The BBC made a deal with Disney in 2022 to make Disney+ the exclusive global streaming home for the Whoniverse. So far, two new seasons of Doctor Who have streamed internationally on Disney+ (although they still air on BBC in the UK). An upcoming spinoff series called The War Between the Land and the Sea is also coming to the streamer. Beyond that, the future of the deal remains unclear.
Doctor Who got off to a rocky start under the Disney regime. While nobody could complain about David Tennant's triumphant three-episode return to the franchise as the Fourteenth Doctor, things turned a little divisive when Ncuti Gatwa debuted as the Fifteenth Doctor for his first full season. Gatwa himself is a terrific Doctor, but his episodes were a mixed bag; we got disappointing entries like "Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" to brilliant episodes like "73 Yards" and "The Legend of Ruby Sunday." Add to that relatively poor viewership numbers, and it's understandable why Disney might drop out.
Season 2, however, has been largely a home run so far, blending darker installments with a fair share of witty and whimsical adventures. Despite this, the Disney partnership is still up in the air. But one thing's for sure: even if the House of Mouse drops out, Doctor Who will not die.
According to a report from the Mirror, series showrunner Russell T Davies has almost finished penning the scripts for two more seasons, which will be made even if Disney ends the partnership. The report also suggests that the resultant dip in quality if Disney were to move on wouldn't be as dramatic as some fans believe, given that the bulk of extra budget provided by Disney "is spent on the technical task of improving the picture quality to a level which wouldn’t be necessary if it reverted back to being a BBC standalone series."
To get technical, the BBC airs shows at 2K picture quality, whereas Disney+ only allows for a 4K image on its service. The changes needed to implement the jump are pretty expensive, taking up a substantial chunk of the show's extra budget.
Whatever becomes of the Doctor Who-Disney partnership, the show won't be axed. But it will alter how international fans consume the series. In the meantime, Doctor Who season 2 will reach its epic conclusion later this week, with the return of legendary villain, the Rani.
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