Fortunately, if there's a fanbase fully prepared for this sort of thing, it's Doctor Who fans.
If you've been paying attention at all to the current status of Doctor Who, as a program, then you know that since the collapse of the production deal with Disney+ things have been more than a little up in the air.
A little over a year ago saw the last episode of the Disney+ Era. Ncuti Gatwa unexpectedly regenerated into Billie Piper? And what on Earth was all that with Carole Ann Ford supposed to be building up to? And are they ever going to bother airing The War Between the Land and the Sea in the US? And does the end of the Disney deal mean we can call those seasons 14 and 15 now?
There were a lot of unanswered questions. That's what I'm saying.
After a bit, the BBC and RTD announced that they were totally, for sure, pinky swear, going to have a Doctor Who Christmas special for 2026 before promptly going radio silent for the better part of a year.
Now, as of yesterday, June 10th, 2026, the BBC has issued an official statement on the future of the program. Russell issued his on Instagram, which feels very on brand.
Taking them in order, here's the official statement from the BBC:
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.And to follow, Russell's Instagram post:
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.So, looking at those together, what's our takeaway?
1: There never was a plan for a Christmas special for 2026.
– This is hardly surprising. I don't think any of us ever seriously believed that there was going to be. Still, it's good to have definitive word on it, however disappointing that word is.
2: Russell T. Davies and Bad Wolf productions are out.
– Also not terribly surprising when you think about it, although I was a little taken aback when I read it at first. It does make sense though, given some thought. With the way everything ended with this most recent era, one can certainly see the appeal to the powers that be to have a complete clean slate.
3: The official word from the BBC as regards when Doctor Who will be back: they have no idea.
– This is what longtime fans of the program refer to as 'A Tuesday'.
So, what's next? Who knows. What these two announcements really amount to is that all remnants of the previous series are officially swept away. The BBC has officially opened themselves up to proposals from new production and distribution companies. Could they turn down all offers and decide to rest the show again, a la 1989? Absolutely. I don't personally think they will, but who knows.
One day The Doctor will be back. We'll all just have to wait and see when and how that happens.
What about you? What do you think comes next? I can't wait to read your thoughts in the comments.
Mikey Heinrich is, among other things, a freelance writer, retired firefighter, and roughly 78% water. You can find more of his work at the 42nd Vizsla. If you'd like to see his raw notes for this and other reviews, you can find them at What Was Mikey Thinking?
I'm sad we're not getting more of Ncuti. I thought he was terrific -- young, interesting, attractive. I was frustrated with the writing they gave him, though. Why is it so hard to find good Doctor Who writers? Is it just that it's such a unique property and everyone has baked in expectations that conflict because there's been so many Doctors and so many years?
ReplyDeletePoor Carole Ann Ford
ReplyDeleteIt should be noted composer Murray Gold said Davies wrote "multiple versions" of the unmade 2026 Christmas episode. While there are definitely conflicting accounts from crew members or filmmakers in films/series, the RTD message got me thinking. I definitely believe that the Christmas special script was originally supposed to be made. While it going into speculation, it is very possible that the pitch was rejected. I know RTD denied the script had been made, but I don’t buy it. There is no way it was never considered.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mikey for the overview & your impressions. It's weird times for Dr Who fans. I agree with Billy, Ncuti got short-handed. The writing for his two seasons were frustrating: glimmers of brilliance, some perfectly passable stuff, all dragged down by some truly baffling writing choices, missed opportunities, promises not delivered on. Maybe it's for the best to take a break, and begin with a clean slate. Pick up again with a more modest new Dr Who season, that captures the true heart of what the show is about. Let's enter the Wildnerness together and keep each other warm around the campfire, telling stories about a madman that stole a blue box and kept saving the universe...
ReplyDeleteSigh. I concur with Billie and Stijn. I wish we'd had more episodes of Ncuti as The Doctor, and I wish those episodes had had better writing. I wish the storylines with Poppy and Carole Ann Ford had been properly concluded at the very least. I wish Ncuti had never regenerated into Billie Piper when it's clear that was never going anywhere. But whenever The Doctor returns, I'll be watching.
ReplyDelete