Doctor Who was removed from the 2026 TV schedule, and the BBC is actively taking pitches for how to retool the beloved sci-fi franchise. Russell T. Davies is officially out, and while he made noble efforts to put the franchise back out in front of a mainstream audience, he fell short. Now, as conversations happen about how the franchise needs to change, I think diehard fans need to acknowledge how successful a controversial set of storylines was.

I remember back in the day these were referred to as "The Doctor and his girlfriend" adventures, which is a reference to the period in which it seemed The Doctor was constantly building romantic tension with his companions. As we look back on what worked and what didn't, it's hard for me to deny that the more Doctor Who got away from Matt Smith's era of The Doctor having romantic tension with his companions, the less popular it became.

Matt Smith's "The Doctor And His Girlfriend" Era Of Doctor Who Felt Like The Series Biggest Time

Being a Doctor Who fan from 2011 to 2014 was great, because it seemed like the franchise was everywhere. Some would credit then-showrunner Stephen Moffat, others the more youthful Matt Smith, and even more the "shipping" the show created with his various companions.

People loved Amy Pond, as well as Clara Oswald, but what seemed to get more attention was the sexual tension between the characters and Matt Smith's Doctor. Doctor Who certainly pushed the romance narrative, having Pond kiss The Doctor the day before her wedding, and near-constant tension with Clara creating a "will they, won't they" dynamic.

Then, following Matt Smith's exit, Doctor Who reversed course. As CinemaBlend wrote when Peter Capaldi took over, The Doctor began acting more like classic iterations of the character, and the show progressively became less and less about spontaneous romance that grows while adventuring. Doctor Who began to fade from the mainstream, and it's safe to say it never quite reached that fever pitch again.

The Doctor Falling In Love Wasn't New, But There Were A Couple Key Differences

Some might argue that romance has always been a part of Doctor Who, especially in its modern era. After all, Rose Tyler's romance with the Doctor is a celebrated storyline, and Capaldi's Doctor ultimately married his longtime fellow time traveler, River Song. More recently, there was Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor having a brief kiss with Jonathan Groff's "Rogue," which we never got a follow-up on.

Those are all instances of The Doctor falling in love outside of Matt Smith's era, but the difference is they weren't a part of the main story. I think it's fair to say that, in the case of Amy Pond and Clara Oswald, feelings for The Doctor were a major part of their stories, which may have been something that helped it reach so many back when.

Is it the trick to getting Doctor Who back in the eyes of millions and back to making some of its best episodes again? I can only speculate, but it's one of the things from the past years that we didn't see in this latest run by Russell T. Davies. Maybe there are other ways to bring back The Doctor, and I'm eager to see creatives try!

In the meantime, the back catalog of Doctor Who's modern era is largely available on AMC+, with the latest season and specials on Disney+. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long before learning what's next for the franchise, and who will lead it into a brave new era.

Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers are talking about missed opportunities ahead of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, and it's bumming me out. Not long after revealing they were close to getting William Shatner in the series, we're now hearing the fabled Doctor Who crossover was also close to happening.

While both shows nodded at each other in recent years, Goldsman recently told AwardsRadar during an interview that he was actively working with recently departed Who showrunner Russell T. Davies on making the crossover a reality. Here's what he said:

As a fan of Doctor Who and Star Trek who loves the new era of both, this is just another gut punch. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has already wrapped filming on its final season, and Doctor Who is on indefinite hiatus for the time being. We were so close to having The Doctor on the Enterprise in live-action, and now we're presumably back to square one and may never see it happen. That situation could change a year or two from now, but as it stands, it feels there's no chance.

Of course, I say live-action crossover because we've seen The Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard cross paths in comic books thanks to IDW Publishing's crossover. I should also point out that in addition to Pelia's mention of traveling with The Doctor in Strange New Worlds, the series also showcased the TARDIS in a background shot of a Season 3 episode.

As for Doctor Who, The Doctor implied to companion Ruby Sunday that Starfleet is a real organization when she likened his technology to something out of Star Trek. It had me jazzed back then and hoping I'd stream a crossover one day with my Paramount+ subscription, but it just wasn't fated to be. Here's hoping both franchises find a way to cross paths again down the line, and it's all we hoped for and more.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 premieres on Paramount+ on July 23rd. As for Doctor Who, we're not sure when we can expect to see the series return, but I'm crossing my fingers and toes we don't have to wait too long.

Russell T. Davies teased a big announcement for Doctor Who not long ago, but I don't think anyone predicted that it'd be his exit. The showrunner announced he's officially completed his second stint and said that the BBC series will not return to the 2026 TV schedule as previously promised. This is development that sure to stoke up varied feelings within the Who fandom. As for me, though, I think this is the right decision for the franchise.

While previously leaked information suggested Doctor Who's Christmas special was canceled, there was news that the series had found a new star of the show and was aiming to return sometime around Easter 2027. It doesn't seem like that's the case based on Russell T. Davies' post on Instagram, in which he says the BBC is "putting the show out to tender":

While some people may be upset with the news, there's reason to see this as a positive development. Of course, I say that with full respect to Russell T. Davies, who did just about everything a showrunner can do to try and increase viewership for Doctor Who. With that, at the end of the day, if bringing back David Tennant, casting a young up-and-coming star like Ncuti Gatwa, guest stars like Jonathan Groff, and making Billie Piper a literal Doctor isn't enough to bring back fans, then the franchise needs a larger change.

Of course, Russell T. Davies hinted at some potentially big changes in store for the franchise, but again, is he wrong? Sure, taking away the TARDIS or other cornerstones of what makes Doctor Who would upset some fans but, as it stands right now, the core fandom is not enough to make the franchise a success.

Personally, I think the journey starts with the right actor.Who needs a good (but not overly saturated) name to play the Time Lord, because that's the easiest path to drawing in a new audience. Ncuti Gatwa's casting was a great choice, and he made for a great Doctor. So find another up-and-coming young actor to take the helm and try to recapture the magic that had so many people hooked.

So now, we wait, and the question no one has the answer to at this time is, how long? Will it be a couple of months before we get an update on Doctor Who, or are we looking at a couple of years? The last time Doctor Who was canceled, it took fifteen years for it to return to TV. The BBC has not canceled the series at this time, so I'm hopeful it won't be too long before it returns.

In the meantime, those of us in the United States have the back catalog of the series on streaming again, so at least we can watch past Christmas specials! We can also check out some of the best Doctor Who episodes, many of which Russell T. Davies had a hand in. Hey, maybe Disney+ will throw us a bone and finally release The War Between the Land and the Sea, and we can finally see that acclaimed spinoff.

So, while there's no Doctor Who coming up in the foreseeable future, do yourself a favor by looking through some of the franchise's best episodes. The newer episodes are still over on Disney+, but I do wonder if they'll eventually be sent over to AMC once Disney has to renew the rights to it. Aside from that, I remain eager to see what lies ahead for this beloved franchise.

When news broke that Amazon moved on from the Stargate project it announced last year, I was only mildly surprised. I was even less surprised when I heard the alleged reason was due to its concept, which was deemed something that could only appeal to dedicated fans and not a wider audience. That's because I think this cancellation points to a larger problem that's seemingly impacting a lot of major sci-fi franchises.

The 2026 TV schedule has been brutal for fans of sci-fi television, as Star Trek has zero shows in active production, Doctor Who will reportedly cancel its Christmas special, and The Mandalorian and Grogu is struggling to fight off being overtaken by a horror movie at the box office. Legacy sci-fi franchises are going through it right now, and there are some common threads between all these situations that I think creatives need to figure out quickly.

Core Fandom Support Is Seemingly Not Enough To Make A Show Successful Anymore

One thing all these franchises have in common is their ties to streaming, and it seems the messaging is clear. While there may once have been a time when a franchise's fandom could support a series on its own, those days are gone. I've theorized that different generations of fans with different beliefs have segmented fandoms and made it difficult to unify what they all want in a series.

A simpler expectation is that older fans are dying, and one Star Trek actor confirmed as much. I guess it makes sense, as some of these franchises reach the 60-year mark and beyond that a few would be lost along the way or simply fall off. Then limiting access to streaming subscriptions feels like it further sections off who can watch, with the bottom line seemingly being that executives aren't keen on relying on the small population of fans who will stream.

Changing A Treasured Franchise Is Not The Key To Success Either

It is frustrating to hear that Amazon allegedly passed on Stargate because it felt too niche and not something that appealed to a wider audience. While I don't know anything about the plot, I do know the person responsible for it, Martin Gero, made the revival of Quantum Leap. That probably landed him the job with Stargate, because he did about as good a job as possible at creating a revival that honored the original show while still being accessible to casuals.

We've also seen plenty of shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Wars: The Mandalorian strive to prove there is a way to walk the tightrope between serving fans and the masses.

However, it sounds to me as though Amazon is seeking someone to take the concept of Stargate and make it something new, and if that's the new corporate playbook for success, I'm worried for the rest of the legacy sci-fi franchises.

We'll see what becomes of Stargate as Amazon reportedly looks for someone else to bring the franchise back to life. As for the rest, we may hear more on Star Trek and Doctor Who when San Diego Comic-Con rolls around, and I'm hoping we'll finally see some good news.

