Doctor Who Is Having A Lot Of Trouble Regenerating

The “new” Doctor Who series on Disney+ was not successful, at least by Disney’s high-standard metrics and the gazilions of cash that were flowed into it. It wasn’t that much of a surprise that Disney did not renew the deal, but what is eyebrow-raising is the fact that the BBC seems to be having trouble continuing the series on its own, and they just kicked out longtime showrunner Russel T. Davies. From their own note:

Today we’re announcing an update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.

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.

To a Yank’s ears, “competitive tender” brings to mind a State Fair competition where a bunch of overweight guys try to scarf down as many chicken nuggets as possible. But I’ve been assured it’s not this. “Competitive tender” means it’s being offered up for any production company interested in taking it on; best bid wins. The letter continues:

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.

Most fans have figured out that if no work was being done on the Christmas episode by June, they were probably not getting it. But the special was intended to resolve the weird cliffhanger Davies stuck onto the end of the Disney+ era, which shows actor Ncuti Gatwa regenerating into Billie Piper. That’s quite a mess to leave behind, and the future now depends on if anyone is willing to come forward to untangle it. If Doctor Who goes on indefinite hiatus now, that’s a far less tidy end scene to leave us with than “Come on, Ace, the tea’s getting cold.”

It is, however, emblematic of a production that fell off the rails and over a cliff, blessed with more money than sense. But the Doctor has been reborn again, and will be in the future. No matter how long we have to wait.