Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies completely punted on a question about whether Ncuti Gatwa’s turn as the Doctor will continue following the show’s second season.
Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim, Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, and Lenny Rush as Morris Gibbons in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
During an interview with Variety at San Diego Comic-Con, Davies was asked, “How much longer will this era last? That’s what everybody wants to know. We’ve got two under our belts now, how many more seasons will we get from you all?”
Davies responded, “We’ve shot season 2, but that’s only halfway through season 2. We’ve got all those months of post to come. That’s a long way off. So no decisions yet and we are happy making it at the moment.”
He added, “We hope it continues forever.”
Russell T. Davies at San Diego Comic-Con via Doctor Who YouTube
Variety’s interviewer then retorted, “So you guys have signed on for 10 seasons is what you’re telling me?” Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the Doctor, responded, “Of Course.”
Millie Gibson, who plays the Doctor’s companion Ruby Sunday, also added, “I’m not doing any other work right now.”
Davies then added, “Lock the doors. Lock the doors. That’s it.”
A scene from “Rogue” in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
READ: Report: Disney Contemplating Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ After Atrocious Viewership Numbers
Davies’ punting on the question comes in the wake of a rumor that The Walt Disney Company might terminate their relationship with the BBC over the show and that the entire show could be scrapped after the second season.
That rumor came from Deadline’s Max Goldbart who reported that a source close to the Doctor Who production informed him that Disney will “need to make a decision” on whether it continues forward with the show and depending on what this decision is, it could affect the status of Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor.
Goldbart further added, “This source predicts the final episode has been left open-ended, with the possibility remaining that Gatwa could regenerate into his successor if he chooses to exit.”
Jinkx Monsoon in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
Not only could Disney pull out, but another source believes the entire show could be scrapped following its already greenlit second season.
Goldbart detailed, “Noises that it may not last beyond its initial two seasons are already reverberating around international TV circles, and one source close to the production tells us that they feel its future hangs in the balance already.”
Mille Gibson as Ruby Sunday, Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, and Bonnie Langford as Mel in Doctor Who’s “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” (2024), BBC
READ: ‘Doctor Who’ Showrunner Russell T. Davies Admits Show’s Ratings Are “Not Doing That Well”
Davies has also admitted that the show’s viewership numbers are not good. Radio Times reported that Davies made an appearance at a BAFTA event called A Life in Pictures: Russell T. Davies where he stated, “In coming back, I wanted to make it simpler and I wanted to make it younger. Those two things are often not discussed – you read reactions to it and people are missing that. It’s simpler and younger – and it is working. The under-16s and the 16-34 audience as well is massive.”
However, despite this spin, he did admit the truth, “It’s not doing that well in the ratings, but it is doing phenomenally well with the younger audience that we wanted.”
Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor in Doctor Who (2024), BBC
Davies also previously admitted the ratings were not good. As reported by Doctor Who TV, he told Radio Times, “I’m very proud of it! You know, they might not be the ratings we’d love. We always want higher. But they are building over the 28-day period. Episode 1, Space Babies, is already up to 5.6 million and counting. So it is getting there.”
He also attempted to spin the show as a success because it was allegedly reaching a “youthful audience.” Davies said, “I was brought back in to bring in a youthful audience. That’s been massively successful. The audience no one ever gets are the under-30s. They just don’t watch television anymore. But those figures are astronomic for Doctor Who, it’s their top programme in that bracket.”
Mille Gibson as Ruby Sunday, Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, and Bonnie Langford as Mel in Doctor Who’s “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” (2024), BBC
The ratings for the show are atrocious. The debut episode’s overnight ratings in the United Kingdom only clocked in at 2.6 million. After a full week it only reached 4.01 million. Deadline, in its most recent reporting claims the show has only been viewed 6 million times. Meaning in the 2 months since the show premiered it added less than its entire overnight numbers.
The ratings did not improve there. The show hit an all-time overnight low of 2.02 million with the penultimate episode. It’s worst performing 7-day episode was the fifth episode at 3.38 million.
The season finale’s viewership was also atrocious with just 2.25 million in overnight numbers and a disastrous 3.69 million after a full week. The show never even charted on Disney+ in the United States on Nielsen’s Top 10 ratings.
Screenshot of Doctor Who Series 14 ratings from Doctor Who TV
On top of just having disastrous ratings, Doctor Who Guide notes that five of the ten worst performing shows in Doctor Who history are part of this most recent season.
That’s right five of the eight episodes that aired are in the top 10 least viewed Doctor Who episodes ever.
Doctor Who 7-day ratings via Doctor Who Guide
What do you make of Davies punting on the question about whether or not the show will continue after its second season?