It looks like Doctor Who fans, may have further confirmation that the show won't return to the 2026 TV schedule. This comes shortly after the circulation of rumors about The BBC supposedly holding off on moving forward with a previously announced Christmas special. Series EP Russell T. Davies seemed to confirme that piece of gossip while also sharing a major update on the next doctor. Here's what we know right now regarding what fans can expect going into the summer.

What Russell T. Davies Said About The Christmas Special

Davies was recently a guest on Full Disclosure With James O'Brien and, whether he meant to or not, might've confirmed that Doctor Who's Christmas special isn't happening in 2026. The comment was made while the writer/producer discussed his work on another series, Tip Toe, as he laid out his schedule for the rest of the year:

Now, it's possible Russell T. Davies was speaking specifically to Tip Toe, but it seems like he just said he wouldn't film anything for the rest of the year. If that's the case, it would appear that we're not getting the Doctor Who Christmas special after all, and Davies still had yet to write it when asked about it last year.

This could be truly sad news for people who've been eager to see Billie Piper back in another DW Christmas special. However, this could mean the rumor that the show will return in Easter 2027 is accurate.

Russell T. Davies Speaks About Doctor Who's Next Lead Actor

Russell T. Davies also confirmed another rumor about Doctor Who, as its been rumored for a while that Billie Piper's stint as The Doctor, or whoever she really is, will be a one-off. It was previously rumored that The BBC had struggled to find another actor to play The Doctor following Ncuti Gatwa's sudden exit. However, that doesn't seem to be the case based on what Davies just said during an interview on Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies when the host asked about when the public will learn about the new Doctor:

Did Davies just say The BBC has already selected a new Doctor and will be announcing their identity in a couple of weeks? It can't be said for sure but, if so, it'd go a long way to soften the blow of the Christmas special's theorized cancellation. Still, he didn't exactly confirm anything. It might be that Doctor Who will announce the new Doctor sometime in the near future, and no specific names will be given.

In the meantime, Who fans got some good news when AMC announced it will be the new home on streaming for a back catalog of content. That said, we still have no clue who will be hosting the series in the United States when it does return, whenever that may be. Also, for Whoniverse lovers in the U.S., The War Between the Land and the Sea will be available to stream with a Disney+ subscription sometime this year.

What I'll mostly be keeping an eye out for, though, are press releases and information regarding who the next star of Doctor Who will be. Here's hoping whoever is chosen will inject some excitement into the franchise and get people hyped about its eventual return.

The original plan for Doctor Who's immediate future was to return during the 2026 TV schedule for at least the usual Christmas special, but a new rumor suggests that's no longer the case. The latest buzz makes it sounds like Billie Piper's return could be delayed until 2027. Truthfully, though, I think that's a good thing.

The latest report comes from The Sun, which claims the BBC is heavily considering scrapping Doctor Who's upcoming Christmas special to instead plan out a different holiday episode to air sometime around Easter 2027. It's allegedly tied to previously reported rumors that the show is struggling to find a new Doctor to replace Piper, who returned under the agreement that it'd be a one-and-done arrangement. If that's the case, I 100% support the decision to pull back the reins, because I think it's vital for the franchise to get its next casting right.

Doctor Who Needs To Quit Flying By The Seat Of Its Pants And Get A Solid Plan

Ever since the 60th anniversary specials, it feels as though Doctor Who is flying by the seat of its pants. Russell T. Davies has introduced game-changing reveals like bi-regeneration and The Doctor transforming back into past iterations, but with zero consequence or resolution. Just when it feels like we get an interesting concept the show could lean on or use for fresh storylines, it's tossed aside for the next big reveal or stunt casting.

Davies has a lot of ideas, but he doesn't seem to know how to follow up on them. It was why I worried when he announced in late 2025 that he hadn't even started writing the Doctor Who Christmas special, and now seven months out, there are rumors that the BBC is balking at airing it.

Of course, this is all rumored, but I can't help but buy into it as someone tracking these stories on a regular basis. I also couldn't help but notice that while Russell T. Davies praised Saturday Night Live UK for its Doctor Who parody when Aimee Lou Wood was on, he had nothing to say about Ncuti Gatwa's somewhat harsh monologue directed at the show not long after. Perhaps the comments hit too close to home, or there's some ill feelings from the showrunner about how the series was forced to scramble amidst Gatwa's sudden exit?

Gap Years Are Not Novel For Doctor Who

While the headlines are all over Doctor Who needing to cancel a previously announced project, it's not as though gap years for the franchise are new. In fact, it was the norm for the sci-fi series until recent years, in which Russell T. Davies reduced the seasonal episode count in an effort to get more consistent yearly airings.

I can't say I'm 100% thrilled to hear we'll be going a full year without Doctor Who, but as a fan, I also think it's important that the BBC does what's best to ensure the series' long-term health. If the show doesn't have a new Doctor yet to lead the series, the last thing I want decision-makers to do is rush things and potentially leave the franchise in a worse position than it is currently. Ultimately, DW has the name recognition it can survive with a gap, so why not take the time and ensure there's a plan in place for long-term success?

We'll keep an eye out for official news on what's going on with Doctor Who's Christmas special, and whether it'll be delayed or not. I'm sure there will be more rumors over the coming months, and if these latest ones are true, I'd imagine an official announcement is on the way.

Ncuti Gatwa hosted Saturday Night Live UK for the freshman series' first season finale, and while the sketch comedy already parodied Doctor Who the week prior, the former Doctor brought up the show during his opening monologue. Unfortunately, the jokes Gatwa made seemed to have struck a nerve, and I find myself agreeing with all sides on this one.

Gatwa's monologue (as seen on YouTube) was short, sweet, referenced his Netflix series Sex Education, and also featured White Lotus vet Aimee Lou Wood. The part most fans are talking about, however, is the chunk about Doctor Who, which poked fun at everything from low ratings to The Doctor's emotional side to the twist ending to his final season. Here's how he put it:

I think it's important to note that Saturday Night Live monologues are traditionally written by a writing staff, and while actors may contribute, it's not like we're hearing Ncuti Gatwa speak from the heart. Despite that, some Doctor Who fans had a reaction to the snarky comment about Billie Piper taking over in his place, and had a lot to say both against and in support:

• Mind you he only regenerated into billie piper bc he decided to leave the show early & they had to reshoot - @georgegriffiths
• He left because Disney wouldn't renew on time for them to begin work on the next season.He didn't just want to sit in production limbo waiting for Disney to do something, and new roles came up elsewhere and so he took them. The root cause is Disney being bastards - @OswinOswald223
• Mind you as well, it wasn’t his idea to regenerate into Billie Piper. Negotiating could’ve been done. They could’ve had him leave in a special, or idk find another actor to take on the role. It’s still RTD who decided to nostalgia slop and pick Billie to generate content. - @boy_temperature
• Right, they had no choice but to cast her as the next doctor, there was simply nothing else they could do! they couldn't possibly cast someone else no they had to cast her! - @wiresandchains_
• Billie Piper is an absolute icon honestly so i am not mad - @Sofieeoh

For Doctor Who fans who aren't quite as dialed in, the debate here is centered on the circumstances that led to Ncuti Gatwa's exit as The Doctor. While Gatwa officially said the physical demands of the role were too challenging, it was heavily rumored at the time that Gatwa decided to exit after Disney balked at an immediate greenlight for a third season, wanting to continue working rather than wait around. Gatwa took a role in theater shortly before the character's official exit, and reshoots, changing the ending of what would be his final season, gave credence to the rumor.

Now, Billie Piper is allegedly The Doctor, though there are already rumors she was more of a last-minute placeholder and that the real next regeneration of The Doctor could show up when the series returns for the Christmas special set for the 2026 TV schedule. Additionally, we still don't have an official return date for the next season of Doctor Who, so personally, I think Ncuti Gatwa made the right call to bow out.

I also understand fan frustration, because it feels like Ncuti Gatwa willingly signed on to kick Doctor Who while it's down. While The BBC remains committed (for now) to continuing the series, it feels as though there's some desperation to try to get more eyes watching it. It's hard not to imagine that eventually the series could get cancelled again, if not go on an extended hiatus.

The last thing I'd point out is that Ncuti Gatwa said he still loved Doctor Who, and I think it's a good show of character to both love something and be able to poke fun at it. Plus, one might argue this is the time the series is most deserving of criticism, as we await to hear what the official plan is for the future. That, and when The War Between the Land and the Sea is going to be available in the United States, because I'm growing impatient!

As mentioned, Doctor Who will return around Christmas time with another holiday special. I assume it'll drop on the actual holiday, but with HBO's new Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone show also slated for that day, I wouldn't be surprised if we see it pop up sooner.

After being away for almost a year, the modern back catalog of Doctor Who is headed back to streaming. AMC+ has snagged the rights to 176 episodes of the beloved sci-fi series, and it'll be available as the summer arrives.

AMC+ announced it obtained the back catalog of the Time Lord's adventures from 2005 to 2022. Beginning June 11th, those looking to see the best Doctor Who episodes from those years can subscribe and stream these episodes and specials as much as they like for only $29.99 a year. As a fan, I'm happy to hear I'll be able to watch this in between other shows on the 2026 TV schedule, but I do have more questions.

