It sounds like the BBC has no intention of cancelingDoctor Who, even if Disney does pull out of their partnership. In 2022, Disney acquired the streaming rights to a new series ofDoctor Who, which kicked off with the 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant and led into the new seasons with Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. As Disney looks to cut spending on streaming, rumors have circulated that they might not renew their contract with the BBC on futureDoctor Whoepisodes, leading the series' future into doubt.
The Mirror reports that sources close to the production ofDoctor Whohave said that showrunner Russell T. Davies has already written scripts for two seasons' worth of future episodes. Even if Disney does depart the following season, reportedly, it won’t have as significant an impact on the series as many fans would think. This is because a source says that about £10 million per episode is spent to improve the series' picture quality for Disney 4K streaming, which wouldn’t be a concern to the BBC since they broadcast in standard high definition. One source told The Mirror:
“When Doctor Who began its partnership with Disney+, there was additional funding put in place. Doctor Who is an expensive show to make, with its effects budget taking up a significant part of the overall spend, so if Disney were to withdraw its funding, then there wouldn’t be as significant an impact on production as some fans may think. The TARDIS set is still standing in Cardiff, all ready to go on new adventures.”
Expect a Delay…and Maybe a New Doctor
Disney itself has not made a final call on its deal withDoctor Who, as they said they will be waiting until after the Series 15 finale, which airs on July 04, 2025. While it appears that BBC will continue withDoctor Whoregardless of Disney’s involvement, there might be a wait for the next season. The series is expected to take off in 2026 and not return until 2027. This theoretically could mean fans might miss out on aDoctor WhoChristmas special for 2025 and maybe 2026. As one source told The Mirror:
“Whether or not Disney stays, the expectation is that the show will continue. Yes, there will be a gap while the scripts are finalised, the episodes are filmed and the editing process takes place. But we’ll be back. The wait won’t be forever, just a big pause.”
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There is also no word on whether the upcoming scripts Russell T. Davies has written forDoctor Whowill include Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor. Rumors have begun circulating that the forthcoming finale might end Gatwa’s tenure and see him regenerate. It certainly would be a shame if Gatwa were to depart after only two years and a total of 16 episodes and three specials. However, no one would blame the actor for maybe wanting to get out of the series that has come under heavy fire from more toxic corners of the fandom space, who have accused the series of “going woke” all because they cast a Black actor as the Doctor.
The Mirrornotes that whileovernight ratings forDoctor Whoare lower than in 2024, the series remains a popular brand and still plays big on BBC iPlayer. It is unclear how well the series does on Disney+ since the service doesn’t release streaming numbers. Even ifDoctor Whomight not be as big a hit on linear broadcast as it used to be, most series today aren’t since many choose to stream them. Much about the television landscape has changed sinceDoctor Whoreturned twenty years ago, and even more so since the era of Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker. What hasn’t changed is that there is still an audience forDoctor Who, and like the title character, it will always find a way to return.
Source:The Mirror
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