Ever since the unexpected regeneration of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor into a new form played by Rose Tyler actress Billie Piper, the future of Doctor Who has been shrouded in uncertainty. While there is a Christmas special lined up for the end of the 2026 TV schedule, it remains to be seen after that when the show’s next season will arrive or what company BBC will team up with to make new episodes now that the Disney+ partnership is over. Frankly, the latest update on the Christmas special has left more concerned about Doctor Who’s future given how writer Russell T. Davies is apparently handling it.
After first being tapped to relaunch Doctor Who in 2005 and serve as showrunner during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant years, Davies returned in late 2023 to resume those duties. It was announced that last October he was writing the aforementioned Christmas special, and according to Murray Gold, who’s composed the music for all of Davies’ Doctor Who seasons (as well as the Steven Moffat’s), this has entailed writing more than just one version. As he told Half the Picture:
I know Russell's written, I think, multiple versions depending on certain outcomes. So that's all I really know and I'm not sure I'm even supposed to know that.
“Certain outcomes” sounds ominous, indicating that Russell T. Davies still isn’t aware about what the plan is for Doctor Who after this Christmas special. So as Murray Gold understands it, the showrunner has several courses of action mapped out, depending on the kinds of decisions the BBC makes with the show in the coming months. Frankly, I’m worried that the path forward for Doctor Who is still such a mystery, and makes me even more skeptical that we’ll get the next season in 2027.
Murray Gold went on to say how he thinks this is a “precarious point for Doctor Who,” and that he’s “hopeful that it’s all going to be the start of a wonderful new era.” Gold also said that he would return to Doctor Who if asked to do so, especially if it was Russell T. Davies. But that’s one of the questions that still needs to be answered: after the 2026 Christmas special, will Davies continue working as showrunner, or will he pass the torch to someone else?
Then, of course, there’s the question of who will be the next Doctor. Technically Billie Piper’s new character hasn’t been identified as the Sixteenth Doctor, but even assuming she is, I suspect she’ll only be doing a one-and-done appearance given the “very last minute” nature of her appearance in the regeneration scene. So who will play the Seventeenth Doctor, and when will they start going on their own adventures?
I realize Doctor Who is a more complicated TV show to make than most, but it’s strange to me it’s still unclear even behind the scenes about where things are headed after the Christmas special. Hopefully this is figured out in the next few months and the public learns how the franchise will move forward in 2027. Until then, allons-y to whatever version of the yuletide adventure Russell T. Davies has written is selected to be filmed.
