Christmas is cancelled for Whovians this year, with the BBC announcing it will no longer be moving forward with the previously announced festive episode of Doctor Who, amid a broader shift for the legendary series.
In addition to scrapping the Christmas special, the BBC also confirms that showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf are departing the show. (Davies revived the series in 2005, serving as head writer and executive producer until 2010, before returning as showrunner in 2023.)
With their departure, the BBC says that, in line with its Charter and Agreement requirements, it will be putting Doctor Who “out to competitive tender.” That means other production companies will be able to pitch ideas for the show’s future, with the BBC still retaining full ownership rights.
An official statement from the BBC reads:
“After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”
In the same statement, the BBC confirms that a previously announced animated series of Doctor Who for CBeebies is still in production. So that’s a bit of good news for younger audiences.
On Instagram, Davies opened up about his departure, saying, “And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special – we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off.”
Davies also revealed that he had never written a script for the Christmas episode, and no actor was “ever approached to play the next Doctor.”
So while this doesn’t mean the end of Doctor Who, it does mean that Whovians will have to wait longer to find out who will take over as showrunner and who will eventually become the next Doctor.
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