Doctor Who has long been a quintessentially British series, with most of its fanbase based in the UK. The show has a relatively small audience in the U.S. and overseas, and the BBC's deal with Disney+ was supposed to bring it to a global audience.
However, even with a significant budget increase and a new streaming partner, returning showrunner Russell T Davies' latest revival was a flop.
In the UK, it failed to top the ratings for Jodie Whittaker's disappointing stint in the TARDIS (which, despite her well-received take on the first female Doctor, was widely regarded as a failure, creatively speaking). While viewership figures were never released, Doctor Who similarly underperformed on Disney+, and the streamer scrapped its partnership with the BBC.
Much was said about the show's "woke" themes upon its return, including a same-sex kiss for the Doctor, drag queen Jinkx Monsoon as a villain, and an episode about incel robots. A report from the trades has said that Doctor Who became "too woke for Trump's USA," with this being a "factor in Disney minds" to exit the TARDIS.
So, what's next for Doctor Who? Well, Davies will be back for a 2026 Christmas Special, which will have a reduced budget, and either set the stage for the franchise to continue or wrap up Billie Piper's surprise debut as the new Doctor before a new creative team takes over.
In a recent interview (via SFFGazette.com), Doctor Who composer Murray Gold revealed, "I know that Russell’s written, I think, multiple versions depending on certain outcomes. So that’s all I really know, and I’m not sure I’m even supposed to know that."
"I think we’re at a precarious point for Doctor Who. I am hopeful that it’s all going to be the start of a wonderful new era. So I really hope that that’s what happens," he continued. "If someone asks me and says, 'Would you? Do you want to do it?' Of course, I would always say, 'Yes.' I don’t think I’d ever say, 'No' to Russell anyway. It’s fun, even when it’s hard!"
There could be any number of reasons for Davies' writing multiple versions of the Doctor Who Christmas Special, ranging from actor availability to the BBC being undecided on the best next step for the series. With the Season 2 finale, Piper's return was filmed relatively last-minute, after Ncuti Gatwa decided he wouldn't be sticking around for another year.
That was reportedly a result of Disney+ dropping out of the BBC deal, and Gatwa not wanting to put his Hollywood career on hold while waiting for news on when he'd be needed for more Doctor Who.
BBC Studios production chief Zai Bennett recently hinted at another overhaul when he said, "We're a big, important part of Doctor Who and are all motivated to make sure Doctor Who has a long and flourishing life. We've got the Christmas special coming. After that, it's time for us all to work on it."
Stay tuned for Doctor Who updates as we have them.