By 
Doctor Who is set to regenerate again, but this time in a rather different and sudden capacity. The BBC has confirmed today that it is putting the show out to competitive tender and that showrunner Russell T Davies and producer Bad Wolf have officially left the beloved British sci-fi series, with a planned Christmas special also canceled.
“Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who, ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come,” the Beeb said in a statement. “This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one-off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”
Davies took to Instagram to set the record straight on his departure and the status of the Christmas special, which he suggests never really got off the ground in the first place, with no script written and no actor set to play the new Time Lord following Ncuti Gatwa, who portrayed the Fifteenth Doctor until 2025.
“And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special — we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it.
“You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worth it! For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor. You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time. Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp.”
Comments under Davies’ post were predictably mixed, with Doctor Who’s passionate fan base weighing in with both positive and negative views about the showrunner’s time on the series. Nevertheless, there will hopefully be a fresh start ahead for further live-action Doctor Who adventures.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to some family fun with the Doctor, as an animated series is currently in production for CBeebies.
The post Doctor Who Christmas Special Canceled by BBC as Russell T Davies Sets Record Straight appeared first on Den of Geek.