Will AMC+ Eventually Get Access To Disney+'s Collection Of Episodes?

As impressive as this collection of episodes is, it's still missing some pivotal entries in the Doctor Who library. Notably, there's no mention of the 60th anniversary specials featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate, or any of Ncuti Gatwa's run as The Doctor. Presumably, AMC+ didn't get the rights to those yet, and they'll remain available with a Disney+ subscription until we hear otherwise.

I'm hoping eventually the rights will expire, and AMC+ can pick it up, but we'll have to wait and enjoy the runs of Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker in the meantime.

Where Will People In The United States Watch The Upcoming Christmas Special?

AMC+'s announcement says nothing of the 2026 Christmas special, or other new episodes of Doctor Who to come. We already know that the BBC parted ways with Disney+, so the episodes won't be airing there. Is it possible another announcement is on the way, or is another player in the mix?

That's the million-dollar question I have, and a major factor in whether I'd want to subscribe to AMC+ long-term. I do love old episodes of Doctor Who, but I ultimately am going to sign up for whatever service gives me the new episodes.

I'm optimistic that, maybe, the BBC will ultimately partner with AMC+ to be its first-run partner for Doctor Who, and that an announcement will come closer to the release of the Christmas episode. With so many unanswered questions about what's in store for the future of the franchise, it would be nice to get some confirmation that we'll have an official way to watch the Christmas special.

Doctor Who will return with a new episode around Christmas 2026, but we still don't have any solid details on it just yet. I'm hoping that changes by the time summer arrives, because I'd love at least a trailer to help give us some clarity on what to expect.

Aimee Lou Wood's episode of Saturday Night Live UK is getting positive buzz, and even Doctor Who's showrunner, Russell T. Davies, approves. His comments came after attending the latest episode, in which Wood and the cast poked fun at the UK's most celebrated sci-fi series.

With the teeth jokes out of the way, Aimee Lou Wood helped poke fun at Doctor Who, playing a companion who wasn't on board with The Doctor's latest adventure. Davies was actually in the studio audience watching it all go down ahead of his show's return to the 2026 TV schedule, and gave a rave review of the series afterward on Instagram:

I'm not surprised to see Russell T. Davies give the program its flowers, and that Sky would invite him for SNL UK's first sketch parodying Doctor Who. I am a bit surprised, however, that the show chose now to do it when they're going to have a former Doctor host in just a couple of weeks, but before getting into that, a brief recap of the sketch for those who missed it.

How SNL: UK Parodied Doctor Who

The Doctor (played by Hammed Animashaun) and his companion Ellen (Aimee Lou Wood) arrived at Trexalor 5 to witness the "Tree of Knowledge" bearing fruit that will give whoever eats it all the answers they've ever wanted. Ellen wanted those answers, but couldn't help but be horrified by the sight of the tree, which wasn't actually a tree. It was a dripping mass of unsightly pustules that, despite its unsightly appearance, still looked like it belonged in Doctor Who.

Ellen was disgusted and admonished The Doctor for frequently taking her places she didn't want to be. She decided to head back into the TARDIS to look at videos on her phone, but before she did, The Doctor requested she vape outside of the ship because he hated the smell of her mango-flavored device. Unfortunately, the fumes of the mango were highly poisonous to the alien species, and Ellen inadvertently killed the Tree of Knowledge and its guards. The sketch ended with Ellen attacking a guard, and The Doctor fleeing the scene in his TARDIS.

My Big Question: Why Didn't SNL: UK's Wait Until Ncuti Gatwa Hosts For The DW Parody?

I loved that Saturday Night Live UK finally took a jab at Doctor Who, though, I have to wonder why the sketch comedy series didn't wait until Ncuti Gatwa hosted on May 16th. He's the first former Doctor to host the series, so it would've been fitting to feature him as The Doctor for the sketch.

While SNL UK could certainly do a Doctor Who sketch in a couple of weeks, I do wonder if maybe there's some reason why Gatwa can't appear as The Doctor in a parody of the series. Whether it's contractually obligated or Gatwa doesn't want to run the risk of insulting the fandom after his sudden exit from the show, who knows? It could also be neither, and Gatwa would just rather avoid an emotional crisis like Daniel Radcliffe had when he played Harry Potter on SNL.

As for what's going on with the actual Doctor Who series, it's set to return to television with a Christmas special later this year. So far, there's no word on what comes after, though, and if Billie Piper's "Doctor" is sticking around or passing the torch to another iteration of the iconic Time Lord.

I'll be curious to see if Doctor Who is referenced again in another sketch when Ncuti Gatwa pops up on Saturday Night Live UK on May 16th. Before that, we'll watch Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham host, which I'm also excited about for completely different reasons.

Regardless of how many Good Omens fans are saying their prayers before bed each night, the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation’s final outing will finally smite its way onto the 2026 TV schedule in May. It’s both a blessing and a curse, since the planned final season was smooshed into a single 90-minute movie, but my angel wings are still aflutter with anticipation. Especially after hearing David Tennant’s latest comments about his beloved demon Crowley.

Speaking with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend for the latest info-packed issue, Tennant’s update for Crowley admittedly paints a pretty desolate and depressing picture, but I think it’s actually quite delightful for everyone hoping he and Aziraphale head off into the eternal sunset together. Here’s how the actor put it:

I know, I know, it sounds bad. I certainly don't want to celebrate the idea that Crowley is a vapid shell of his former self while sleeping on the street. That part is technically sad to hear. HOWEVER, if the story starts with Crowley at "pretty much rock bottom," that just means he can only go up from there. Maybe not all the way up to heaven, mind you, but at least to a more tolerable level of existence.

Also, even though Crowley was already playing both sides for the sake of his own personal gains, I am excited to see him truly untethered to either Evil or Good or anything in between. Lone wolves can often be the most dangerous, since they can be the most unpredictable. And when Crowley's back is against the wall, I can only feel sorry for whoever gets in the way of him or his Bentley. (Unless it's Az, of course.)

Not that David Tennant was wallowing in misery behind the scenes or anything. The finale, which will continue taking the story far beyond the source material penned by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, was directed by Rachel Talalay, and it wasn't her first time working with the Doctor Who vet. He addressed her addition to the Good Omens-verse with glowing praise, saying:

Talalay told SFX that she was originally tapped for all six episodes of Season 3, and was part of the culling process to get the finale down to 90 minutes. She also spoke very highly about the changes, saying it only made the story better. Maybe it's like the TARDIS, where the smaller story is actually bigger on the inside...or something.

In any case, that's exactly what you want to hear a star say about the directing putting all the pieces together for the screen. Fans have been waiting years and years for this swan song, so it needs to be the best possible version of an ending to justify all the anticipation. I guess the Second Coming of Christ will do that.

Good Omens' third and final season finale will be available to stream on May 13 via Amazon Prime subscription.

The BBC dropped a new trailer for a Doctor Who project, but not for the anticipated Christmas Special coming in the 2026 TV schedule. Many fans are still eager to see what Billie Piper's return to the franchise will look like, which is likely why there's some negative backlash toward this trailer for an upcoming audio drama.

Big Finish has a new audio drama on the way featuring the return of the Ninth Doctor, played by Christopher Eccleston, with Piper returning as Rose Tyler. Doctor Who fans love audio dramas, and I'm sure they'll love the latest adventure, "Thirteen O'Clock." The real misstep here was releasing a trailer that made it seem like an upcoming television episode. Check it out below:

I'll admit, I got giddy when the trailer started up, because I thought we were finally being granted footage of the upcoming Christmas special, despite it only being April. After months of hearing that there were multiple versions written, and that plans have remained in flux for what's to come after, at least we have this trai...wait, no, that isn't the case.I wasn't the only one frustrated to see this is how the latest audio drama is being promoted, based on comments in the Instagram post:

• This is the best example of how to NOT advertise an event... It's not teasing, it's not making hype, it's just frustrating - Garbiele01
• Me thinking this was for the Xmas special 😀 - tjplumm
• This is an episode that would look great on television #justsaying - nswphotography
• When will we get an announcement for the new episode? - ybbimi
• Had me in the first half ngl - _aarontakesphotos_

Again, none of these comments were directing anger or dismay toward the audio drama itself, but rather the way it was presented. It doesn't help that Billie Piper is featured in this seemingly recycled footage, and we all know she's going to be the lead in the upcoming Christmas special.

It's the latest update as Doctor Who fans desperately wait for more answers about the future of the franchise, with no answers beyond that the BBC intends to keep the series alive. Rumors abound, however, that Billie Piper is a placeholder and isn't expected to be The Doctor full-time. There are also no updates on who could play the next Doctor, and until that's decided, I don't imagine we'll get a filming date for a new season.

There are positives to look forward to, as The War Between the Land and the Sea received rave reviews in its attempt to cater to a more mature audience. There's evidence that there's an audience who wants to see the franchise mature, but whether that means Doctor Who will ever step away from being a show intended for almost every age is another story.

All this to say, we're still waiting on concrete updates about Doctor Who's Christmas special, which should arrive on or around Christmas Day. The War Between the Land and the Sea will premiere for those with a Disney+ subscription at some point in 2026 as well, so stay tuned for that.

