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Doctor Who: BBC Debunks Season 3 Reports; Gatwa Comments Edit Update

The BBC says Doctor Who Season 3 hasn't been approved yet, and The Graham Norton Show addresses Ncuti Gatwa's comments being edited.


Okay, so it's time for a brief history lesson. In an interview with SFX Magazine at the end of August, Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies had this to share about the future of the Ncuti Gatwa (Fifteenth Doctor), Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday), and Varada Sethu (Belinda Chandra)-starring series. "It's an industry decision; it's like any business – these things take time. I think the decision will come after the transmission of season two. That's what we're expecting, that's what we've always been heading towards." Davies' comments were in response to rumblings on social media during the weeks prior, speculating that somehow Disney wasn't happy with its deal with the BBC and Bad Wolf. With us so far? Great!

Doctor Who Returns
Image: BBC Screencap

That brings us to last week's edition of The Graham Norton Show, with reports from the taping that Gatwa had revealed that the team would begin filming Season 3/Season 16 in 2025. Joining Zoe Saldaña and Selena Gomez (Emilia Pérez), Miranda Hart (I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You), Kevin Kline (Disclaimer), and Rag 'n' Bone Man in support of his run in the National Theatre's production of The Importance of Being Earnest, Gatwa had this to say: "It is all going well. We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year."

Except… that wasn't what ended up airing. Instead, Gatwa is shown saying, "We finished the second season earlier this year, we've got the Christmas episode coming out … at Christmas … But it's been amazing." Well, you can imagine how that got the rumors and gossip going on social media and pop culture news sites, with many wondering if the edit was done at the request of the BBC. Earlier today, Deadline Hollywood reported that the popular talk show "made the edit to liven up Gatwa's answer and was not obeying a 'sinister' request from BBC bosses" (DH's wording). Reportedly, the Doctor Who team wasn't involved in arranging Gatwa's "Graham Norton" visit, and the BBC is standing by its previous comments that a decision on a third season won't happen until after Season 2 debuts (with Spring 2025 being eyed). "As we've said previously, the decision on season three will be made after season two transmits, and as always, we don't comment on speculation," shared a BBC spokesperson.


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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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