What’s Going On With Doctor Who?

What did you think of Doctor Who series 14? Following the special 60th anniversary trilogy starring David Tennant and the 2023 Christmas special firmly introducing Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, it’s safe to say the reception was… mixed. With ratings plummeting by almost a half between ‘The Church on Ruby Road’ and the series 14 finale, ‘Empire of Death’, long-time fans bemoaned the extra singing, dancing and so-called ‘woke’ storylines.

With Doctor Who series 15 already filmed, the fate of the historic show hangs in the balance. Here’s what we know so far.

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa). © BBC STUDIOS/BAD WOLF/James Pardon

Has Doctor Who Been Cancelled?

No, Doctor Who hasn’t officially been cancelled – but there are lots of rumbles of dissatisfaction as far as the production is concerned. With series 15 filmed between October 2023 and May 2024, rumours suggest lead star Ncuti Gatwa has already filmed his regeneration scene, bringing his journey across the universe to a close.

If that’s true, Gatwa would depart the universe after just two series, making his tenure as the Doctor one of the shortest in the franchise, longer only than Christopher Eccleston’s one-series, 13-episode stint in 2005.

‘Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him,’ an insider reportedly said. ‘His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.

‘The show has been poorly managed in recent years and there’s a lot of people who’ve been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership,’ the insider added. ‘People warned some episodes were getting too caught up on an agenda rather than telling a story and those people got shouted down, ignored.’

Millie Gibson, Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu will all star in Doctor Who Season 15. © BBC STUDIOS/James Pardon

What Does The BBC Say?

The BBC has vehemently denied all of the rumours swirling around Doctor Who. The broadcaster told The Mirror: ‘This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines.’

The statement directly responds to The Sun’s story, published earlier this week. Stateside, however, Deadline reported way back in summer 2024 – off the back of Disney Upfront – that ‘noises that [Doctor Who] may not last beyond its initial two seasons [were] already reverberating around international TV circles,’ with a source close to the production telling the media publication that the series’ ‘future hangs in the balance already’. Back then, Disney, the BBC and Doctor Who’s production company Bad Wolf all declined to comment, perhaps attempting to avoid fanning any rumour flames. Eight months later, however, the rumours are swirling once more.

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) in the Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023. ©BBC STUDIOS 2023/James Pardon

Will Disney Renew Its Doctor Who Deal With The BBC?

In 2022, Disney reportedly invested a whopping £100 million in the Doctor Who franchise (which Deadline has described as ‘undoubtedly one of the biggest global TV show deals of the past decade’) partnering with its longtime broadcaster, the BBC, to inject some new vibrancy into the series. This figure doubled the budget for each and every episode, and granted Disney the international rights to air the series.

The jury is still out on whether this relationship will continue. However, with Ncuti reportedly getting itchy feet, production teams fearful for the future of their jobs and the BBC reiterating the original terms of the deal (26 episodes only), it’s not looking good.

WATCH

Doctor Who series 15 is expected to air in 2025. Catch up with all episodes of Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer.