After the BBC struck a deal with Disney+ in 2022 to increase Doctor Who’s chances of becoming a global streaming hit, the future looked bright for the long-running sci-fi show. But just three years and two seasons later, the deal was effectively dissolved, and Disney+ was no longer riding shotgun in the TARDIS.
So, what next for the eternally regenerating Doctor? The BBC’s Director of Drama may have some idea. In a new interview with Deadline, Lindsay Salt has been discussing the current TV landscape and where things could be heading, saying that Doctor Who will continue despite its current predicament.
“There are different ways of setting up a show,” Salt explained. “We just need to make sure we do it in the right way and make sure we take the right time to do it. Ultimately it’s one of the BBC’s most treasured brands, so it’s not going anywhere.”
Losing a massive amount of Disney cash to make Doctor Who also won’t be a problem, it seems. Salt added, “I managed to walk into this job when the co-pro market imploded, and I’ve learned a lot about the tenacity of producers and writers to make things at all budget levels. Things are getting funded in so many different ways now.”
There may also be a different solution that brings back some of Doctor Who’s bigger budget. With the Beeb currently partnering with HBO Max on several new high-profile TV projects ahead of its U.K. launch, Salt won’t rule out a shiny new deal that might work in the Doctor’s favor.
“We’ll wait and see how we figure it out,” Salt said. “HBO have been great partners creatively. There’s a lot of stuff that is changing out there.”
In the meantime, Doctor Who will be back with a Christmas special this year, written by showrunner Russell T Davies, but although Ncuti Gatwa’s spin on the Doctor regenerated into one of their former assistants, Rose Tyler, in the finale of the last season, it has not yet been confirmed if returning star Billie Piper will indeed play the 16th Doctor.
