Doctor Who might stay off the air for the rest of the decade, according to a well-known insider, as worries about the show’s short-term future continue to grow.
Stream every episode of Doctor Who Series 15 for free on BBC iPlayer
This comes from Tom Spilsbury, a journalist and writer who knows the show’s production well and was the editor of the official Doctor Who Magazine (DWM) for over ten years.
Posting on the fan forum Gallifrey Base, Spilsbury said that while he believes Doctor Who will come back eventually, fans should “adjust their expectations” for what’s coming next, since there’s still no update on the renewal of the Disney co-funding deal.
I suspect the show will indeed come back at some point, but as of right now, nothing is commissioned and nothing is guaranteed. Those are the facts. Time will tell, of course, but I don’t get the sense of much optimism for anything very soon from anyone I’ve spoken to.
Spilsbury wrote
Across more than 100 issues of DWM, Spilsbury often interviewed major people involved in the show’s production, and also worked with the BBC on recording audio commentaries for its Doctor Who DVD releases. Now, using his insight into the show’s production, Spilsbury has said that fans should get ready for a long wait before new episodes are aired.
Read More: Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker Reveals Regret About How She Played Thirteenth Doctor
Everything is moving much more slowly in television at the moment. On the assumption that Disney doesn’t renew before its option officially expires, that will be the point when the BBC can start to shop the show around. And that process could take a fair bit of time – it may require more than one partner just to raise the money needed. Potential partners who may have some very specific requirements or stipulations. They may need to go back to people who they turned down last time. Have you noticed how more productions have needed multiple backers just to make them viable these days? Yes, the BBC could go for the ultra-cheap in-house version of the show, but I really don’t think that’s as viable an option as it used to be – the licence fee simply hasn’t kept up with inflation over the past few years.
Spilsbury wrote
Spilsbury added a caveat to his comments, saying they were just his “perspective”, though it was based on his production “knowledge and real-life conversations with people who do actually know a thing or two about television”.
I’m not saying that things will definitely turn out this way, I just think people may need to adjust their expectations about how long this will all take. As I’ve always said, Doctor Who might not be officially ‘cancelled’ – but for now, the absence of a commission essentially amounts to the same thing. I’m sure that commission will come at some point, but the longer it takes, the more likely it will be that the show will return as a completely reimagined relaunch. And maybe that would be a good thing?
he continued
Though he’s not part of the show’s current production, Spilsbury’s past connection to the brand gives his words importance among Doctor Who fans, who are treating his view of the show’s future seriously. And a major point here, reading between the lines, seems to be the idea that the longer it takes for Doctor Who to come back, the more likely it is that it will return with a new team in charge.
My guess – and it is just a guess – is that it will be five or six years before we see anything new. At which point, it will be the children of 2005 who will be bringing the show back, just as Russell [T Davies, current Doctor Who showrunner] predicted. As ever, time will tell.
Spilsbury suggested
Spilsbury is referring to a recent BBC Newsround interview with Davies, who talked about the last time Doctor Who was off-air for a long stretch, before his own first season as showrunner in 2005, when Christopher Eccleston took on the lead role. In that interview, Davies said that Doctor Who would sometimes “pause” until a new generation picked it up.
It’s also worth noting Spilsbury’s earlier comment that “potential partners” might have some “specific requirements or stipulations” — and it seems reasonable to think that, as time passes and opinions about Doctor Who’s recent seasons settle, future co-funding partners might be more interested in any new deal including a fresh vision for the show.
When asked if he thought the show’s recent finale — with its surprise reveal of Billie Piper after Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor exited in a reshot ending — had created a problem for the show’s return, Spilsbury agreed, but also suggested that the longer the wait, the easier it would be to move past it.
Yes, but I think it will eventually become academic. I suspect it will be quite a while before new episodes are commissioned and announced, by which point enough time will have passed that everyone will be expecting a clean slate anyway.
he wrote
Last month, Davies admitted that Doctor Who’s current production team “don’t know what’s happening yet” when it comes to the show’s future. At the same time, the BBC has revealed plans.
Source: PK.IGN