'There Was No Script, No Actor Was Ever Approached': BBC Scraps Planned Doctor Who Special, Showrunner and Production Company Gone

The aboriginal of Doctor Who is present uncertain, aft confirmation that the BBC has parted ways with its erstwhile showrunner and accumulation company, and scrapped its previously-announced one-off occurrence owed to beryllium aired this Christmas.

In a connection today, the BBC confirmed it was putting the accumulation of Doctor Who "out to competitory tender this year" — successful different words, opening a hunt for a caller squad to instrumentality the franchise forward, arsenic existent accumulation institution Bad Wolf volition play nary portion successful its future.

The quality follows the departure of Disney arsenic a co-funding partner, aft a middling effect to the series' caller epoch from fans and critics alike.

Former showrunner Russell T Davies has since commented connected the quality via a station connected Instagram, confirming a caller study by The Sun paper that his Christmas peculiar was cancelled, and that nary enactment connected it had ever really taken place.

"We lone cooked that up to warrant a aboriginal erstwhile nary 1 knew what would happen, but present we bash know, there's nary request for it," Davies wrote. "You’ll person to hold a spot longer for caller Doctor Who… but you'll beryllium waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worthy it!

"For the record: determination was nary script, I ne'er wrote it, and nary histrion was ever approached to play the adjacent Doctor," Davies continued. "You whitethorn disagree; fine, beryllium successful that seat and hold to beryllium proved right. You'll hold a lonnng time."

Fans had been near fearing the worst aft caller comments by Davies suggested an large update connected the show's aboriginal was imminent, and assorted hints that helium had moved connected from the franchise. Still, fans volition apt question wherefore his Christmas peculiar could not person inactive been made successful the meantime to support involvement successful the marque going.

This is simply a taxable the BBC's authoritative connection touches concisely on, though lone to suggest that the scrapping of the occurrence would contiguous much of a cleanable break. As galore responses to this connection person already stated connected societal media, however, this means Davies' cliffhanger ending with the reappearance of Billie Piper is inactive near unanswered, alongside hints astatine assorted different storylines (the menace of "The Boss", the reappearance of Susan).

The afloat BBC connection lies below:

Doctor Who has remained successful near-constant accumulation implicit the past 2 decades, since Davies revived the amusement successful 2005 pursuing a lengthy hiatus. The bid is present expected to instrumentality a lengthy interruption arsenic its aboriginal is determined — with fans near to find retired however agelong that hold mightiness be.

When mightiness Doctor Who return? Writing past summer, amid speculation the Disney woody was decidedly dead, erstwhile Doctor Who Magazine exertion Tom Spilsbury suggested it would apt beryllium "five oregon six years earlier we spot thing new", arsenic the series' adjacent incarnation is determined. "At which point, it volition beryllium the children of 2005 who volition beryllium bringing the amusement back, conscionable arsenic Russell predicted. As ever, clip volition tell."

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social