BBC Censor Ncuti Gatwa’s “Doctor Who” Season 3 Comments
Earlier this year, the classic British sci-fi series was given a soft reboot following a multi-year deal between the BBC and Disney, with the first season of “Doctor Who” being released on the BBC in the UK and on Disney+ around the world.
In the series, The Doctor and his companion, Ruby Sunday, travel across time and space, with adventures all the way from the Regency era in England to war-torn future worlds. Throughout their adventures in the TARDIS – a time-travelling ship shaped like a police box – they encounter incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman and the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet.
So far, as part of the deal, we’ve seen three 60th Anniversary specials released last November, along with a Christmas special and the first season. This coming Christmas Day, a new holiday special called “Joy to the World” will be released and next summer, the second season of “Doctor Who” will be released.
However, the first season of “Doctor Who” hasn’t been a huge ratings success for Disney+. It never got onto the Nielsen streaming chart, and generally, the feeling is that it hasn’t clicked with audiences. However, because it’s a joint production with the BBC, it’s much cheaper than most other Disney+ Original shows and thus could still be considered a success by executives, but the fact Disney has never officially revealed any viewership data (and it usually only does this to toot its own horns about successes), there is a worry that Disney might back out of the deal in the future.
Earlier this year, “Doctor Who” showrunner, Russell T Davis revealed in an issue of Doctor Who Magazine that a decision on a third season hasn’t yet been confirmed.
“The decision to commission Season 3 won’t be made until after Season 2 has transmitted. And that’s always been the deal since the start. Hey, we might even have a day off!
Last week, Ncuti Gatwa appeared on the “Graham Norton Show” and prior to the show being released, the Radio Times revealed that Ncuti Gatwa had said that filming on the third season would begin next year.
“It is all going well. We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year.”
However, when the “Graham Norton Show” aired on the BBC, Ncuti’s comment was edited, with any mention of the third season being removed.
“We finished the second season earlier this year, we’ve got the Christmas episode coming out … at Christmas … But it’s been amazing.”
Apparently, this edit was made to liven up Gatwa’s answer rather than obey a “sinister” request from BBC bosses. The BBC issued an official comment regarding the news:
“As we’ve said previously, the decision on season three will be made after season two transmits and as always we don’t comment on speculation.”
“Doctor Who” is such a beloved show by British audiences that this story even made the front page of one of the country newspapers today, highlighting the worry that Disney and the BBC might not continue with further adventures of “Doctor Who”. Even if Disney did pull its financial support for future seasons, it doesn’t necessarily mean the show is cancelled and will never return since it’s been cancelled before during its 60-year history, and the BBC still own the franchise. But those bigger budgets for episodes would likely be slashed.
The second season of “Doctor Who” has already been filmed and isn’t expected to air until the summer of 2025. With Disney holding back to see how that season does before making a decision, we aren’t likely to see a third season of “Doctor Who” for a while. They can’t put together scripts and plans without having a budget in place.
The first season of “Doctor Who”, along with last year’s “Christmas Special” are available to stream on the BBC iPlayer in the UK and on Disney+ around the world.
Roger’s Take: This is a very unfortunate situation, and Ncuti’s comments being removed from the “Graham Norton Show” highlight that a third season still hasn’t been signed off. While I’ve enjoyed the new season of “Doctor Who”, there is little doubt that it hasn’t caught on in the same way as it has in the past and with Disney drastically cutting back on original content, plus spending money on something it can’t fully monetise, I don’t think the partnership between Disney and the BBC will continue after the new season.
Do you think Disney and the BBC will collaborate on a third season of Doctor Who? Let me know on social media!