‘Doctor Who’ Producer Pushes Back on ‘Dead Show’ Rumors and Comment’s on Show’s Future

Recent remarks from former Doctor Who writer Robert Shearman caused concern among fans when he suggested the series is “as dead as we’ve probably ever known it.”

However, the show’s producer, Jane Tranter, quickly addressed these comments in an interview with BBC Radio Wales, calling them “really rude, actually. And really untrue.”

Tranter explained that the show is still very much ongoing. She said the BBC and BBC Studios partnered with Disney+ for a 26-episode run, and 21 episodes have already been completed.

“We have got another five episodes of The War Between The Land And The Sea to come. At some point after that, decisions will be made together with all of us about what the future of Doctor Who entails,” she said.

Tranter also asked fans to trust the team’s commitment to the series and highlighted how TV production has changed over the years.

“It’s a 60-year-old franchise. It’s been going for 20 years nonstop since we brought it back in 2005. You would expect it to change, wouldn’t you? Nothing continues the same always, or it shouldn’t continue the same always. So it will change in some form or another. But the one thing we can all be really clear of is that the Doctor will be back and everyone, including me, including all of us, just has to wait patiently to see when — and who,” she added.

Earlier, Kate Phillips, chief content officer at the BBC, reassured fans at the Edinburgh TV Festival that the show will continue regardless of Disney+’s involvement. “Any Whovians out there, rest assured – Doctor Who is going nowhere. Disney has been a great partnership and it continues with The War Between The Land And The Sea next year but, going forward, with or without Disney, Doctor Who will still be on the BBC. The TARDIS is going nowhere,” she said.

The series is currently in a period of change. Ncuti Gatwa’s time as the Doctor ended with a surprise regeneration into Billie Piper, a twist that drew headlines.

However, viewership for season 15 has been lower than previous seasons. The first four episodes have averaged 3.1 million viewers, down from 3.9 million for Gatwa’s debut season and even further from Jodie Whittaker’s final year, which opened at about 5 million viewers. The season 15 premiere drew 3.6 million, but by episode four, numbers fell to just 2.8 million.

Although some online discussions blame “woke” storylines for the drop in ratings, there’s no clear evidence that this is the main reason. What is certain is that the BBC is committed to keeping Doctor Who alive and continuing its legacy.

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