Former Doctor Who showrunner argues BBC has a “national duty” to keep making show
"It's always painful when it's off the air."
With the future of Doctor Who a little up in the air, former showrunner Steven Moffat has argued that the BBC has a "national duty" to continue making the show.
The writer helmed the beloved sci-fi from 2010 to 2017 (AKA, the Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi years) but has more recently returned to write the season 14 episode Boom and the Christmas special Joy to the World.
But after the latest episode, The Reality War, which saw Ncuti Gatwa regenerate into Billie Piper, everyone is still waiting for a decision from Disney about whether they're set to commission more seasons - although Kate Phillips chief content officer at the BBC, has assured fans the show will continue on the BBC "with or without Disney".
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com before that statement was made, Moffat said: "I hope it comes back.
"I don't have any inside information and I'm only vaguely in touch with Russell [T Davies] and we're usually talking about the fact we're both working for Channel 4 at the moment [on upcoming series Tiptoe and Number 10]. I don't know what the future is. I hope there is one. I have no idea.
"The spin-off's been shot and I imagine decisions don't get taken until that's gone out, and that's not for a while. But it's always painful when it's off the air. I think there's a national duty for the BBC to make Doctor Who."
Thankfully, Phillips appears to feel the same. Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, she said: "Any Whovians out there, rest assured – Doctor Who is going nowhere.
"Disney has been a great partnership and it continues with The War Between The Land And The Sea next year but, going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC."
She went on to assure fans: "The TARDIS is going nowhere."
Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added that there's no update on Doctor Who's future at the moment but the BBC will "always stay committed" to the series.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is set to star Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw and to air sometime next year.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. 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
Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.
