The BBC has shut down claims that Doctor Who is on the verge of getting cancelled.
Back in 2023, the long-running franchise kicked off its new era when Ncuti Gatwa succeeded Jodie Whittaker and David Tennant as the Fifteenth Doctor.
The Sex Education star made his debut in ‘The Giggle, one of the show’s 60th-anniversary specials, before starring in his first full season in 2024.
As the franchise’s first-ever Black and queer actor to take on the iconic title character, Gatwa’s performance was met with universal critical acclaim.
While Gatwa’s work on Doctor Who continues to receive praise from fans – with many eagerly awaiting his second season as the time lord – the show was recently hit with a new onslaught of cancellation rumours.
On 17 February, British tabloid The Sun alleged that the series was “facing the axe” due to “abysmal ratings” and fan pushback over the inclusion of “woke” storylines in the famously inclusive/diverse series.
The article also claimed that Gatwa was eyeing a departure from his role because of the backlash, with an anonymous source stating: “Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.”
However, on 18 February, the BBC swiftly dismissed the aforementioned article and its claims in a statement to Radio Times.
“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,” a spokesperson explained to the news outlet.
“The deal with Disney Plus 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.”
BBC
This isn’t the first time the BBC has defended the latest Doctor Who era.
In June, a spokesperson for the broadcaster responded to a report from The Times that questioned Doctor Who’s future due to its lower ratings.
“Overnight ratings no longer provide an accurate picture of all those who watch drama in an on-demand world,” they told the publication.
“This season of Doctor Who premiered on iPlayer nearly 24 hours before broadcast, and episode 1 has already been viewed by nearly 6 million viewers and continues to grow.
“Doctor Who remains one of the most-watched programmes on iPlayer and is the BBC’s top drama for under-35s this year, making it one of the biggest programmes for the demographic across all streamers and broadcasters.”
BBC
Showrunner Russell T Davies echoed similar sentiments during an August BAFTA Q&A session.
“In coming back, I wanted to make it simpler and younger,” the creator of It’s A Sin explained.
“Those two things are often not discussed – you read reactions to it and people are missing that. It’s simpler and younger – and it is working. The under 16s and the 16-34 audience as well is massive.
“It’s not doing that well in the ratings, but it is doing phenomenally well with the younger audience that we wanted.”
While the future of Doctor Who is being kept under wraps, fans can expect Gatwa’s return as the titular time lord for the show’s highly anticipated second season – which is airing later this year.
Check out the teaser trailer here or below.
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