BBC Vows Doctor Who Will Survive Even as Disney’s Future Remains Unclear Following Season 15’s Ratings Collapse

Doctor Who fans have been worried about the future of the long-running sci-fi show, especially after Ncuti Gatwa’s big exit at the end of season 15.

The season ended with Gatwa’s Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper, a twist no one saw coming. But questions about whether Disney would stay on as a partner have left the show’s future feeling uncertain.

At the Edinburgh TV Festival, Kate Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, made it clear that the series isn’t going anywhere. “Any Whovians out there, rest assured – Doctor Who is going nowhere,” she said.

Phillips added that Disney has been a strong partner so far, with their collaboration continuing into next year’s story The War Between The Land And The Sea. But she also stressed that, “going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC.”

She reassured fans once more with a simple message: “The TARDIS is going nowhere.”

Lindsay Salt, BBC Drama’s director, also confirmed that there’s no update on Disney’s role but insisted the BBC will “always stay committed” to the series. Showrunner Russell T Davies has echoed this, saying he doesn’t yet know what Disney will decide, but he and his team have different plans ready for whatever comes next.

“We’re ready. We’re ready with different plans – could go this way, could go that way. That’s our job, to be ready… but we’ll find out. Dying to find out! Hope it comes back,” Davies told RadioTimes.com.

Tom Fussell, the CEO of BBC Studios, also told Deadline earlier this year that the network is “really committed” to the show. He added, “Fans love the Doctor Who brand. It’s been that way since before I was in short trousers.”

Despite all the assurances, the numbers paint a less positive picture. Deadline reported that season 15 has struggled to keep viewers.

Using Barb’s official seven-day figures, the first four episodes have averaged just 3.1 million viewers. That’s a big drop compared to Gatwa’s first season, which averaged 3.9 million, and a dramatic fall from Jodie Whittaker’s final season, which pulled in about 5 million.

The first episode of season 15 brought in 3.6 million viewers, but by the fourth episode, that had fallen to 2.8 million. In contrast, the same point in season 13 had 4.5 million viewers. Critics and some fans have suggested the decline may be linked to what they call “woke” storylines, though it’s unclear if that’s the only factor at play.

For now, the BBC has repeated its long-standing position that no decision will be made about another renewal until the current season finishes airing.

While the BBC said Gatwa hasn’t been fired, they refused to deny speculation that he may have quit. His representatives have not commented, and Disney+ has also stayed quiet about whether it will remain a co-production partner outside the UK.

So while the ratings are down and questions remain about Disney’s involvement, the BBC’s message is simple: Doctor Who will survive no matter what.

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