Bad news for Doctor Who fans waiting for a resolution to last year’s season-ending cliffhanger which saw then-current Doctor Ncuti Gatwa regenerate into former companion Rose Tyler, aka actress Billie Piper.
The BBC has announced that the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas special has been cancelled and the British broadcaster has ended its production deal for the show with producer Russell T. Davies and his Bad Wolf production shingle. Additionally the BBC announced that it has begun the process of looking for a new producer to shepherd the show going forward.
On the show’s official website, the BBC stated –
As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.
After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.
In an Instagram post, Davies confirmed the news –
And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special – we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worth it! For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor. You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time. Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp
The announcement does not come as a complete surprise.
Previously, the last two seasons of the show were being produced as a joint production between the BBC and the Disney+ streaming service. The deal saw actor Ncuti Gatwa taking on the role of the crusading time-travler known only as The Doctor. Davies, who oversaw the successful relaunch of the series in 2005 after a sixteen year hiatus. While his initial run on the show was greeted positively by fans, his return has generated more mixed reviews. Additionally, Disney did not see the ratings for the show that they were expecting and decided to cancel the co-production deal last October. However, due to Disney’s delay in deciding whether or not to go ahead with a third season, Gatwa very publicly exited the role to pursue several acting opportunities he was being offered rather than having to wait to find out what his Doctor Who work schedule may be.
