Doctor Who 'to return to BBC regardless of Disney involvement'
The reports come in light of rumours around Disney possibly withdrawing its Doctor Who funding.
Amid the ongoing discussions around the future of Doctor Who, it has now been reported that the sci-fi series will continue on the BBC regardless of what happens with Disney.
It comes after rumours that Disney may be withdrawing its involvement in the series due to declining ratings, ending the co-production between the two broadcasting giants.
According to The Mirror, showrunner Russell T Davies has already planned the next two seasons, with scripts for season 16 nearly complete and stories ready for the 17th season.
A source told the publication that Disney withdrawing money wouldn't have as great an impact as some fans fear, with much of the current extra funding spent on the technical task of improving the picture quality and visual effects.
The BBC declined to comment when contacted by RadioTimes.com.
Although the current 15th season continues to get audiences talking, Davies has admitted that there could be a "pause" in the Doctor Who schedule, leaving viewers to speculate about the show's future.
When speaking to Newsround, Davies said: "Tthe Doctor’s reached the status of, like, Robin Hood. Sometimes there might be a pause, and during that pause, the viewers of Newsround now will grow up a few years and start writing stories and they’ll bring it back.
"So I have absolute faith that that will survive because I am living proof of it and that’s what happens to good ideas. No good idea ever dies."
Read more:
- Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies says "there might be a pause" – hints at show hiatus
- Doctor Who boss is writing season 16 - with plans for spin-offs
Back in February, the BBC responded to speculation about rumours of Doctor Who being shelved.
A spokesperson at the time said: "This story 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."
Previously speaking to RadioTimes.com, Davies addressed the future of the show by saying: "There's no decision until after season 2.
"It's funny, because even people who work on the show think that means we're having secret meetings about it. People I work with every year say, 'What's really happening?' and I'm going, 'Nothing! No meetings, nothing.'
"That's when the decision is – and the decision won't even be made by the people we work with at Disney+, it'll be made by someone in a big office somewhere. So literally nothing happening, no decision."
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Doctor Who continues next Saturday (24th May), with new episodes available from 8am on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in the UK and later the same day on BBC One. The series is available on Disney+ outside of the UK.
Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