There have been six actors who have played the Doctor since Doctor Who was revived for the modern era in 2005 (a few more if you include the brief stints by John Hurt, Jo Martin, and others), but Christopher Eccleston's run stands out as particularly significant because of its brevity. While David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa stuck with the role for multiple years, he is an outlier because of his short 13-episode run. Eccleston hasn't appeared on the show since, so what would it take to bring him back?

The actor addressed that very question this weekend at C2E2 2026 (via Popverse), and what he proposes is not only not extreme, but would be great to see. As you would expect, he has put some serious consideration into the matter in the last 21 years, and he says that what would bring him back would be a particular change in the personnel who are making the creative decision. Said Eccleston,

Since Doctor Who was revived in 2005, it has had three showrunners: Russell T. Davies took the helm from 2004 to 2010 (a.k.a. through the end of David Tennant's original run); Steven Moffat replaced him in the position from 2010 to 2017 (a.k.a. through the end of Peter Capaldi's run); Chris Chibnall then reigned from 2018 to 2022 (a.k.a. the Jodie Whittaker era); and then Davies came back for the recent Ncuti Gatwa episodes.

At present, the future of Doctor Who is very much up in the air, but it has been confirmed that there is going to be a Christmas special that arrives later in the year, and it's expected to address the big twist involving the reveal of Billie Piper as the latest regeneration of the Doctor at the end of "The Reality War." Piper, of course, was Eccleston's companion Rose Tyler during his series as the Doctor, but given that the upcoming episode has been scripted by Davies and the actor's aforementioned conditions for returning, we probably shouldn't expect a surprise appearance by the Ninth Doctor.

Despite how short his time was as the Doctor, Eccleston was nonetheless great on the show, and it would not only be great to see him one day return, but it would also be great to see a glass ceiling get shattered behind the scenes and for a female showrunner to take the helm. For now, the future is hazy for the beloved sci-fi series, but stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for the latest updates.

Doctor Who is in a precarious place, and while it has a return date on the 2026 TV schedule, it's only for the Christmas special. There are still no known plans for what's ahead beyond that episode, but a new rumor involving David Tennant has me rolling my eyes and making me hope the series isn't headed this route.

Don't get me wrong, Tennant is the golden boy of modern Doctor Who. He is, without question, the most popular Doctor of the run, and fans still love to hear him talk about the show. That said, he doesn't need to be the knight in shining armor every time the series is in trouble, which seems to be precisely why he might be coming back soon.

David Tennant Is Rumored To Be Returning To Doctor Who

The Sun had previously reported that there are ongoing discussions to bring back David Tennant to Doctor Who to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The BBC reviving the series. Essentially, the idea is that Tennant and actress Billie Piper put the series back on the map, so who better to pair up to celebrate that occasion? While that anniversary has since paased, evidently the idea is still in consideration.

Piper, of course, was recently revealed as the person The Doctor regenerated into. The rumor was further substantiated by a tease on the in-universe UNIT website, signaling the series may revisit a previous storyline that involved Rose Tyler and The Doctor. CinemaBlend's Adam Holmes did a great write-up for those interested in what the collaboration could be, but for the sake of staying on task, I'll leave the story details to him. The main takeaway here is that it seems as though Tennant is going to return to Doctor Who, and the latest information makes the rumor even more likely.

We Just Saw David Tennant During The 60th Anniversary

It marks a big return for David Tennant, who was last in the Doctor Who franchise *checks notes* three years ago. The actor was just on the show as the Fourteenth Doctor, who remains alive in-universe after a reunion with his former companion, Donna Noble.

Following those specials, Tennant was pretty adamant he would not be returning as The Doctor again. It only took a year before he greatly softened his stance on that, and now, with Billie Piper back in the mix, it feels all too likely he'll pop back up again.

I was initially jazzed about the idea of Tennant returning back when he first hinted he could, but that was before Ncuti Gatwa left. This was also before Disney backed out of its partnership with The BBC, and the series' future was left up in the air for how it's moving forward. To me, it feels like the difference between bringing in Tennant because Doctor Who has a great story to tell, and bringing him in because the franchise is in a bad place and the network needs to draw eyes. That may not actually be the case, but to me, it certainly feels that way, much like when he succeeded Jodie Whittaker's as The Doctor.

Billie Piper's Stint As The Doctor Is Rumored To Be A Placeholder

There are additional rumors circulating that Billie Piper will not be the face of Doctor Who for long. The previously mentioned tease on the UNIT blog has hinted that this is Rose Tyler, who's been living another universe, we're seeing, suggesting that the character was yanked from time due to some event and pulled to the TARDIS due to her connection with it.

The plot logistics are confusing, but the main takeaway is not. If this is true, Billie Piper was a placeholder star for Doctor Who, and there's clearly a plan in place for her to hold down the ship while the BBC hunts for the next person to be the real Doctor going forward.

It's a big disappointment if that's the case, because Piper's return to Doctor Who was one of its most exciting twists in quite a while. It even lessened the sting of Ncuti Gatwa's sudden exit from the franchise, but now that it seems more likely her position is not permanent, so it just feels like a stunt casting. As such, I'm not exactly on board with the idea of repeating that to prop up someone who is already a stunt casting, and then see the series start from scratch at a later date.

Doctor Who Needs A Real Plan For Longevity And Less Nostalgia Bait

I feel like this entire year I've been searching for reasons to be optimistic about the future of Doctor Who, but with every rumor I grow increasingly worried that there is no path forward for the sci-fi series. If Billie Piper is indeed a placeholder and will not be The Doctor permanently, then who is the next Doctor going to be?

More importantly, should the franchise be focusing on getting Piper and David Tennant together for a Christmas special when it doesn't appear that either will be a part of the series' longterm plan in the future? Listen, I have no skin in the game outside of being someone who wants to see new episodes, but even I have to wonder if Doctor Who is using its funding in the best way right now to drum up more nostalgia bait after we just had that not too long ago.

As much as I want a new Doctor Who episode in 2026, I'm growing increasingly concerned about when we might actually get a new season of the show, and when we may learn who the next Doctor is. Granted, I'm spiraling down a web of speculation at this point, but given The Sun has usually been on the money when it comes to Who news in the past, I'm more apt to believe this will be confirmed sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, I will keep my fingers crossed for positive updates about the show's future. If there is an eventual reunion between The Doctor and Rose Tyler, I hope that it at least sets us on a path to figuring out what's next for the franchise.

As if a surprise Thirteenth Doctor cameo and Ncuti Gatwa’s unexpected departure weren’t big enough twists for the Doctor Who Season 15 finale, the episode ended with the Fifteenth Doctor regenerating into a form that looks like Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. Why this happened will be answered when the next Doctor Who Christmas special airs on the 2026 TV schedule, but we may finally have a clue about its premise. If fans are reading into a recent blog post correctly, the special may be a throwback to one of the most popular episodes from David Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor.

The Doctor Who website has a new post available to logged-in users (via IGN) that reads a UNIT report discussing the “Rose Tyler (2006 Cold case)” incident. This is referencing “Doomsday,” i.e. the Doctor Who revival’s Season 2 finale, where Rose Tyler, the Doctor’s companion at the time, was left stranded in another universe. Although Rose briefly reunited with the Tenth Doctor and teamed up with his allies at the time in Season 4, she ultimately returned to that other universe with the Metacrisis Doctor, a fully human clone of 10 with whom she could pursue a romantic relationship.

Billie Piper went on to portray a younger Rose Tyler who hadn’t met the Ninth Doctor yet in“The End of Time, Part 2,” then appeared in the 50th anniversary special as The Moment’s human interface, which made itself look like Rose. But we haven’t seen Rose proper since the events of “Journey’s End,” but the new UNIT post is now making fans wonder if this December’s Doctor Who Christmas special will follow up on what happened to her. It also mentions that Rose is “currently both missing from this universe and flagged as a complex space-time event,” and the Vlinx, the robotic being that works for the agency, “scanning all media channels and the subwave network” for mentions of her whereabouts.

Since “Doomsday” aired on July 8, 2006, I’m going to assume this post wasn’t simply made to honor the episode’s 20th anniversary, as that will come this summer. That’s not to say that I 100% buy that the post is meant to discreetly tease the premise of the next Doctor Who Christmas special either, but it would certainly make sense. After all, if you bring back Billie Piper to the show, there’s no way that Rose Tyler won’t be acknowledged, and you can’t bring up Rose without mentioning what happened to her.

But let’s go further with this and remember that the person we saw the Fifteenth Doctor regenerate into hasn’t officially been labeled as the Sixteenth Doctor. Furthermore, it was recently rumored that Billie Piper’s return to Doctor Who is temporary, as she’s meant to be a placeholder until the next actor to portray The Doctor is chosen. So hear me out: what if when 15 regenerated, Rose Tyler was somehow able to take over The Doctor’s body? I can’t begin to imagine how that move would be pulled off, but it would at least explain why we can’t call her the latest incarnation of the adventuring Time Lord right now.

