'Doctor Who's next series has been halved to allow Peter Capaldi time off.
Peter Capaldi
The BBC One sci-fi series usually features 12 episodes per run but the Time Lord actor insisted he and the "exhausted" crew couldn't' commit to so many instalments as well as his other projects.
He explained: "If you did the series all year there'd be casualties - and one would be its quality.
"There's a point where you can't drive people any harder.
"Playing the Doctor takes up so much time. It doesn't leave much room for other things."
As well as playing the recognisable character, the 57-year-old actor is set to direct two episodes of US TV series 'Veep' next year, along with a film inspired by his time in punk band The Dreamboys with 'Late, Late Show' host Craig Ferguson while he was a student in Glasgow.
However, the reduction in episodes will be supplemented by a special at Christmas according to the Daily Mirror newspaper.
'Doctor Who' boss Steven Moffat insists the move doesn't mean the show - which will run until at least 2020 - will lose Peter though.
He said previously: "Peter is going nowhere.
"It is definitely going to last five more years, I've seen the business plan. And I think we can go past that.
"It's television's own legend. It will just keep going."
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