Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: doctor who

Doctor Who Return "Inevitable"; Steven Moffat Return "Not Inevitable"

While honoring the Doctor Who Christmas Special, Steven Moffat posted that he believes the show's return is "inevitable" (but not his).

Whether you're a Doctor Who fan, someone who covers the show, or both, you know that it's tough to speculate what Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper's Sixteenth Doctor (maybe?) could mean when there are still so many question marks surrounding the show's future. Showrunner Russell T. Davies, the BBC, and the folks from Bad Wolf have made it clear that the series will continue – but when and in what manner production-wise remain to be seen. As much as living in limbo pretty much (to put it bluntly) sucks, one person who is keeping the faith about the show's return is ex-Showrunner and writer Steven Moffat. Taking to social media to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the read-through for the Nicola Coughlan-starring Christmas Special "Joy to the World," Moffat made it clear that he sides with those saying the show's return is "inevitable" (while making it clear that doesn't mean he's returning).

"Two years since the readthrough for 'Joy To The World.' I never made it the shoot (cos of 'Douglas Is Cancelled'), so this was my last ever visit to the 'Doctor Who' production office. PS No pessimism intended about the show's inevitable return – I'm the Not Inevitable part," Moffat wrote as the caption to his post, which included an image of the table read name cards for Moffat and Davies. Here's a look:

Speaking with BBC Radio Wales, EP Jane Tranter wasn't letting writer Robert Shearman's (2005's "Dalek") "As dead as we've ever known it" comment about the show go unchecked. "'As dead as we've ever known.' That's really rude, actually. And really untrue," Tranter shared. "The plans for 'Doctor Who' are really simply this: the BBC and BBC Studios had a partnership with Disney+ for 26 episodes. We are currently 21 episodes down into that 26-episode run. We have got another five episodes of [spin-off series] 'The War Between The Land And The Sea' to come. At some point after that, decisions will be made together with all of us about what the future of 'Doctor Who' entails."

"It's a 60-year-old franchise. It's been going for 20 years nonstop since we brought it back in 2005 [when I worked at the BBC]. You would expect it to change, wouldn't you?" Tranter continued. "Nothing continues the same always, or it shouldn't continue the same always. So it will change in some form or another. But the one thing we can all be really clear of is that the Doctor will be back and everyone, including me, including all of us, just has to wait patiently to see when — and who."

Tranter's comments come approximately two months after Kate Phillips, BBC Chief Content Officer, and Lindsay Salt, Director, BBC Drama, addressed the show's future during the Edinburgh TV Festival. "Any Whovians out there, rest assured – 'Doctor Who' is going nowhere," Phillips noted at the event. While acknowledging that "The Beeb" and "The Mouse" have had a "great partnership," Phillips added: "With or without Disney, 'Doctor Who' will still be on the BBC … The TARDIS is going nowhere." While there were no updates at the moment, Salt added that the BBC will "always stay committed" to the long-running series.

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