Also, assuming we are indeed reuniting with Rose Tyler in the next Christmas special, does this mean David Tennant will also be back as the Metacrisis Doctor? If so, this would follow three years after Tennant portrayed the Fourteenth Doctor in three specials to celebrate Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary. Now I can’t help but wonder what would draw these two back to the show’s main universe after all this time in this hypothetical scenario. As if there weren’t enough questions about Doctor Who’s future to ponder, but at least we can count on some of them being answered come December 25.

Doctor Who won't return to the 2026 TV schedule until Christmas at the earliest, and fans seem to get more anxious about its future as each month passes without an update about a new season. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the latest rumor about the series will spread more optimism, especially since it concerns Billie Piper.

Billie Piper's return to Doctor Who lessened the sting of Ncuti Gatwa's sudden exit, but apparently, we might need to prepare for that hurt all over again. A new rumor is circulating regarding Piper, as well as the struggle surrounding an eventual new star of the BBC series.

Billie Piper's Return To Doctor Who Is Rumored To Be Only Temporary

The Sun has a solid track record of reporting on what's happening behind the scenes at Doctor Who, so I'm upset about the rumor it shared that Billie Piper will not be playing the latest incarnation of The Doctor for long. Specifically, it's not clear exactly whether Piper's character is The Doctor or not, but her stint is ultimately meant to be a placeholder for the new incoming Doctor.

Doctor Who Is Struggling To Find Actors To Be The Next Doctor

The report continued that while Billie Piper isn't supposed to be Doctor Who's longterm star, the BBC series has struggled in trying to find an actor who will play The Doctor. It's alleged this is in part due to the uncertain future of the series, and actors would like to know if their commitment is meant to be long- or short-term.

Right now, there's no confirmed timeline or plan for Doctor Who's next season, and while I think many actors would understand it's an honor to play the role, they also don't want to commit to a character and lose out on potentially years of work they could be doing elsewhere.

If true, it sounds similar to reports a while back about Ncuti Gatwa's real reason for leaving Doctor Who. While the actor publicly cited the physical strain of the role, rumors circled on Reddit that the actor jumped ship once it became clear Disney would not immediately greenlight the sci-fi series for Season 3.

It feels like the situation is more difficult now, as Doctor Who has been on hiatus for some time. BBC's executives reportedly discussed a partnership with another company to produce the show after Disney+ pulled out of its deal, but there have also been overtures from their camp that they'll produce the series alone if need be.

Meanwhile, the BBC had success with The War Between the Land and the Sea, which was aimed at an older audience than the usual Doctor Who adventure. Is this why the show doesn't have a definitive direction yet, or is it solely being held up by a lack of a new Doctor? We can only speculate and hope we get more insight before Christmas.

Doctor Who will return to television on Christmas, and hopefully, more details are on the way. At this point, I'd just like the series to secure another streaming deal in the United States, because I've been wanting to revisit my favorite episodes for a while now.

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:

“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.

There was a time on Doctor Who when River Song was one of the series’ most important recurring characters. Alex Kingston debuted as the time-traveling archaeologist towards the end of David Tennant’s run as the Tenth Doctor, was present throughout Matt Smith’s tenure as the Eleventh Doctor, and even got to spend some time with Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor. It’s now been over a decade since Kingston played River on TV, and while she’s game to reprise the role in that format, it does come with one catch.

It’s worth noting first that Kingston has continued to vocally play River across various Big Finish audio productions since December 2015, the same month that “The Husbands of River Song” aired. However, on the subject of a potential TV return, the actress started off by saying the following during her appearance on WhoCulture:

The defining element in The Doctor and River Song’s relationship is how they run into each other during different points on their personal timelines. The Tenth Doctor met River for the first time in “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead,” but from her perspective, they’d already known each other for many, many years. Although River’s body died at the end of the two-parter, The Doctor was able to download her into a supercomputer. The virtual River later returned in the Eleventh Doctor-fronted episode “The Name of The Doctor,” and that remains her last chronological appearance on her personal timeline.

I can see where Alex Kingston is coming from with wanting to reprise River post-“The Name of The Doctor.” It was one thing for her to play a younger River just a few years after “Silence of the Library and Forest of the Dead,” but would be more difficult to pull off nearly 20 years after she debuted on the small screen. Kingston further explained her rationale:

Let’s also not forget that in “The Husbands of River Song,” River was initially unaware of any incarnations of The Doctor after the Eleventh because she wasn’t aware he’s received a new cycle of regenerations. After spending that 24-year-long night on Darillium with the Twelfth Doctor, she doesn’t cross paths with the Time Lord until meeting the Tenth in “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead.” So while the Big Finish productions have gotten away with pre-Tenth versions of The Doctor meeting River by having their memories of her erased, the only way around a fully-alive River being able to meet post-Twelfth Doctors is having her own memory erased after the adventure.

It would be much easier to use the digital version of River to get around all that convolution, whether she’s still non-corporeal or, like Alex Kingston suggested, has downloaded her consciousness into an artificial body. And sure, if any of the actors who played River’s cohorts from “Silence in the Library” and “Forest of the Dead,” bring them along too. I just want to see River share some screen time with the next Doctor, whomever that may be, after we missed out on seeing her with Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa’s versions.

As far as Doctor Who as a whole goes, the series will deliver a new Christmas special at the end of the 2026 TV schedule. However, it’s unclear how long afterwards we’ll have to wait for the next season, as well as who the BBC will team up with on the show now that the Disney+ partnership has dissolved. It also remains to be seen when Doctor Who fans stateside will be able to stream the spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea with their Disney+ subscription.

Doctor Who is on a break, but by the end of the 2026 TV schedule, it'll be back on our screens once again. For a while now, I've been hyped to see Billie Piper in action as The Doctor, which should be quite a delight. Now, however, I'm even more hopeful about what's to come for another reason. And that optimism can be attributed to the fact that a recent post from the franchise mentioned Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor.

This may not mean as much as I'm hoping, but I can't help but feel excited after seeing Eccleston's face on a recent Instagram Stories post from the official Doctor Who account. Check it out below, and share in my curiosity regarding what the franchise may be planning on doing as it solicits responses from people who love the Ninth Doctor:

If this is nothing more than a simple post showing love to Christopher Eccleston's Ninth Doctor, that's great. That said, I can't help but let my mind spiral out of control. It's hard not to remember it was Eccleston and Billie Piper who first got the modern revamp of Doctor Who off the ground and made it a huge success. With that in mind, wouldn't it be great to see them back together again in the upcoming Christmas Special?

While Christopher Eccleston brushed off Doctor Who for many years after he left the show, he's since mended the fence and has done more for the franchise in recent years. While his reasons for doing so may be as equally rooted in a payday as they are passion for the character, it's been great to hear him reprise the role for various audio dramas.

Of course, fans still haven't seen the Ninth Doctor return in live-action, and wouldn't it just be the best to see him make his big return with his companion? If ever there was a time for the character to show up again, I think this is it.

It would also be special for Christopher Eccleston to be a part of the upcoming Who Christmas special, considering the tradition wasn't established until after he exited the program. I think it'd be great to see him appear in the episode as a guest companion, perhaps to further nod at just how odd it is to see the person who played Rose Tyler now portraying The Doctor (unless something else is going on narrative-wise).

As much as I would love to see Eccleston back as the Ninth Doctor, I do have to wonder if he'd rejoin the series while Russell T. Davies is still running the flagship series. Davies was also in charge of the show when the actor quit over alleged creative differences with the producers and an unprofessional working environment. It feels as though the heads of the Doctor Who franchise have intentionally tried to keep these two separated in recent years by not having them a part of the same collaborations. That said, I'd love to see them put that aside and make something special for the fans, if they can.

Filming for Doctor Who's upcoming Christmas special is said to begin in spring. I'm excited to see the special, and do hope that Russell T. Davies has that script ready, considering he hadn't started on it at the end of last year. Here's hoping Christopher Eccleston is also in the mix.

Doctor Who won't officially return to the 2026 TV schedule until Christmas, but those in the United States with a Disney+ subscription will get to see its spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, fairly soon. I've been psyched for this one, especially since the glowing reviews came out of the UK. Now, I'm even more pumped after hearing from an FX expert about how the upcoming show's creatures were brought to life compared to other Whoinverse life forms.

The latest issue of SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend highlights The War Between the Land and the Sea and includes a few insightful interviews. Among those the outlet spoke to was Millennium FX CEO Neill Gorton, who oversaw the design of the new Homo Aqua, formerly known in the universe as "Sea Devils." Gorton spoke about how the design of Homo Aqua had to feel different from other iconic Doctor Who aliens for one obvious reason:

As Doctor Who fans may remember, Homo Aqua are directly related to Silurians - the advanced, reptilian and ground-dwelling species that predated humanity on Earth. That's a long way of explaining that Silurians and Homo Aqua aren't "alien," as in DW, they're the indigenous species that inhabited the planet first.

For that reason, Neill Gorton and others ensured that all variations of Homo Aqua looked as though they naturally evolved on Earth. This meant making them look familiar and somewhat supernatural as well. Of course, Gorton and Millennium FX can't take all the credit, as the original design was put in place before them:

The turtle influence is undeniable, and I can see how the modern design leans into a more prehistoric, almost dinosaur-like approach to the species. Ultimately, the final look is amazing, which honestly isn't too surprising since Doctor Who has historically one of the best shows to feature eclectic creature designs.

