series is already underway.

The writer said the team had been "blown away by the response from audiences" to the new Doctor.

The first episode of the series, featuring a woman Doctor, drew a record audience - highest launch viewing figures for the sci-fi stalwart in a decade, with 10.9 million people tuning in.

"We're off again! Well we never actually stopped. As Jodie Whittaker's Doctor and friends have been winning the hearts of families across the nation this autumn, we've been busy with a whole new set of action-packed adventures for the 13th Doctor," Chibnall said.

Referring to the Doctor's companions, he added they could not wait to bring "more scares, more monsters and more Bradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole".

Whittaker succeeded Peter Capaldi, who played the title role in the last two series.