Doctor Who future addressed by BBC Studios boss – remains "really committed" to show
The boss has addressed the studio's partnership with Disney and what the future holds.
BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell has opened up on the future of Doctor Who – reassuring fans he’s "committed" to the show going forward.
The boss spoke out following speculation regarding what lies ahead of the beloved sci-fi series, and speculation the partnership deal with the BBC and Disney+ for the show is hanging in the balance.
Following the release of the BBC’s Annual Report on Tuesday (15th July), Fussell said that Disney is a "key partner" of BBC Studios, not just with Doctor Who but with other popular brands including Bluey and Dancing with the Stars.
He told Deadline: "Fans love the Doctor Who brand. It’s been that way since before I was in short trousers."
He added the team were "really committed to Doctor Who and are continuing to look at ways in which we can bring the show to fans".
The BBC/Disney partnership came into force two seasons ago, at the same time Russell T Davies returned to Doctor Who as showrunner, and Ncuti Gatwa took over as the Doctor.
Gatwa’s introduction as the Doctor came after David Tennant briefly reprised the role as Jodie Whittaker’s tenure ended.
However, since then the show has divided fans for its complicated plot lines, surprise character returns and convoluted plot twists.
At the end of the latest season, Gatwa stepped down, appearing to hand it over to Billie Piper as the character regenerated in the finale.
At the time, Gatwa said a two-season arc was "always the plan", but in an interview over the weekend (Sunday 13th July) he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg it had "taken a lot out of him physically, emotionally and mentally".
To add further confusion, it’s since been noted that Piper – who is already an established presence within the franchise as Rose Tyler – may not actually be the next Doctor after all, with showrunner Davies joking he had "no idea" in an interview with YourManchester.
Fans had already noted that Piper’s appearance broke with tradition as she was not introduced as the next Doctor in the credits of the episode.
Davies said after her appearance in the finale: "It’s an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told."
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Authors
Tilly Pearce is a freelance TV journalist whose coverage ranges from reality shows like Love Is Blind to sci-fi shows like Fallout. She is an NCTJ Gold Standard accredited journalist, who has previously worked as Deputy TV Editor (maternity cover) at Digital Spy, and Deputy TV & Showbiz Editor at Daily Express US.
