The Doctor Who fandom is divided over new reports that this year’s Christmas Special has been delayed. Doctor Who‘s future has been in doubt since the BBC’s Disney partnership fell through, with only a promised Christmas Special (presumably starring Billie Piper, after the last season ended with the Doctor apparently regenerating into this form). But concern has been building in the fandom that even this special is not guaranteed; Russell T. Davies has gone ominously quiet about it, and there’s yet to be any news on production.
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British tabloids are now reporting the special has been pushed back to Easter 2027. According to The Sun, insiders claim the show’s future is “hanging in the balance.” The issue, it seems, is that the BBC is struggling to find someone to play the next Doctor. “It now feels like a role that comes with all the baggage of the most recent series,” insiders apparently claim, and there are concerns whatever follows will be the “poor cousin” of the last season. The comments have understandably divided the fanbase.
The Radio Times reached out to the BBC for comment, and received no response.
What’s Really Going On With Doctor Who?
As is often the case with British tabloids, the truth likely sits somewhere in the middle; Davies has indeed gone ominously quiet about the Christmas Special, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Doctor Who pushed back. There is, however, likely a very different reason; the BBC isn’t really ready to start casting the next Doctor yet in the first place. Although BBC bosses have committed to Doctor Who‘s future, they’ve openly discussed problems figuring out the funding model. The government has launched a review of the entire BBC Charter, pushing to move away from the traditional license fee, which likely complicates discussions about this particular show.
There’s been constant speculation the BBC could enter a new partnership, perhaps with Netflix or Sony and AMC (there have even been supposed “leaked” press releases, of dubious accuracy). Until any partnership is decided, though, the BBC would be wise to slow down with Doctor Who – however much Whovians may wish otherwise. Without an overarching future direction, any Christmas Special would risk underscoring the problems the world’s longest-running sci-fi TV series is currently facing. Better to make the special a launchpad rather than a full stop.
All this is, of course, cold comfort. Whatever the reason, this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special does indeed seem increasingly unlikely to happen – and the odds get worse the longer we go without any comments from Davies or news about production. We can only hope it won’t be long until discussions are over, and the time travel’s future can be confidently announced at last.
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