Last October, Disney+ ended its Doctor Who partnership with the BBC. The news had been expected, though it was a major blow to the franchise after the streamer had teamed with the British Broadcasting Company to bring the long-running sci-fi series to a global audience.
That included a significant financial contribution meant to give the show a big-budget feel, bringing it more in line with high-concept series like The Mandalorian, Paramount+'s Star Trek shows, and the MCU's small screen offerings.
Following the 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, the first two seasons of Doctor Who's latest revival struggled to find an audience both in the UK and on Disney+. Not helping matters was repeated backlash surrounding showrunner Russell T Davies's "woke" approach to the stories being told.
Ncuti Gatwa, who appeared sporadically during Season 1 due to other commitments, left the series after the Season 2 finale, regenerating into a female Doctor with Billie Piper's face (the actress played companion Rose Tyler when the series was brought back by Davies in 2005).
A Christmas special, written by Davies, is coming to the BBC this year. Many believe that will mark the end of Davies' latest stint in the TARDIS, giving him the chance to wrap up his loose ends before a new creative team takes the Time Lord back to the drawing board. The consensus is that, whatever happens, we'll get fewer episodes and Doctor Who will have a modest budget.
There have been rumblings about the BBC seeking a new American streaming partner, whether it's Netflix or HBO Max. In an interview with Radio Times (via SFFGazette.com) at the UK launch of the latter platform, Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, revealed what he knows about a possible deal.
"It has not been presented to us," the executive confirmed. "As with anything, I would say 'Never say never' – it's just not something that I know about."
After the Disney+ partnership went so poorly, the BBC may have decided to take a crack at keeping the Whoniverse alive by itself. Either way, Doctor Who will have to evolve—or regenerate—following a steep year-over-year decline in ratings.
As noted, it's previously been reported that the series could take a break or return for much shorter seasons that are cost-effective for the broadcaster. That's one way to keep it going, and some fans will argue that Doctor Who was always at its best when it was forced to get creative and deliver the types of stories you wouldn't necessarily see in big-budget series like those listed above.
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