Russell T Davies resurrected Doctor Who in 2005, and following a hugely successful stint as showrunner, he passed the reins to Steven Moffat. That proved to be another win for the long-running sci-fi property, whereas Chris Chibnall's run led to a significant decline in interest.
Ratings plummeted, and the BBC eventually asked Davies to step back into the TARDIS for a new era of storytelling, starting with the 60th anniversary specials. Unfortunately, his ideas for the show proved divisive, and Ncuti Gatwa's two-season run was a ratings disappointment.
Disney+ is expected to end its funding/streaming deal with the British broadcaster after The War Between the Land and the Sea is released later this year.
The season 15/season 2 finale ended with Gatwa's Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper, a major cliffhanger that may be left unresolved for the foreseeable future if this latest update is anything to go by.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, former Doctor Who Magazine editor Tom Spilsbury has shared his take on the state of the franchise (via r/DoctorWhoNews), and while his comments are largely speculative, he does appear to have received insights from those working on the show.
"My guess - and it is just a guess - is that it will be five or six years before we see anything new," he shared. "At which point, it will be the children of 2005 who will be bringing the show back, just as Russell predicted. As ever, time will tell."
"I suspect the show will indeed come back at some point, but as of right now, nothing is commissioned and nothing is guaranteed," Spilsbury noted. "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 l've spoken to. Let's see."
Elaborating on that point, he said, "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. 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 concluded, "I'm just offering a perspective, based on my knowledge, and real-life conversations with people who do actually know a thing or two about television. Let's see."
The future doesn't look particularly bright for the Time Lord, and it appears we'll be waiting at least a few years to see the series on TV again.
There's been chatter about a series of specials or shorter seasons to save money, but Netflix and HBO are also rumoured to be negotiating with the BBC, giving Doctor Who its best chance to maintain its newfound big-budget feel. Either way, Davies' return seems doubtful.
It's unclear when we'll get an official update on what's planned for Doctor Who, but we'll keep you updated as we learn more.