The War Between the Land and the Sea's critical acclaim doesn't just have me hyped for its stateside release, but I'm also hoping this means The BBC will take more chances on spinoffs aimed at an older audience. I'm happy that Doctor Who can succeed whilst having a different tone compared to the standard adventures, as that's important for the longevity of the franchise.

With that said, it stands to reason just how many of those spinoffs fans will see down the road, as Doctor Who is back to being funded strictly by the BBC. Disney bowed out as a co-producer at the end of 2025, though Disney+ will still carry War Between the Land and the Sea in 2026.

While it's known that The War Between the Land and the Sea is premiering sometime this year, the show's official release date has yet to be announced. I'm personally hopeful that a summer or fall release window will be confirmed (if only because it would be a great lead-up to the Christmas special with actress Billie Piper in December). Regardless, keep your eyes peeled for updates regarding when you'll finally be able to see the spinoff show, complete with its incredible creatures.

Doctor Who is on hiatus until it returns later in the 2026 TV schedule with this year's Christmas special, which gives plenty of time for all involved, past and present, to share their thoughts about the current state of the beloved franchise. Fortunately, we got a chance to hear from former showrunner Chris Chibnall, and his thoughts on his episodes being referenced in the new seasons caught me in my feels.

Despite the controversial response from fans to The Timeless Child and Flux storylines in Doctor Who, Russell T. Davies chose to embrace them rather than retcon their impact on the overall story. On top of all that, Jodie Whittaker reprised her role as The Doctor in Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration episode, bringing the first female Doctor back to the franchise once more. Chris Chibnall confirmed to Radio Times that he was happy to see his work referenced in the series, and explained the feeling in detail:

I love hearing Chris Chibnall express joy about this, especially after all the flak his seasons of Doctor Who received. I feel that, while some of his ideas were poorly received in the moment, they've stood the test of time as good fodder for future episodes. Also, in hindsight, did it really matter that The Doctor now has unlimited regenerations?

While the former showrunner said he requested Russell T. Davies not spoil him on any plans for upcoming seasons and couldn't comment on what's up next for Billie Piper's Doctor, he did comment on the unique experience of seeing his own contributions become a part of Doctor Who's lore:

Chris Chibnall's positive comments are a ray of sunshine, keeping fans in the United States warm until we learn when The War Between the Land and the Sea will be available with a Disney+ subscription. Despite the streamer ending its partnership with The BBC, it will air the spinoff at some point in the new year.

As for what's ahead for the flagship series, that remains a big mystery. It seems we won't get any concrete answers on why The Doctor transformed into one of his former companions until Christmas at the earliest, unless someone in the cast spills the beans first.

We will also see this year if the BBC can find another co-producer for the series, which may help the show sustain the boosted budget it received from splitting the cost with Disney. Otherwise, Doctor Who viewers who tune in may find the return a pared-down experience, and I'm not sure how they'll react to that. I'm not sure I can go back to low-budget Who after seeing it with money, but I still enjoy some of the best classic episodes, so I can give it a shot.

As mentioned, Doctor Who will air a Christmas special in late 2026, and presumably we'll have news on when it will return for a new season by then as well. Stick with CinemaBlend as we continue to sniff out interviews for any updates in the meantime, and celebrate the bright points along the way.

From 2014 to 2017, Peter Capaldi starred as Doctor Who’s Twelfth Doctor, the first in a series of new regenerations that the Time Lords gave to Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor in “The Time of The Doctor.” Though Capaldi isn’t interest in returning to the franchise, he has no issue talking about his time on the beloved sci-fi series. That includes reflecting on the reason why he kept apologizing to the Doctor Who cast and crew while he was delivering his lines.

While every Doctor is unique in their own ways, one of the things they share in common is frequently delivering complicated exposition and fantastical, kooky sci-fi jargon. It’s entertaining for viewers to listen to, but as Peter Capaldi explained during his appearance on Half the Example, the tradeoff was that there was no way for him to completely memorize all his lines. However, he came up with a cheat to solve this problem, though it’s one that other actors who played The Doctor had come up with on their own, too:

With The Doctor having traveled across time and space in a big blue box that’s bigger on the inside for millennia, they’ve collected a lot of knowledge about various aliens, historical events, phenomena, etc. We wouldn’t have it any other way with the adventuring Time Lord, but initially Peter Capaldi was self-conscious about how he wasn’t able to memorize all of his dialogue per episode, hence the apologies. At least the TARDIS console was there for him to read over his lines when necessary, though I wonder what he did when he was forgetful during scenes being filmed away from that set.

Peter Capaldi went on to say during the interview that it wasn’t just a matter of delivering his lines on Doctor Who; he also had to put in the work to make sure each of his speeches as the Twelfth Doctor sounded distinctive. As he put it:

Considering what a big Doctor Who fan he was as a child, getting to lead the show was a dream come true for Peter Capaldi. But as happens with all actors who bring The Doctor to life, eventually the time came for him to depart the series, with the actor making his final appearance in the Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time.” Although there have been audio dramas featuring the Twelfth Doctor released since then, he’s voiced by Jacob Dudman in those stories.

Unfortunately, Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who episodes are currently not available to stream on any platforms in the United States, so you’ll have to purchase your own physical or digital copies. Doctor Who itself will return with a new Christmas special at the end of 2026, with this being the first televised installment in the franchise following the dissolution of the BBC’s partnership with Disney+.

It's been a rough year for Doctor Who, which lost a budding star in Ncuti Gatwa, as well as its co-producing partner, Disney. While there was some excitement about actress Billie Piper returning to the series to potentially play The Doctor, there are still many questions about the series' future as we wait for its return in 2026.

Fortunately, there is some good news to report at the end of the year, and it came from the latest spinoff from the flagship series. The War Between the Land and the Sea won't be available with a Disney+ subscription in the United States until 2026, but it's off to a great start in the UK.

The War Between The Land And The Sea Had A Strong Debut In The UK

Overnight ratings are in for The War Between the Land and the Sea, which premiered last weekend in the UK on BBC One. 2.8 million people watched Episode 1, and 2.1 million watched Episode 2. As Polygon explained, that's a higher viewership than a lot of recent Doctor Who episodes, and managed to beat out ITV's finale of I'm A Celebrity, which went up against it.

For reference, Doctor Who's latest season finale, "The Reality War," drew 2.2 million overnight viewers according to Radio Times. Those stats marked the second-biggest viewership the series earned that season, and Episode 1 of The War Between the Land and the Sea outdid that. Fingers crossed future episodes can maintain that momentum!

Russell T. Davies Has Praised The Spinoff Quite A Bit

I've always maintained that the hardest element to get right with a Doctor Who spinoff making it feel as enjoyable without The Doctor as a lead. Removing the main character from the equation makes it feel as though something is missing when watching these spin-offs, which may be why Russell T. Davies went for a different tone when making The War Between the Land and the Sea.

Assuming the show's high viewership was indicative of interest in the series, and it's sustained throughout the limited series' run, I have to wonder how it will inform the upcoming episodes of Doctor Who. Davies admitted he had not yet begun work on the 2026 Christmas special, though he did remark he had an idea in mind for what he would write.

Now, assume The War Between the Land and the Sea is a hit, will RTD shift his plans for the Christmas special? I'm kind of hoping that's the case, as we need something else for this series beyond stunt castings to get people excited about Doctor Who again. Here's hoping this is the start of a strong year for the show, after 2025 wasn't quite as kind.

The War Between the Land and the Sea does not have a release date in the United States as of yet, but we will see it eventually released on Disney+. I'm now extra eager to see the series, and hope that if it does become an acclaimed hit, someone has more ideas for limited shows set within the Doctor Who universe.

With Doctor Who not returning to the 2026 TV schedule until Christmas of the new year, Whovians only have a couple of things to look forward to in the meantime. As psyched as I am for Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's podcast, I'm even more psyched for the upcoming spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea. That's even more true after recent comments from an executive producer on the series, who explains how the upcoming series compares to the flagship show.

Pete McTighea, an EP and writer of The War Between the Land and the Sea with Russell T. Davies, recently spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend about the show. The series will air on BBC One overseas beginning December 7th, though readers in the United States will have to wait longer to binge it with a Disney+ subscription. Until then, though, McTighea's comments about the upcoming spinoff have me intrigued about what's to come:

It's great to hear The War Between the Land and the Sea was created with the idea of appealing to a new audience, rather than just servicing the existing Doctor Who fans. I think after the Disney partnership fell through, it's time for fans to admit that, if they want to see this franchise continue to thrive and last another sixty years, then it's time to cast a wider net and try to pull in more eyes.

All this to say, it's not as though The War Between the Land and the Sea is going to reinvent the wheel with Doctor Who. While the tone is different, it feels like the show will follow in its parent show's footsteps by promoting progressive messaging. We could be in store for a series that will come with a strong message of some kind, be it political, moral or both.

The big question is what this'll mean to The BBC, or better yet, any potential streaming service that could be the next to own the rights to stream the series in the United States. While the network has pledged to continue the show with or without the help of a co-producer, I think it's fair to say fans will miss that boosted budget if the network is forced to fly solo.

