Russell T Davies' return to Doctor Who was meant to get the long-running sci-fi series back on the right track after Chris Chibnall's disappointing take.
Unfortunately, that fell short of expectations. Whether it was "woke" storylines, the Time Lord's surprising lack of screentime in the first batch of episodes, or Davies taking some big swings with Whoniverse lore, it felt there was a fresh wave of backlash each week.
Last October, Disney+ ended its Doctor Who partnership with the BBC. The news had been expected, though it was a major blow to the franchise after the streamer had teamed with the British Broadcasting Company to bring the long-running sci-fi series to a global audience.
That included a significant financial contribution intended to give the show a big-budget feel, which a version produced solely by the BBC will not have.
However, with a Christmas Special planned—that's expected to serve as a passing of the torch to the next creative team—the hope was Davies might be able to end his second Doctor Who run on a high note.
Now, even that's being called into question. As we first explained on SFFGazette.com, a new report from The Sun (the British tabloids have a pretty solid track record with Doctor Who news) claims that the upcoming special may have been scrapped. Why? Because the BBC can't find anyone to play the Doctor.
According to an insider, "Despite reassurances that the show would be back on our screens with a new series, there’s been no confirmation from execs about when that will be. And they proudly announced that the Doctor would be making a comeback in this year’s Christmas Special. Now, with less than seven months to go, that looks like it’s hanging in the balance too."
"The problem is that they have found it difficult to find anyone who’ll take on the part of the 16th Time Lord, partly because it now feels like a role that comes with all the baggage of the most recent series," they continue. "There are fears that even if they do manage to pull something together, it is going to be a poor cousin to previous Christmas specials, which have always been adored by fans."
Following the 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, the first two seasons of Doctor Who's latest revival struggled to find an audience both in the UK and internationally on Disney+.
Ncuti Gatwa, who appeared sporadically during Season 1 due to other commitments, left the series after the Season 2 finale, regenerating into a female "Doctor" with Billie Piper's face. She was never announced as Gatwa's successor, and was drafted at the last minute for a cliffhanger ending when he decided to move on.
While that was seemingly considered a better option than a regeneration that stopped short of revealing the next Time Lord, it also confused even the most die-hard fans. At this rate, it seems Russell won't get the chance to address Piper's surprise return. Still, even a full-blown reboot will surely need to touch on it.
Keep checking back here for updates on Doctor Who's uncertain future as we have them.