“Doctor Who” showrunner Russell T Davies is addressing the series’ uncertain future.
Last month’s finale of the show’s second season at the BBC and Disney+ saw the departure of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and the reintroduction of Billie Piper (who played companion Rose Tyler during David Tennant’s run in the early 2000s). However, “Doctor Who” has yet to be picked up for a third season by the BBC and Disney+. It was originally given a two-season order under a co-production pact between the companies that hoped to raise “Doctor Who’s” profile in the U.S.
In a column for the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine, Davies — who shepherded the 2005 revival of the series before returning in 2023 — admitted that even he doesn’t know where the series is headed.
“We don’t know what’s happening yet,” Davies wrote, announcing that he would be taking “a pause” in writing for the publication “while everyone works that out.” He added that “hopefully, we’ll have news soon.”
However, Davies insisted that he’s confident “Doctor Who” will always exist in some form. “‘Doctor Who’ will never end!” he wrote. “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!”
Though Gatwa’s Doctor did regenerate into Piper, it was not explicitly stated that she will be next to wield the sonic screwdriver. In a statement to the BBC after the episode’s airing, Piper said fans will have to wait and see what her return means for the show.
“It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see,” Piper said.
Rumors started swirling around Gatwa’s potential departure even before the Season 2 premiere in April, but then intensified with ratings down from last season. Gatwa, who made history as the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role, led “Doctor Who” alongside companions played by Millie Gibson and Varada Sethu.
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