By Chris Snellgrove | Published
Right now, before Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies appears to have a new full-time gig: putting his foot in his mouth. Previously, he was credited as the man who brought the franchise back in 2005, transforming a show that was only catered to the old brains into something suitable for young people, around the world. Eventually, Davies left, and other runners (including the great Steven Moffat) took over. But enthusiasm for the franchise waned when Jodie Whittaker played the Doctor under showrunner Chris Chibnall. To help the show get back on track, the BBC partnered with Disney and brought back Davies for two more seasons, both airing on Disney+.
Unfortunately, it was a disaster. Disney refused to renew their deal with the BBC, meaning a third season under Davies was dead. Fans were still hoping to see a Christmas special, but the showrunner dashed those hopes recently by jumping on Instagram to confirm that 1) the special, which he never even wrote, has been canceled and 2) the BBC has parted ways with him and his production company. This led to widespread news that Doctor Who it was canceled 20 years after its renewal. Now, Davies in a recent interview said that the program had not yet done so actually has been cancelled, but his speech has angry fans wanting to shove a sonic screwdriver in his mouth.
Anger at Fans
Appearing on Gaydio, Russell T. Davies expressed anger at those who reported it Doctor Who has been cancelled. “It is strange to see the newspapers, who should know better, saying that the show has been cancelled,” he said. “It's the opposite.” He went on to explain that the program “will be tendered,” meaning that the BBC will try to find a private company willing to do the program. As an example, Davies noted that the exhibition Injured It was previously a BBC show, but after it was “released last year,” the show “will be produced independently by BBC Studios,” which he said is “separate from the BBC Public Service.”
Wrapping up his thoughts on this matter, he said that no one will apply for the tender Doctor Who at least a year. “You have to lock it in just to make it financially viable,” a move he thinks “guarantees the age of the program.” He then ended the statement with some of the catiness that has become his trademark of late: “But no, keep saying it's cancelled, everybody. You're wrong. You're really wrong!”
All This Has Happened Before, And It Will Happen Again
So, why are fans upset by these comments from Doctor Who the runner? First, many are still very salty about his recent Instagram post, where he said he had never worked on a Christmas special despite previously saying and teasing things from the script that may have been finished. The great writer wrote himself into a corner, admitting that he was lying before about working with text or lying now about never working on a script. Mostly, however, the fans were upset by Davies' departure here because what he describes is cancellation by another name.
For example, the last episode of the original Doctor Who the series aired back in 1989, after which it was effectively cancelled. I say “successfully” because, according to the BBC, the show never did officially has been cancelled. They just stopped sending Doctor Who episodes (not counting the weird 1996 made-for-TV movie) over a 16-year period. Fans now call it the “wilderness years.” We may have been in the wilderness for too long, but the BBC was so impressed with Russell T. Davies' voice that they made him a celebrity runner in 2005. Doctor Who revival.
More Who When?
On Gaydio, Davies seemed to be enjoying the strange walk, noting that fans who don't understand what's going on with the franchise right now are “crying for devices with a search engine. Go check it out.” But Davies is doing just this for a momentary conflict on the road and we will see something new Doctor Who episodes in just a few years. But there is no guarantee of that, and the last time the franchise was forced to stop, it was for the better part of two decades before we get new episodes. In addition, although many of the changes were not very good, it is important to note that the new system was much better, a lot different from what came first.
Accordingly, Davies' attempt to reassure the fans was not entirely successful. As well as reminding us that we don't just understand the media like him (the guy who just ran this business down), the former Doctor Who the show's producer reminded us that the last time the show wasn't officially canceled, we didn't have any new episodes 16 yearsand the show returned completely different from what it was before. As a result, none of the technicalities and foot traffic around whether or not it's officially canceled changes the fact that Doctor Who fans have every reason to worry about a show they may never see more of in reality. decades.
