Earlier this year, we learned that Doctor Who's future isn't as safe as most fans expected after the BBC and Disney+ teamed up to produce Russell T Davies' latest revival of the long-running sci-fi series.
Ratings didn't take off in the way executives expected and it appears Disney+ might be regretting its investment in a show that hasn't been the draw for subscribers the House of Mouse expected.
Season 2 has already been shot and, last week, Whovians got some good news when Ncuti Gatwa appeared on The Graham Norton Show and revealed, "We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year."
While that quote was shared with the press by BBC, when the chat show aired, edits had been made to change the actor's quote to, "We finished the second season earlier this year, we've got the Christmas episode coming out...at Christmas...But it’s been amazing."
Deadline has spoken to the BBC, with the channel claiming it didn't request any alterations to what Gatwa said (instead, the change was put down to wanting to liven up the interview). However, a spokesperson states, "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."
The trade adds that while Doctor Who season 2 will likely air in the Spring, Disney remains uncertain about whether it will continue to co-produce the show beyond 2025. The BBC is unlikely to give up the series but if Disney walks away, but it would lead to significant budget cuts.
It appears the series is close to losing Gatwa because a source tells them that "he might not be long for the job" due to exploring other roles.
In July, we learned that Disney is expected to step in once The War Between the Land and the Sea spin-off wraps, and a decision should be made quite quickly. One source believes the season 2 finale has been shot in a way to allow Gatwa to move on from the series, hinting that another creative overhaul might take place.
The prospect of Disney+ parting ways with the BBC and Doctor Who has been described as a "disaster" by one source.
Where has it gone wrong for the series? Many fans have taken issue with Davies' creative decisions and the lack of classic villains. Meanwhile, Gatwa barely being featured in two of the eight episodes (due to scheduling conflicts with Sex Education) also did little to help establish him as the Doctor with newcomers and returning viewers alike.
Stay tuned for updates.