A third season for Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who remains up in the air, and The Sun has been stirring about the show’s future again.
A weekend report from The Sun – if you’re unfamiliar with the outlet, then this is essential reading – has suggested that all is not well in the world of Doctor Who.
The show’s latest reboot in 2023 brought Ncuti Gatwa to the TARDIS, with Russell T Davies returning as well to oversee Doctor Who. Disney+ pumped in the kind of cash that the Time Lord has never seen before, and the second season of the new iteration of the programme is already shot, and screens this year.
However, there’s the hint of clouds overhead. Russell T Davies had already revealed that a third season of the Ncuti Gatwa era hadn’t yet been greenlit last year, and the latest report is suggesting that it won’t be happening anytime soon. That instead, Ncuti Gatwa is set to head to Hollywood, and Doctor Who is to go on long-term hiatus once again.
The Radio Times has confirmed that the order from Disney+ was for 26 episodes of the show, which may or may not be counting the already-shot spin-off, The War Between The Land And The Sea. If the spin-off is included, then 26 have indeed been filmed.
The BBC has confirmed that a decision will be made on the future of Doctor Who, specifically if Disney is going to stump up for a third season, once the second season has transmitted. While The Sun may have jumped the gun, and while its report’s accuracy is being called into account, it’s still clear that the show is heading for one of its fixed points in time.
Were Disney to remove its backing, it’s hard to see Doctor Who going back to being produced solely on a BBC budget, and thus another partner with a bit of a wallet would be required. If Disney continues, and hopefully it will, then the future is a lot more secure. A bit stating the obvious, that, but still true.
Ratings may be the issue. The show is not short of supporters, and the days when you needed a massive overnight audience to be declared a hit are long, long gone. The trickier factor may be if Doctor Who is breaking through in America in enough numbers to put a smile of Disney’s face. Early signs suggest not, but there’s a long way to go.
Doctor Who is expected to return in the spring. Personally, can’t wait.