I know I'd rather see Billie Piper's big return done with the same quality as the past couple seasons of Doctor Who. So, hopefully, the upcoming spinoff will gain some acclaim and start get other streaming services talking about adding the series to the fold.

Fans like myself continue to wait for Doctor Who to return in 2026, and for the release of The War Between the Land and the Sea on Disney+. All the while, I'm honestly still trying to manifest the possibility of David Tennant returning once again. Still, I'm eager to see what this new show can bring to the mythology.

Doctor Who is on a break until the 2026 TV schedule arrives, with its first new episode set to arrive by Christmas of next year. Unfortunately, the BBC will continue production of the show on its own for the time being, with Disney stepping away as a co-producer of the flagship series.

The good news is that fans have the new episodes of Who to look forward to as well as a spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is coming next year. Unfortunately, I can't help but feel a bit worried about the parent series' Christmas comeback after hearing the update EP Russell T. Davies' shared with the Radio Times.

How Far Along Russell T. Davies Is With The 2026 Doctor Who Christmas Special

Doctor Who's 2026 Christmas Special has a lot to accomplish, with its audience expecting answers about why The Doctor turned into someone who resembles iconic character Rose Tyler. Thus far, actress Billie Piper has deflected any questions about whether she's playing The Doctor, leading some to believe there's more nuance to the role than the scene conveyed.

Russell T. Davies was asked about where he was with the story, given we're close to a year out from its worldwide air date. Here's what he had to say about what the official progress is on the script, as of writing:

The Doctor Who showrunner is confident in his ability to turn around a script in time and have an episode ready for the world come Christmas of next year. I appreciate his reassurance and have no doubt he'll have an episode ready. The question is, though, whether that episode will answer the questions we have about the big questions surrounding The Doctor's regeneration, and I worry he's underestimating the challenge of doing so.

Why I Can't Help But Worry After Russell T. Davies' Response

I think it's fair to say we're the Doctor Who has reached a critical period. That may have been part of the reason Russell T. Davies went with such a big twist, not long after a previous big twist in which The Doctor bi-generated and kept his former self intact post-regeneration.

The show is taking big swings in an effort to gain new viewers but in doing so, it's created a lot of big questions for the fans who are still tuning in season after season. If these twists are mishandled or don't live up to the hype, they risk losing more fans than attracting more eyes to the series.

Bringing back Billie Piper was a great move, and I have no doubt Doctor Who fans who remember her from some of the series' best episodes will want to see how she does in this new role. This is a huge opportunity to pull in a bunch of lapsed fans, and hopefully, get them to stick around for all the adventures to come.

Given that, it would bring me much more comfort to hear that Russell T. Davies has more than just the idea of what he wants to do, but a fully-finished script that is up there with some of the best things he's created for the show. It's a lot to ask as a Who fan but, let's be honest, he was brought back to the franchise to inject life into it. He's done the best he can so far but, in light of the collapse of the Disney partnership and the budget that came with it, the BBC is going to need his storytelling to keep folks on board.

We'll see if he's up to the challenge, as Doctor Who is on break and will eventually go into filming for its 2026 Christmas special sometime in the new year. In the meantime, readers can watch some of the more recent episodes using a Disney+ subscription.

James Gunn wasted no time in announcing a sequel to Superman, and I couldn't be happier, given that the superhero film was one of my favorite movies of 2025. My expectations for Superman: Man of Tomorrow are sky-high, especially after seeing fan art imagining Doctor Who veteran Matt Smith as Brainiac. Now I'm really hoping we get him as the villain in this movie, because I can't get enough of this.

While we don't even know with certainty that Brainiac is the big bad of Superman: Man of Tomorrow, I'm already convinced we need Matt Smith to play the villain. That's after seeing this fan art from @horrific.heroics, which can be found below:

I'll admit, it's wild to visualize him as bald after seeing his characters in Caught Stealing and House of the Dragon, but I really like it. I'd also say that while Smith has an unmistakable face that not even green paint and prosthetics can hide, the fact that Brainiac has had so many different looks across his various shows and comic book appearances makes it so that almost any actor could play the role if we're talking about looks alone.

Of course, James Gunn likely isn't casting actors for his upcoming DC movies based on how they look. If we're talking about proof he could play the cerebral villain, look no further than two of Matt Smith's most notable characters in television. Watching Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, which was recently renewed for Season 4, manipulate and toy with friends and enemies alike, is proof that Smith has the chops to handle a role like Brainiac.

As a Doctor Who fan, I would also like to add that Smith's Eleventh Doctor was one of the more intimidating iterations of the sci-fi hero. While the Doctor would sooner lead with diplomacy and kindness, his 1000 years of experience made him a force to be reckoned with, and unafraid to take down any species he felt posed a threat to the innocent. There's a reason Smith still has supporters who consider him the best Doctor of all time!

As mentioned, however, we have no idea whether Brainiac appears in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, despite much speculation that he will. Thus far, people have wondered if actor Chukwudi Iwuji was offered the role, as he's a frequent collaborator with James Gunn. That's another casting that I wouldn't mind seeing, though, for the time being, I'm firmly in the camp that we need Matt Smith to play Superman's next big foe.

Superman is available to stream right now with an HBO Max subscription, and dare I say, it's the perfect movie to put on while celebrating the holidays with family. Plus, it's the duty of all superhero fans to get their relatives up to date and educated on how great this movie is before the sequel arrives, so get to it!

Doctor Who will return in 2026, but only for one episode. Fortunately, there will be more adventures in the show's universe to enjoy on the 2026 TV schedule, as Disney+ will stream The War Between the Land and the Sea, a Doctor-less spinoff featuring a species fans will be familiar with, Sea Devils. It's an interesting project for the franchise, and one that showrunner Russell T. Davies hinted could be big for the IP as a whole

Recently, Davies spoke to Empire about the upcoming Who-adjacent series, which will air first in the UK on The BBC on December 7th. RTD talked about one of the purposes he had for the show, which is to show Doctor Who can tackle a different type of story:

While some of Doctor Who's best episodes have a strong moral message behind it, it's fair to say the show likes to hit on broad topics simple for all ages to understand. Based on what we know about 'The War Between the Land and the Sea' thus far, it appears that the series will convey an environmental message, which it touches on less frequently.

Russsel T. Davies confirmed that the adventure will have an environmental message, and the project as a whole serves an effort to attract an older audience to the beloved science fiction franchise. That could be huge for the TV property, to say the least. As for what specifically, he gave a shoutout to some of the biggest water companies, who, I would guess, won't be portrayed in the most favorable light:

Russell T. Davies has spoken very highly of the series, and he even went so far as to say it was one of the greatest shoots he's ever had in his life. The question is whether it'll be enough for the fans, who will watch this amid a gap year for Doctor Who.

Granted, The War Between the Land and the Sea won't be the only source of entertainment for Doctor Who fans in the new year. Actors Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan are launching The Pondcast, in which they'll revisit their time on the show and interview people involved in the series.

It feels like a critical time for the franchise, which is hoping to find another co-producer after the collapse of the deal it had in place with Disney. Russell T. Davies shocked viewers with the new Doctor seemingly being played by returning actress Billie Piper. As a fan, it's hard to think the franchise is thriving right now but, hopefully, these supplemental projects will provide what it takes to right the ship and get the flagship series back on track.

The War Between the Land and the Sea is coming to Disney+, but does not have a concrete release date beyond 2026 at this time. I'm hoping we'll get more news on whether Doctor Who will find a new streaming home for its back catalog in the new year, as I've been eager to revisit some old episodes.

Doctor Who is about a year out from the return of the flagship series, and while the conclusion of the Disney+ agreement meant the series can move on, we'll have a chunk of time without seeing The Doctor adventuring. The good news is that, while we wait for the show's return to the 2026 TV schedule, a podcast featuring two beloved actors from the show's past is on the way, which has me thrilled.

In addition to the spinoff, The War Between The Land And The Sea, fans can enjoy a special Doctor Who-themed podcast, hosted by two actors who played companions in some of The BBC series' best episodes. For those who loved Matt Smith's run as The Doctor, you're in for a real treat!

Arthur Darvill And Karen Gillan Are Starting A "Pondcast"

The Ponds are back together as Arthur Darvill and Karen Gillan announced to Radio Times that they're starting a Doctor Who podcast. Titled The Pondcast, the project will follow Darvill and Gillan as they revisit their episodes of Doctor Who and interview people who used to work on the show.

While an official release date or list of guests has not been announced yet, Darvill confirmed that they've already interviewed former showrunner Steven Moffat, who was in charge of the show during their tenure.

Unfortunately, those episodes are currently not available to stream in the United States, but perhaps Paramount+ or another service will secure a deal for the show by then. Either way, I can't wait to listen to these two discuss the show that helped make them stars for a very fun reason.

Arthur Darvill Hasn't Seen A Good Number Of The Episodes

The most appealing part of The Pondcast to me is the fact that Arthur Darvill hasn't seen a lot of his Doctor Who episodes. The actor, who joined Legends of Tomorrow after leaving the Who, talked about how much he's seen and what listeners can expect from the podcast:

It sounds like this is going to be a podcast about good vibes and memories that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill shared on the set of Doctor Who, which I'm 100% on board for.

