The Doctor is famed for having powers of regeneration, but the shape-shifting Time Lord’s next transformation could well be the most challenging yet.
That’s the early verdict of UK industry insiders after the BBC dropped a TARDIS bombshell on Wednesday, when the broadcaster announced a major creative rethink of Doctor Who. Gone is a Christmas special, which had been greenlit only eight months previously. And, perhaps more consequentially, showrunner Russell T Davies and producer Bad Wolf have abandoned ship.
Two insiders said it was a mutual parting of the ways after all sides realized that Doctor Who required a level of surgery that could not be masked by the sticking plaster of a festive episode. This creative surgery is expected to take years, potentially keeping the show off TV until 2028 at the earliest, sources said.
The outcome was obvious to anyone close to the show. Davies had no script (though there are conflicting accounts about exactly how much he had written), and there was no actor attached to play the Doctor. These were insurmountable issues with less than six months to get the special on screen, even if post-production would have been shortened by the absence of an international partner.
Some were surprised that the Christmas episode was even announced by the BBC last October. One person said it was unveiled “more in hope than expectation,” and was done to calm concerns that Doctor Who was being scrapped after Disney ditched its co-production deal. Davies more or less confirmed this when he posted on Instagram that the special was “only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen.”
In a statement, the BBC said the decision to cancel the Christmas episode was “not taken lightly” and acknowledged that the news would be “disappointing for fans.” The broadcaster added that it was now focused on “securing the next phase of the show for future generations.”
The BBC announced that it will embark on a competitive tender for Season 16, in which producers will pitch in a bake-off-style process to regenerate the sci-fi series.
The idea of farming out one of your iconic brands to a third-party producer may seem anathema to some, but under the terms of the BBC’s operating agreement, known as its royal charter, the corporation has a duty to put in-house shows out to the market.
“You’d Have To Be Mad” To Make ‘Doctor Who’
The BBC recently completed a tender process for long-running medical drama Casualty, during which BBC Studios retained the contract. Doctor Who is the highest-profile series yet to undergo the process, but the prospect is failing to inspire early enthusiasm.
Deadline contacted four respected UK drama producers to test their appetite for making Doctor Who. All had serious reservations about becoming a gun-for-hire.
The producers said they worried about not owning the rights to a series that would likely become a significant drain on resources and creative energy. They also harbored concerns about funding for Doctor Who after the Disney deal, while some expressed more fundamental fears about whether the Time Lord remains relevant to young audiences.
One top producer exclaimed that “you would have to be mad” to take on the show. “[It’s a] bit of a nightmare for any producer in this market with the shadow of the Disney fallout,” was the verdict of another highly-regarded producer.
This person added: “It’s hard to see another major U.S. studio replacing Disney. So the budget would be hard to get above £3M ($4M) [per episode] without significant co-pro or insane investment from the distribution arm [BBC Studios], which they will struggle to recoup on sales.”
There is also a feeling that the sci-fi series has lost its way creatively, with Ncuti Gatwa never fully embracing the role, and concerns about Davies using a “sledgehammer” to tackle issues of diversity and inclusion that have long been a celebrated part of Doctor Who. Ratings have tanked under his watch.
It’s not clear if Bad Wolf can be persuaded to bid for Doctor Who, but a source said it was unlikely that the producer’s parent, Sony Pictures Television, would sanction the company spending more time on a show “they don’t own or have a share of.”
Bad Wolf’s deal in 2021 to make the BBC Studios series was highly unusual, but it was used as a mechanism to restore Davies as showrunner after he worked with bosses Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner on the 2005 relaunch with Christopher Eccleston. Bad Wolf has declined to comment beyond a statement posted on Instagram, in which it said it had been an “honour” to work on Doctor Who.
Others are more upbeat. One person said Doctor Who is both an intriguing prospect and a potential resource sink. Doctor Who is a global brand that could burnish the resumé of a producer and potentially open other doors. And whatever happens, BBC Studios will remain in the saddle, handling distribution, licensing, consumer products, digital, and immersive experiences.
Even if there is a frenzy for the contract, Doctor Who is expected to be off air for years as the BBC works out its future. The BBC has not given any timeline for when it will take Doctor Who to market, and when it does, it’s a process that can take up to six months, if the Casualty tender is anything to go by.
Industry insiders think the show won’t return until 2028 at the very earliest, but even then, this is considered an outside bet. One producer predicted that Doctor Who could be rested for up to five years, and that the break would be good for the series.
A person close to Doctor Who in recent years said the show will survive: “If you look at the longevity of Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek, these are valuable commodities over generations. The BBC is lucky to have one of these, and this should be no more than a bump in the road if they approach it properly.”
The Doctor may be dead for now, but the BBC will be hoping it is long live Doctor Who.
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