About 
The BBC grabbed headlines this week by making it clear Doctor Who wasn't going anywhere - but this wasn't the first time they've said that.
Posted in: BBC, Current News, Disney+, TV | Tagged: doctor who
Doctor Who: BBC Said All Along That The Show Wasn't Going Anywhere
The BBC grabbed headlines this week by making it clear Doctor Who wasn't going anywhere - but this wasn't the first time they've said that.
Article Summary
- The BBC confirms Doctor Who is not cancelled and remains a vital part of its brand identity.
- There is no official update or premiere date yet for the next Doctor Who season.
- BBC Studios and Disney+ partnership is strong, but Doctor Who will stay on BBC regardless.
- Repeated official statements stress BBC’s commitment to keep Doctor Who ongoing and thriving.
When is the next season of Doctor Who coming? Nobody knows. Is Billie Piper the new Doctor? It's too soon to tell since there's no new season commissioned yet. However, the BBC finally said something that made it official. At the annual Edinburgh Television Festival this week. The BBC's Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt, shared, "There's no update at the moment" on Doctor Who, but "we will share as soon as we can". She says the BBC is committed to Doctor Who as one of its biggest brands and the show is "hugely important to us." Director Of Content Kate Phillips said when asked about Doctor Who: "Rest assured Doctor Who is going nowhere. Disney has been a great partnership and it continues with The War Between The Land And The Sea next year," adding, "with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC."
So there you have it. It's not cancelled, and there's no date for its return either, so there's no change there other than confirmation that it hasn't been cancelled.
Earlier this Summer, Tom Fussell, CEO of BBC Studios, the commercial production arm of the corporation, spoke about the future of Doctor Who after the release of the BBC's Annual Report, which cited the hundreds of millions of pounds that Doctor Who brought to the Welsh economy. He reiterated that "BBC Studios are really committed to Doctor Who" and are "continuing to look at ways in which we can bring the show to fans. Fans love the Doctor Who brand. It's been that way since before I was in short trousers." He praised Disney+ as a "crucial partner" to BBC Studios as a whole, and "we share a lot of the same values, so I'm really proud of the way that relationship has worked."
The statements made at the Edinburgh Television Festival are interesting for their timing. Presumably, talks are underway for the next season of Doctor Who, whether it's with Disney or another streamer, so it doesn't behoove any of the parties to make any statements that can put the negotiations at risk. Note that the BBC has praised Disney while asserting its ownership of Doctor Who and that they are not about to sell it off.
No other franchise has warranted these many statements until a deal is made—or not. Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, and DC have not received as much scrutiny online about what's going on in their respective franchise universes. We can't seem to say this enough times—the BBC is not going to cancel Doctor Who because it's worth too much to them as an IP. It's part of the BBC's brand identity, and it's not going away.
Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!
Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!
