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The future of the Whoniverse is in a little bit of a jam due to a delay from Disney in deciding if it will continue with the co-production deal with BBC for Doctor Who for another season.
Disney and BBC Studios signed a co-production deal for the show, commissioning 26 episodes in the universe. This deal also includes the spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea. Therefore, according to the deal, Disney is not liable to make any decision about the show's future until all 26 episodes have been aired, including the spin-off, which is set to air in 2026.
In a recent conversation with the Royal Television Society, Doctor Who producer Jane Tranter urged that a definite decision be made.
When does Disney+ have to decide Doctor Who?
Disney+ signed a co-production deal with BBC Studios back in 2021 in a 26-episode contract. This contract also included the spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
As per this contract, the last season of the Whoniverse found its international home on Disney+, at the end of which Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who had a surprise regeneration into Billie Piper, making for an extremely chaotic ending. However, as of now, there are no updates about the next season of the sci-fi.
The lack of information regarding the next season stems from the fact that Disney+ has not decided the series' future. As per the co-production contract, the 26 episodes also included the spin-off, which is yet to air.
Disney+ is not liable to make any kind of decision regarding Doctor Who's future until after the spin-off has aired. Tranter said:
"I imagine, at a time when Disney are having huge cuts themselves, and there have been slashes in programme budgets, they’re looking to take their time to balance everything out and decide what they want to do."
BBC Studios on the Future of Doctor Who
Amid rumors of Ncuti Gatwa leaving the Whoniverse, Disney+ is refraining from making any decision regarding the future of Doctor Who. However, the show began as a BBC Studios show and continues to be one. So, the question about it returning is "when and how it will be returning" and not "if it will be returning."
BBC Studio executives have been vocal about the fact that Doctor Who will continue with or without the support of Disney+. According to rumors, showrunner Russell T Davies is already planning the next two seasons of the sci-fi and has even completed the scripts for Season 16 and has stories prepared for Season 17.
According to Mirror, even if Disney chooses to depart from the sci-fi show, BBC Studios is prepared to continue without suffering a blow to its budget. This is because much of Disney's budget was used in turning the series into high-definition 4K picture quality, a requirement of the streaming service. This picture quality is not a requirement for BBC broadcasts, cutting the costs in this area.
Therefore, production on Season 16 might be delayed until a decision is made in a few months, but it will start regardless of what decision Disney makes.
Therefore, there might be a big pause before the next season of Doctor Who, owing to this uncertainty around the show, but the universe is not going anywhere anytime soon, with or without Disney.
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