'All Good Things Come to an End': Doctor Who Writer Believes Show's Return 'Quietly Won't Happen'

Former Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss believes the BBC's existent program to reboot the amusement "quietly won't happen."

Doctor Who is presently disconnected aerial without a pb actor, showrunner oregon accumulation team, pursuing the departure of prima Ncuti Gatwa, caput writer Russell T. Davies and some U.K. shaper Bad Wolf and U.S. fiscal spouse Disney. Previous plans to proceed the bid person present been ditched, with an embarrassing U-turn connected the announcement of a one-off occurrence scheduled for this Christmas.

Officially, the BBC has said it is present putting the rights to nutrient Doctor Who retired to "tender", an authoritative process wherever it considers bids from assorted accumulation companies. But it has present been respective months since this process was archetypal mentioned, with nary evident further advancement towards it really beginning.

Now, Gatiss has reflected connected the information that the BBC was successful a akin concern with Doctor Who before, backmost astatine the commencement of its lengthy hiatus during the 1990s. Then, it took 15 years for the bid to afloat return.

"The information that Doctor Who had a 2nd enactment of 21 years is perfectly amazing," helium began, speaking to Radio Times. "And for it to travel backmost perchance adjacent much fashionable than it was successful the archetypal run… but I deliberation possibly it's conscionable clip for a break, due to the fact that each bully things travel to an end.

"I deliberation the BBC putting it retired to tender is simply a perfectly large idea, but we've been present before. When it was cancelled successful 1989 the BBC made a large connection saying 'We're committed to taking Doctor Who done the '90s.' They enactment it retired to tender then, and past it conscionable softly didn't happen, and I person a feeling possibly that's what's going to happen."

Gatiss concluded by reaffirming that helium did not judge Doctor Who was gone forever, but that immoderate anticipation its existent tender process would punctual a speedy instrumentality seemed unlikely.

"I consciousness precise doomy, but it's true," helium added. "It's fine. I deliberation the information it's travel backmost truthful successfully means it volition travel backmost again. It's not a one-off 26-year (sic) run, but I deliberation possibly it's conscionable clip for a due break, due to the fact that you privation radical to miss it and person caller ideas, and astir apt idiosyncratic to tally it who grew up with David Tennant arsenic the Doctor, alternatively than Tom Baker."

A erstwhile study by Deadline suggested determination was present hesitation among accumulation companies to instrumentality connected Doctor Who, contempt — oregon possibly due to the fact that of — its legendary status. "You would person to beryllium mad," 1 root said. "[It's a] spot of a nightmare for immoderate shaper successful this marketplace with the shadiness of the Disney fallout," said another. A 3rd suggested the series' fund would apt beryllium astir $3 cardinal per occurrence — fractional of the fund for the episodes Disney antecedently funded, inviting hard comparisons.

All of which tallies with comments from erstwhile Doctor Who Magazine exertion Tom Spilsbury, who past twelvemonth suggested it would apt beryllium "five oregon six years earlier we spot thing new," arsenic the series' adjacent incarnation is determined. "At which point, it volition beryllium the children of 2005 who volition beryllium bringing the amusement back, conscionable arsenic Russell predicted. As ever, clip volition tell."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social