Doctor Who Writer Payment Structure Rerportedly Changing Following Disney+ Involvement

The pay structure for writers working on Doctor Who may change with Disney's involvement in the show, according to a new report from Deadline. The report claims that the BBC has changed its approach to writer payment since reaching an international streaming deal with Disney+, now seeking to buy Doctor Who writers with a larger upfront payment. This is a change from Doctor Who's previous arrangement, which saw a smaller upfront payment with residuals whenever an episode re-aired. The deal made Doctor Who a valuable residuals stream for writers since old episodes air frequently in the United Kingdom. The change comes notably after streaming residuals were a key point of dispute between studios, including Disney, and writers during the WGA strike earlier this year.

Being a British production, Doctor Who is not subject to the terms of the WGA's new contract, which went into effect two months ago. Deadline also reports that Doctor Who's shift predates the ratification of the WGA's new deal.

Is Doctor Who Changing How It Pays Writers?

"As a trade union, we take our responsibilities in negotiations very seriously and this involves being in full possession of the facts before taking up issues with broadcasters and others, both privately and publicly," Ellie Peers, General Secretary of the Writers Guild of Great Britain, told Deadline. "The terms outlined to us by Deadline, if true, would represent a serious retrograde step for UK writers working on Doctor Who. We urge writers who have these contracts to come forward and contact us in confidence so we can look at them properly and move forward from there."

A BBC/BBC Studios spokesperson said, "Doctor Who deals are individually negotiated and commercially confidential. However, all deals take into account both the rights needed by the program funders and the fees and residuals payable to talent."

Doctor Who's New Streaming Era

The BBC recently launched Whoniverse collection on iPlayer, which streams nearly every episode of Doctor Who from its 60-year history. However, the Doctor's first adventure, "An Unearthly Child," is missing from the catalog due to a rights dispute. It's unclear if the launch of the Whoniverse has anything to do with these new contract terms. Disney's involvement with Doctor Who has given the show a larger budget. That budget is apparent in the first Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special, "The Star Beast," which aired on the BBC and began streaming on Disney+ on Saturday.

"But now, it wasn't my idea, it was the BBC's notion to go for a streamer to invest in the show worldwide, which I completely agree with," Davies told GQ in January of Disney+ boarding the series. "We're not on the budget level with Star Wars and the Marvel shows. It's better than it was, yes yes yes. I mean any piece of television costs millions. We're not allowed to talk about budget, and we're not on that Star Wars or Star Trek level, but it's more than I've ever had to work with... it's not 10 million an episode. It's absolutely not. I wish it was, it'd make my life easier. But we're very clever at spending money, I think Doctor Who has learnt more tricks over the years than other shows have, perhaps."

How to watch Doctor Who on Disney+

The Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials are airing on three consecutive Saturdays. Each special debuts at 6:30 p.m. on the BBC in the United Kingdom and simulcasts streaming on Disney+ in international markets.

Doctor Who's second 60th-anniversary special, "Wild Blue Yonder," debuts Saturday, December 2nd on the BBC and on Disney+. The final Doctor Who 60th-anniversary special, "The Giggle," will premiere on December 9th.