Instead, Phil Ford has written episodes 9 and 10, while the previously-rumored Phil Gladwin has penned episodes 5 and 6.

Ford has no direct Doctor Who universe experience, but has been steadily writing for a wide variety of British television programmes since the late 1990s. Though he has written episodes for Coronation Street, Heartbeat, The Bill and Footballer's Wife, his steadiest work seems to have been for Bad Girls and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet in 2005. In a general sense, he was for the reinvention of the classic Gerry Anderson hero what RTD was for Doctor Who.

Phil Gladwin's experience is somewhat similar to Ford's, with occasional work on The Bill, Holby City, Crossroads, and Grange Hill. However, he also has significant experience as a script editor, helping to shape the stories on Trance (which paired him with Doctor Who director Joe Aherne), and Berkley Square, another noteworthy 10-episode series featuring principally female leads.

Sarah-Jane.tv, though a fan-run site, has proven to be correct with two other earlier "rumors". Its ambiguously-sourced claim that Graeme Harper would direct episodes 7 & 8 has now been made official, as has the exit of Porsha Lawrence-Mavour as "Kelsey". DWM reports that Daniel Anthony will indeed be taking on the role of "Clyde Langerl", but there is still no official reason for Lawrence-Mavour's dismissal.