Why Did Disney and DOCTOR WHO Part Ways?

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Being a Doctor Who fan recently has been challenging. What was expected to be a fantastic fresh start – a deal with Disney+ and showrunner Russell T Davies’ ambitious plan to expand the 60-year-old show into a whole ‘WHOniverse’ with many spinoffs – has resulted in an unexpected change of Doctors and only one spinoff without a confirmed international release. While we can speculate, it’s unclear exactly why the collaboration between Disney, BBC Studios, and the BBC didn’t work out as planned.

Despite the uncertainty, news sources like Deadline have been trying to clarify what happened. Their recent in-depth article includes quotes from anonymous sources at both the BBC and Disney+, as well as opinions from bloggers. It appears Disney had been signaling for some time that they weren’t planning to renew their deal to create more Doctor Who episodes after the first 26. Deadline suggests several reasons why, and I’ll walk through them now, starting with the least probable and moving towards the most likely.

Least Likely – Too ‘Woke’ for Trump’s USA

According to Deadline, a source within the industry believes Disney cancelled the show because it was too progressive for some viewers. This version of the series featured a Black, queer lead actor, transgender characters, gay romance, a drag queen as a villain, and episodes with all-POC casts. The source specifically suggested this was “too woke for Trump’s USA.”

Look, it’s easy to point fingers and say this is why the show struggled, but I honestly don’t buy it as the whole story. Disney is famously cautious, and they might be trying to quiet the noise from conservative critics, at least for now. But honestly, how many people even noticed these changes in the first place? Sure, the BBC in the UK got some complaints about Doctor Who, but that’s just what people there do – they complain about everything on their national broadcaster. It’s practically a national pastime!

Second Least Likely – Ncuti Gatwa Wasn’t a Good Brand Ambassador

Beyond the issues with Disney, it’s clear something led to Ncuti Gatwa leaving the show earlier than expected. The real reason might not be known for a long time. Although it seemed likely he’d be back for another season, that didn’t happen. Gatwa mentioned feeling tired and getting older in an interview, but that may not be the whole story. (Let’s talk again when he’s older and dealing with typical health issues!)

According to a source who wished to remain anonymous, the show struggled because Ncuti Gatwa didn’t fully connect with the role. The source explained that being the Doctor involves more than just acting; it requires being a public face for the show and embodying the character for a new generation. They noted that Matt Smith and David Tennant both fully understood and accepted that responsibility.

I agree that this all seems unlikely. Even if Ncuti Gatwa wasn’t fully invested in the role, or simply saw it as a job, that wouldn’t be enough for Disney to cancel the show. Also, if his departure was a concern, wouldn’t Disney be taking more action now that he’s gone? The same applies to the complaints about the show being “too woke.” If that was a real issue for Disney, you’d expect them to address it now that Gatwa has left.

Second Most Likely – Ratings Weren’t Good

Disney primarily makes decisions based on financial impact. They briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel because they feared it would lower viewership. They quickly reinstated him because the number of lost subscribers outweighed the potential loss of viewers. Ultimately, it was a cost-benefit analysis. While many fans are passionate about Doctor Who, it hasn’t reached the broad popularity of franchises like Star Wars or Marvel. Even during its peak in the U.S. around 2012-2013, Doctor Who‘s audience on BBC America was smaller than that of other popular cable shows.

Ultimately, none of these problems would have mattered if the show had been a huge success. However, ratings were low – even lower than last year’s already unsuccessful season – failing to make an impact on Nielsen and Luminate’s streaming charts. A weak finale likely discouraged new viewers from continuing with the series, and Disney didn’t promote the second season as strongly as the first. This all led to poor viewership numbers.

Most Likely Reason – High Budget, Low Return

Ultimately, Disney needed to see stronger results to justify continuing to invest heavily in Doctor Who. While Disney’s funding increased the show’s budget, it didn’t significantly expand the audience. Doctor Who has a dedicated fanbase, but it’s not as large as those of major franchises. Plus, because Disney doesn’t own the show, they would always have had to share any profits with the BBC.

The main takeaway from the Deadline article is straightforward: it all comes down to money.

Disney’s deal to co-produce Doctor Who, announced in October 2022, came during the peak of competition among streaming services. It was made just weeks before Bob Iger returned as Disney’s CEO and began cutting costs. While initially celebrated as a groundbreaking partnership between two major entertainment companies, an ex-Disney source says there were soon concerns about the cost. We’ve learned that each episode of Doctor Who cost between £6 million and £8 million to produce, making the overall deal worth up to £168 million.

Here’s the situation: Bob Chapek spent heavily on streaming services, and when Bob Iger returned as CEO, he started reducing the number of TV shows and movies planned for Disney+. Disney initially thought acquiring Doctor Who would be a good investment for its streaming content, but quickly realized it was losing money on the deal.

Creating a TV show involves a lot of different considerations. However, Disney probably wouldn’t have renewed the show if it wasn’t financially successful or receiving Emmy recognition. Plus, if there were any problems behind the scenes, as some people believe, it’s understandable why Disney would have decided to end the series.

What’s Next for Doctor Who?

Here’s what we know: the War Between the Land and the Sea spin-off will premiere on BBC in December. It will arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2026, completing the requirements on their side. Also, the BBC has ordered a Christmas special for 2026, likely to resolve the storyline involving Billie Piper’s character and the Rose/Doctor/Tyler/Bad Wolf plotline – though honestly, it’s a bit confusing even to follow!

It’s unclear what Russell T Davies’ future with Doctor Who will look like – whether he’ll continue as showrunner, stay on as a producer, or if a new team will take over. Doctor Who is the BBC’s most successful international brand, so finding a new broadcasting partner is essential. Deadline reports that Paramount could be interested, particularly now that all episodes from 2005 to 2023 have moved from HBO Max. The combination of existing episodes and new content might be appealing, and Skydance has a history of significant investment.

From the beginning, the new run of Doctor Who on Disney+ faced a lot of challenges. As the show prepares for its next major change, fans are hoping for a more consistent and settled future.

Kyle Anderson is a Senior Editor at TopMob and the host of the weekly podcast, Laser Focus, where he dives deep into pop culture. He also writes film and TV reviews, and you can find his Letterboxd profile to follow his latest thoughts.

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2025-10-31 01:04