Doctor Who will continue even if Disney drops out but there’s a big catch

Cliff Notes – Doctor Who will continue even if Disney drops out but there’s a big catch

• Doctor Who is set to continue beyond its current season, with plans for two more seasons, regardless of Disney’s involvement.
• A hiatus is confirmed after the 15th season, with new episodes not expected until 2027, despite ongoing script development by Russell T Davies.

Doctor Who will continue even if Disney drops out – but there’s a big catch

News to please and disappoint Doctor Who fans (Picture: BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf)

It’s good and bad news for Doctor Who fans – the show is reportedly set to continue even if Disney pull out, but it might be a while before we see it again.

The legendary BBC sci-fi show, which originally ran between 1963 and 1989 before it was revived in 2005, currently has Ncuti Gatwa starring as its 15th Doctor.

In 2022, just prior to Ncuti’s on-screen stint as the Doctor, the BBC struck a deal with Disney, which saw the two come together to finance and produce new episodes.

Ahead of the latest season, which began in April, rumours swirled that it would be make or break for the series regarding Disney’s future involvement.

Fans had worried that a potential exit from Disney would result in the BBC cancelling the series for a second time, but now reports have emerged that will bring smiles to Whovians everywhere.

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According to the Mirror, any prospective budget cuts caused by Disney pulling out haven’t deterred show runner Russell T Davies from continuing to write.

The series is set to return in 2027 after a hiatus (Picture: BBC)

And plans are reported to be in place to continue with two more seasons beyond this one, with or without Disney, sources revealed to the publication.

‘When Doctor Who began its partnership with Disney Plus, there was additional funding put in place. Doctor Who is an expensive show to make, with its effects budget taking up a significant part of the overall spend,’ they said.

‘If Disney were to withdraw its funding, there wouldn’t be as significant an impact on production as some fans may think. The TARDIS set is still standing in Cardiff, all ready to go on new adventures. Whether or not Disney stays, the expectation is that the show will continue.’

Russell T Davies is working on scripts for future episodes (Picture: Disney)

The FA Cup final could get in the way first (Picture: BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/Dan Fearon)

However, while there are plans to produce more episodes, the catch is that Doctor Who is apparently still committed to its planned hiatus, which will come at the end of this 15th revival season.

The source added: ‘Yes, there will be a gap while the scripts are finalised, the episodes are filmed and the editing process takes place. But we’ll be back. The wait won’t be forever, just a big pause.’

After the end of Ncuti’s two seasons as Doctor – which has seen him alongside companions Ruby (Millie Gibson) and Belinda (Varada Sethu) – it will be 2027 before fans see another episode.

Rumours that the series will continue in 2027 have been backed up by Russell T Davies himself, who told Doctor Who Magazine: ‘Three [scripts are] sitting there, three different writers. One script already on draft six.’

Ncuti took over as the Doctor in 2023 (Picture: BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf/Maxine Howells)

Earlier this year, he promised Whovians that the show would be going nowhere: ‘I am confident. Doctor Who is forever, and the future is bright!’

The BBC refused to comment when Metro approached them about the rumours.

While the long-term future of Doctor Who looks ‘bright’ according to its showrunner, fans are worried about its short-term future – but not for the reason you’d expect.

Saturday’s episode, The Interstellar Song Contest, is set to tie in with the BBC’s coverage of Eurovision and is currently expected to be broadcast on BBC One prior to the competition starting.

However, the FA Cup final between Crystal Palace and Manchester City, which is being shown on the BBC from 4.30pm, could go to extra time and mess up the planned schedules.

If Palace and City are tied at the end of the game, which will end close to 6.30pm, 30 minutes extra will be played in order to find a winner.

In the event that this happening, coverage of the game will run over into Doctor Who’s planned broadcast time of 7.10pm – this means the episode will be broadcast on BBC Two instead.

Watch Doctor Who on BBC iPlayer and Disney Plus.