The BBC announced Wednesday that Doctor Who is no longer in the hands of Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf—a bombshell announcement to be sure. It means massive change for the venerable TV franchise (again). Yet the way forward isn’t just about getting a new showrunner and fresh producers, as so much has happened for Who this second time around. It’s a watershed moment, a chance to look back before going forward.
It’s certainly massive for the BBC, Davies and Bad Wolf to cancel the highly anticipated Doctor Who Christmas special, especially since the second (and subsequently final) Disney+ season ended on that cliffhanger of The Doctor regenerating into Rose Tyler. And it’s a little bit emotional to see Davies once again step away from the brand he relaunched for a new generation, after what’s been a relatively short time. There was so much excitement and promise at seeing him back in command of Doctor Who, especially when the franchise had incredible potential.
The second Davies era of Who had some high points, from him and from others. This latest run of adventures gave us the wonderful Linus Roache making a heartbreaking guest appearance in the episode “Lux,” which certainly swung for the fences with its inclusion of animation. It was an absolute shame that Strike Back alum Varada Sethu only had one series as companion Belinda Chandra, when she could’ve brought so much more to the show. And while Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Fifteenth Doctor definitely polarized audiences, one only needs to look at “Boom” (written by another Who heavyweight, Steven Moffat) or the end of “Dot and Bubble” to see what he was capable of.
Yet there’s also no denying that he never reached his full potential. Gatwa’s run as The Doctor was the second shortest in Who history; the star has said that was always the plan, but if so, that plan feels short-sighted or just not quite thought out. The character of Fifteen had some pronounced flaws—most notably how it was near a running joke how often he’d end up crying. But Gatwa can’t be blamed for what seemed like the show trying to force an extra level of emotion, or some of Fifteen’s biggest development moments being sloppy and rushed. The excitement that was there when he started got lost along the way as Fifteen became more of a personality than a character. Could Gatwa have lasted longer if the writing had been different? Or was it truly the idea to create a quick-change Doctor who’d burn bright and then burn out?
Because that’s what the Disney+ era of Doctor Who ultimately felt like. It felt like taking advantage of this new budget and this new creative partner, throwing everything possible at the wall, and seeing what worked. It was big and bright and chaotic—but it didn’t always feel cohesive, and it lacked a certain gravity. Doctor Who has never been Shakespeare, but the best of Who balances the fantastic with the authentic, and these two seasons lost some of that connection with the audience for a variety of reasons, whether it was issues with the writing, not taking to the Fifteenth Doctor, or just trying to keep up. The way this is happening—with Davies saying on Instagram of the aborted Christmas special that “we only cooked that up to guarantee a future”—is another example. This game-changing cliffhanger was actually just some gamesmanship that didn’t work anyway, as Disney left Doctor Who after two series. And now whoever comes next has to deal with that pretty significant loose end.
Davies and company went all out with the Disney partnership, and one can’t blame them for that; it’s like being a kid in a candy store. Yet in the end, Who never quite fit Disney. It’s an incredible franchise, but it’s not a blockbuster like Star Wars or Marvel. The fantastic-ness of it is what goes on within the show; the show itself doesn’t need to be a spectacle. And that goes beyond content. The move exclusively to a streaming service was a huge change compared to when BBC America would do Doctor Who simulcasts so the US cable audience could watch along (it’s worth noting that BBC America parent company AMC is back in the Who business, with streaming rights now to AMC+). There’s another spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, which now feels like a lame duck since it hasn’t even premiered on Disney+ yet and Disney is already out of the Doctor Who business. But was another spinoff, creatively speaking, even necessary? Disney builds great big things incredibly well—yet Doctor Who is at its best when it’s like the TARDIS: bigger on the inside. It needs no fanfare; it just needs to be itself.
Davies’ departure is the last, definitive signal of what fans have been feeling for a while now. All of these big people and ideas coming together seemed so great, but ultimately just didn’t work. And the BBC, Davies and Bad Wolf have the right idea: a fresh start is the way to go here. The Disney exit will obviously mean less resources, but it’s a chance to get the show back to basics. It will also be interesting to hear a fresh voice in the Whoniverse, as audiences have already been so familiar with the last few showrunners, both within the series and outside of it. However, one should also be fair and say that this is not automatically a great thing either. It all depends on what company wins that “competitive tender” battle.
Will the BBC find someone who is genuinely a good fit creatively for Doctor Who? Someone who actually knows not only the franchise’s history, but its heart? Or will they simply hand it off to the highest bidder or the highest-profile group, and they’ll steer it in their own direction and fans will end up watching someone else try to morph the show into something it isn’t? Of course, it’s far too soon to tell. But just changing the names in the credits won’t be enough; it has to be the right people, and those people have to have a clear plan. One that signals a firm vision for the series and a little less flying by the seat of one’s pants.
Russell T Davies will always have a fond place in Doctor Who history; it’s so clear how much he loves the franchise, and how much he’s done for it. He came back at a time when the Who brand was on its biggest stage and it needed to make a big splash. It may not have panned out like Whovians hoped, and it certainly could’ve ended on a stronger note, but it’s like seeing an old friend again. Now, hopefully the BBC will find someone who’s equally passionate about Doctor Who, and take advantage of this clean slate for a brand new adventure.
Doctor Who is streaming on AMC+. Photo Credit: Main image courtesy of BBC Media Centre, inset image courtesy of Disney+.
Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.
