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Doctor Who Being Paused "Definitely Disappointing," "Shame": Chibnall

Doctor Who ex-Showrunner Chris Chibnall shared his thoughts on the show being put out to tender, saying it was "definitely disappointing."

Published Tue, 21 Jul 2026 07:37:08 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Article Summary

Chris Chibnall calls the Doctor Who pause “definitely disappointing” and says it’s a "shame" the series is off-air.
The former Doctor Who showrunner says he feels sad for kids missing out on finding their first Doctor for a while.
Chibnall still hopes Doctor Who returns with a strong new creative team ready to reinvent it for a new generation.
BBC leaders insist Doctor Who will regenerate again, with BBC Studios planning to fight hard in the tender process.

With the long-running BBC series set to officially be put out to tender, we haven't been lacking in folks who want to offer their two cents about the current state of affairs of Doctor Who. But there's something about what previous showrunners have to share that hit our radars the hardest. Obviously, we've heard from Russell T. Davies, with more to come this October when his memoir drops. In addition, Steven Moffat offered some insights, including that the new production team will need time to make their vision a reality. Checking in with BBC Radio Wales in support of his new novel, Chris Chibnall shared that it was "definitely disappointing" to hear that the pause button was hit – but he still holds out hope for the future.

"Definitely disappointing. I probably had the same reaction as everybody else did. I think it's a shame that it's not going to be on for a while. I hope they've got good plans to bring it back. It's an amazing idea. It's an amazing series. Hopefully, they'll find people who, you know, reinvent it for the next generation of kids," Chibnall shared. "I feel sad for the kids who are not going to have a Doctor for a little while because I think that's always the amazing thing, when you work on the show, you cast a Doctor and you know that that Doctor is going to be quite a lot of people's first Doctor. And your first Doctor is a bit like your first love. I think if you watch 'Doctor Who,' it's a real connection and it's there for life. So I think it's a shame it's not going to be on the air. It's not the best thing but hopefully people are going to be working to bring it back."

Earlier this month, BBC Director General Matt Brittin reaffirmed the media company's commitment to the future of Doctor Who. "That's a show that has regenerated multiple times in its 60-plus year history, and we'll do so again," Brittin shared in comments that coincided with the release of the BBC's Annual Report. "I think that's one of the great things about the 100-year history of the BBC. We can do that, and we can creatively renew shows that people love, and we'll be working hard on that right now." Though Davies and Bad Wolf are out, BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell made it clear that the production company plans on jumping into the mix.

"We've been the producer for 60 years, and we want to be the producer for another 60 years, so we will be going for that tender with gusto," Fussell shared with Deadline Hollywood. "We are in it to win it." As for what that might mean specifically – for example, will it be one or several banners under the BBC Studios umbrella pitching, Fussell wouldn't say. "We've got the full breadth of our studio to look at that, and we will do the best for an absolute adored brand. As the distributor and commercial licensor [of Doctor Who], we understand those fan relationships and can build on that. Doctor Who is something that people in this organization care passionately about," he added.

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