Doctor Who won’t be resting anytime soon, confirms BBC Drama boss
By James Aggas
Whatever you think of Doctor Who in its current state, the controller of BBC Drama has confirmed that the show isn’t going anywhere just yet.
There have been a lot of reports on the gradually declining ratings for Doctor Who. Some are panicking that the show is heading towards cancellation, or worse, are practically eager for the series to end.
However, Piers Wenger – controller of BBC drama commissioning – has today revealed that those worrying at least can rest easy. At a BBC Drama launch event, Wenger revealed that the BBC aren’t planning to rest the show anytime soon.
We do know that a third series with both showrunner Chris Chibnall and lead actress Jodie Whittaker involved is coming. Sadly, we also know that it won’t begin filming until autumn 2020. But what of the future beyond that? When asked if there was a possibility of the BBC resting the show, Wenger revealed that that was far from the case.
"I genuinely – I worked on Doctor Who myself, I produced it for many years, and I can honestly say that I don’t think it’s been in better health, editorially. I think it’s fantastic and… the production values obviously have never been better… I think we’re a very long way from wanting to rest it."
Regardless of your thoughts on the show right now, it most likely isn’t going anywhere.
Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America
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Reasons why the BBC would want to keep the show going
Now, this may not mean that the series won’t be “rested” or even axed at all. But it’s definitely a pretty good sign. And there are solid reasons why the BBC would want to continue with the series. While the ratings have been declining, the show is still regularly appearing in the top ten most watched shows on Sundays in the UK, and they’re ultimately no worse than what Peter Capaldi got, especially in his final series. Regardless of whether you prefer Capaldi or Whittaker, ratings wise, Doctor Who is still doing relatively well.
On top of that, we’re just three years away from the programme’s sixtieth anniversary year. That’s still some time away, but by the time Series 13 broadcasts, that time will likely be halved, at least. Now the BBC could end the show there, but they’d more than likely want to build up towards that event year as much as possible. So I see the show running for at least three more years, personally.
This is just speculation on my part, but the fact that the head of drama at the BBC is feeling extremely positive about the show’s future is a promising sign. Whether you see it as a good thing or not, Doctor Who most likely isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
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Do you think Doctor Who might be given a rest within the next couple of years? Do you think the programme should take a rest? Or do you think the show is still in great shape? Let us know in the comments below.