According to the UK’s newspaper, the Daily Mirror, a BBC spokesman has “furiously” denied that Doctor Who has been cancelled.
The Mirror, usually a reliable source for news about Doctor Who, published the story on 18th February. The BBC spokesman refused to rule out that Ncuti Gatwa is walking away from the programme.
The “BBC spokesperson”, whose identity is, as ever, shrouded in secrecy, told The Mirror:
“This story [that the show has been cancelled] 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.”
This quotation was repeated in The Times’ report on 19th February, 2025, which added that Ncuti had already filmed his regeneration exit scene.
The Times added more information, commenting that a potential new Doctor and the lack of new agreement with Disney has led to speculation that the series will end or that there will be another lengthy hiatus. “Insiders” told The Times that it was “unusual for a series as significant as Doctor Who not to have filming plans in place”. An “industry source” is quoted as saying:
“Normally shows this big begin pre-production work long in advance and often while a series is being shot. One would expect series three work to be happening now and for the production to be clear on who the Doctor will be. If the BBC cannot confirm a continuation of the Disney deal then it is a worrying sign. Perhaps Disney is waiting to see if the second series performs well, but it’s hardly a sign of faith in the show. That delay will mean it is impossible to make a third series within the next year or even two if it gets the go-ahead.”
Like other newspapers, The Times picks up on the ratings, comparing the 2.6 million viewers in real time for Ncuti on BBC 1 with the 3.7 million who watched Jodie Whittaker’s final episode. The Times adds that the show is yet to appear on viewership charts by US ratings analyst Nielsen, suggesting it has not been a big hit among American viewers. The paper notes that Russell T Davies has just signed up to write a five part drama for Channel 4, Tip Toe, which has led to speculation that he is fashioning a parachute in case he has to leave Doctor Who. The Times quotes Davies from last year:
“In coming back, I wanted to make it simpler and I wanted to make it younger. These two things are often not discussed. You read reactions to it and people are missing that. It’s simpler and younger, and it is working. The under-16s and the 16-34 audience as well is massive. It’s not doing that well in the ratings but it is doing phenomenally well with the younger audience that we wanted.”
The Times quotes a report in The Sun – another newspaper in Rupert Murdoch’s UK stable – which says that crew working on the latest series were disgruntled after being told not to expect any more work on Doctor Who “for at least a decade”.
It seems the Mirror‘s story is a rebuttal of a story in the much less reliable UK newspaper The Sun, which stated that Ncuti had already filmed his final episode and planned to bow out at the end of season 15. “A source” told The Sun:
“Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood productions standing by for him. 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 the show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership.”
DWC readers might take these reports with as big a sack full of salt as it takes to kill a Fendahleen, but the stories might seem to confirm: no decision has been taken about a third season, which means the show might return to the BBC or be cancelled; Ncuti may or may not stay with the programme; there will be a hiatus before any third season. These negative stories in the British press about the programme’s uncertain future are hardly the background the BBC might hope for as season 2, or Series 15, is about to be launched.
And whoever can be those fans mentioned in “The Sun”, responsible for a “backlash” against the present incarnation of the show, or the “poor” leaders of the show who have now been “cast aside”…?
