Doctor Who is in a strange place right now, comparable to when the original incarnation of the show went off the air in 1989. Granted, we’re not quite at that stage with the current version of the show, which has been a Disney+ subscription-exclusive for the last few years. However, following Ncuti Gatwa’s unexpected departure as the Fifteenth Doctor just a few weeks ago on the 2025 TV schedule, there’s no word on when we can expect Doctor Who to return. Showrunner Russell T. Davies has confirmed there is a “pause” on the series, but he also has an optimistic viewpoint about Doctor Who’s “potential futures” that I like.
Doctor Who’s Future Remains Unclear To Russell T. Davies
In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (via RadioTimes), Russell T. Davies reaffirmed that the series centered on the adventuring Time Lord is currently in a holding pattern. However, he also reminded fans that there’s a spinoff coming that will entertain them in 2026:
But we don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page ... Hopefully, we’ll have news soon, and certainly, The War Between the Land and the Sea is about to break out, so there are great things ahead. Until then.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will follow UNIT members Kathe Lethbridge-Stewart, Shirley Ann Bingham and Colonel Ibrahim, along with a host of brand-new characters, dealing with the reawakening o f the ancient species known as the Sea Devils. So although The Doctor won’t appear in the six-episode miniseries, at least the mythology centered around them will be revisited next year. Otherwise, Russell T. Davies is like the rest of us: wondering where Doctor Who goes from here after we witnessed the Fifteenth Doctor regenerate into a form resembling Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
Russell T. Davies Is Confident Doctor Who Isn’t Ending
That was quite the cliffhanger to leave off on, especially since given the way Piper was credited, we don’t know if she’ll technically be called the Sixteenth Doctor. There was also the unresolved plot thread of The Doctor mysteriously seeing granddaughter Susan, reprised by Carol Anne Ford, in vision. Though he may not know what’s next for Doctor Who right now, Russell T. Davies isn’t worried about its future, saying:
No, not the end, don’t be mad. Doctor Who will never end! There are pathways leading to potential futures – we’ve still got the mystery of that bright and blazing ending, 'Oh, hello,' yes indeed, hello Billie! And there’s Susan, of course.
Now he didn’t clarify if he was talking about Doctor Who the show or if the franchise as a whole will never end. I’m choosing to believe it’s the former, although it may need to find a new home outside of the United Kingdom. A recent rumor claimed that “Doctor Who is dead at Disney,” but “things are looking promising” for moving it to a different streaming service.
So the wait to learn what’s in store for Doctor Who won’t be ending anytime soon. I’m hopeful that Russell T. Davies optimistic prediction does indeed come true, but until then, at least we can not only still watch the Doctor Who episodes from his second tenure as showrunner on Disney+, but also stream the ones from his first tenure with an HBO Max subscription.
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