I do hope they're eventually able to get Matt Smith on to record an episode with them. It could even be in promotion for House of the Dragon Season 3. He'd have the perfect excuse to kill two birds with one stone, promoting one show while remembering another.

Hopefully, we'll get a bunch of episodes of The Pondcast in 2026, as we won't get a new episode of Doctor Who until Christmas of that year. By then, we should know more about what the future holds for The Doctor, and whether Billie Piper is really playing the Time Lord, or if this is some trick by the TARDIS. At this point, I'm not sure which I prefer; I just want to see some new episodes.

Until then, we have The War Between The Land And The Sea coming in 2026 in the United States, and it will be the final Doctor Who project handled by Disney+. The BBC will start airing the series in the UK in December, so be sure to avoid some spoilers in the meantime, and make sure to go back in time with the Ponds with The Pondcast.

Doctor Who's relationship with Disney is officially dead. While the studio confirmed when it will return with a new episode, there are still questions to be answered about its future. The BBC will need a new co-producer if it wants to maintain the quality it has had in the latest seasons, and one BBC Studios executive thinks Paramount+ is an ideal partner to bring the show on.

As someone who loves Doctor Who and regularly binges Star Trek with my Paramount+ subscription, I fully agree. That said, I have no background in business or working in television, so it was refreshing to hear his reasons why this makes sense, beyond the synergy of two well-known brands.

A Former BBC Studios Executive Believes Paramount+ Should Pick Up Doctor Who

Deadline released an article full of information from sources, going into the details of Doctor Who's relationship with Disney, and why it ultimately didn't work out. It also talked about the franchise's next step, noting that The BBC couldn't maintain the budget boost it got with Disney on its own. BBC Studios executive Piers Wenger pointed out that other streamers may still be interested, and namechecked Paramount+ specifically:

Taylor Sheridan leaving with all of his upcoming Yellowstone spinoffs could be just what Doctor Who needed to make this a more attractive offer for Paramount. Wenger is right that it would be beneficial for the streamer to acquire an existing fan base and gain a viewership that, while maybe not attractive to Disney, may help a streamer with a smaller subscriber base.

Star Trek And Doctor Who Crossovers Have Been Teased Several Times Lately

Doctor Who and Star Trek have collaborated in comics before, but never on television. That said, The Doctor implied in a recent season that Starfleet existed in their universe, and Strange New Worlds had made several nods to The Doctor in Season 3.

A crossover between Doctor Who and Star Trek is a no-brainer win for sci-fi fans, and if Paramount decides to acquire the rights to the British series, it may help better serve its subscriber base of fans. After all, there aren't a lot of upcoming Trek shows on the horizon, so having another series ready to go wouldn't be a bad idea.

Whether Doctor Who will join Paramount+ is unknown. It's noted in the Deadline article that the progressive political nature of the series played a part in Disney's exit from the partnership. Paramount just recently made headlines for the cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, with speculation that the show's upcoming ending is politically motivated. At the same time, it's also in league with South Park, which has received criticism from government officials for openly mocking him, so it is unclear whether this is a factor or not.

For now, Doctor Who's most recent seasons are available to stream on Disney+. We'll continue to wait for developments on where it may land in the meantime, and if The BBC will find another partner to help make the series or carry on alone.

It's been an up-and-down year for Doctor Who, which, on the heels of its most exciting season finale in years, suddenly had an uncertain future. Many were bummed to see Ncuti Gatwa exit, but the thought of Billie Piper returning to the franchise was exciting. Fans were ready to see her in action, but they just didn't know when it would happen.

Now, after a long wait that even kept showrunner Russell T. Davies in the dark, we have some concrete answers. So, here's what we know about Doctor Who's future, and what the situation is when it comes to its relationship with Disney+.

Doctor Who Will Return In 2026

To start with the good news, Doctor Who will return with a new episode in 2026. The BBC confirmed Russell T. Davies is writing a Christmas special for the series, which will presumably feature Billie Piper's iteration of the Doctor (assuming that's who she's playing) in action for the first time. The network also announced that plans for the franchise's future are in the works and will be announced in due time.

The BBC Confirmed Disney+ Has Exited Its Co-Production

The BBC and Disney+ were in talks for a while about their joint partnership as co-producers of Doctor Who, and it appears the door is closed on that. Director of Drama for The BBC, Lindsay Salt, confirmed the partnership would end in her statement about the state of the franchise:

Unfortunately, there were no details about what this means for the 60th anniversary specials and two seasons of Doctor Who that are currently available in the United States with a Disney+ subscription. It's possible they'll remain on the platform unless the rights are purchased to transfer them elsewhere.

The move is bittersweet, as while we now don't have to worry about Doctor Who being held up any longer by conversations happening behind closed doors, that big budget the series had with Disney could take a hit. It's possible that budget could return with another major co-producer in the fold, though it's also possible that other potential partners are moving with caution after Disney's exit.

The common rumor behind all this drama was that Disney+ wasn't impressed with Doctor Who's viewership numbers and felt the show underperformed on streaming. This could have led to Disney+ changing its stance on a guaranteed renewal of a third season, and the delay that will now end on Christmas in 2026.

While it hasn't been confirmed, it's also rumored that Ncuti Gatwa's exit was tied to Disney+ balking at a season renewal. The show went into reshoots to film his regeneration scenes in early 2025, which then paved the way for the unexpected entrance by Billie Piper.

Now, we still don't know what's ahead for Doctor Who's story, but at least we have a return date! So, be ready for Doctor Who's return in December of 2026, and catch the spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea on Disney+ sometime between that. At least we'll have some content to enjoy during that long wait, though at this point, I'm conditioned to long waits between seasons of this franchise.

It's been months since Doctor Who fans watched the latest season finale on The BBC or with their Disney+ subscription, and collectively gasped that one of the wildest rumors ever made about the franchise was actually true. Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor regenerated into a face that resembled Billie Piper's Rose Tyler, and a lot of fans would like to know what that means. Now, while we still don't know what it means, a writer has opened up about the challenge this twist creates, and it's got me wondering if the show's hiatus could be a bigger deal than I thought.

As the world waits to see if Disney and the BBC will renew their partnership as co-producers for Doctor Who, franchise writer Robert Shearman brought up to Doctor Who Magazine how this hiatus also impacts all projects happening outside of the television series (via ScreenRant):

Robert Shearman noted that the twist put Doctor Who's forward progress at a full stop on all fronts. After all, Billie Piper can't talk about the specifics of the regeneration, and showrunner Russell T. Davies has hinted that there is a chance that this regeneration is not what it seems. After the Doctor "bi-generated" the last time and made two separate parts of himself, I think it's fair to say no one wants to assume outright that Piper is for sure the new Doctor.

While it's a bummer that it feels like we won't be getting new Doctor Who adventures with Billie Piper's character until the television show returns, Robert Shearman had some positivity to pull from it. That's because this twist puts the franchise in a unique situation that allows writers and other creatives to finally focus on the past in a way they hadn't previously:

The upside of this development is that the entirety of Doctor Who's past can now exist in its own bubble. Writers can pitch ideas tied to past Doctors and companions, presumably without having to worry about how it impacts the future of the series.

All this being said, there is an expectation that Doctor Who will return to television eventually. At this point, it's just a matter of who the BBC will be co-producing the new season with, as negotiations with Disney continue after some alleged disappointment surrounding viewership numbers of the last two seasons. For now, Disney is planning on releasing the spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea in 2026.

I'm hoping that by the time the spinoff comes out, we will have some answers about when we'll get new episodes of Doctor Who. With 2025 potentially ending with zero updates on the show, we could be looking at a gap year where 2026 will not have new episodes. Let's hope this hiatus doesn't stretch into 2027, and we get more answers sooner rather than later.

My New Year's resolution at this point is to get more answers about Doctor Who's future, if I can, and then share it with the world. In the meantime, I'll continue to enjoy the recently released episodes on Disney+, and hope the older modern seasons have a new streaming home soon so I can revisit the Christmas specials during the holidays.

With the dawn of widespread AI, it only makes sense that I make this list about evil computers (or other types of technology) in movies and TV. There are a ton to choose from, of course. Sometimes it's their creators that make them go rogue, other times the computers or software itself turns itself to the dark side. No matter why they go bad, this is a list of computers that are the ultimate villains in your favorite movies and TV shows.

Skynet (Terminator Franchise)

No list like this would be anywhere close to complete without the ultimate example of a computer system going pure evil, than Skynet in the Terminator franchise. "Skynet" has become a synonym for computers that become self-aware and is often used in everyday life to represent everything from surveillance systems to spyware.

Joshua (WarGames)

To be fair, the software program Joshua didn't mean to turn evil. In one of the best movies of the '80s, WarGames, it just wanted to play a game. Still, at the end of the day, Joshua did take over the WOPR and threatened to destroy the globe with a nuclear war that it almost launched. On the flip side, the program does learn that there is no way to win at tic-tac-toe, nor can anyone triumph in nuclear war.

Master Control Program (Tron)

It's sort of unclear how the Master Control Program in Tron got so evil, but it's a safe bet that it was designed that way. In this classic movie that has some great video game scenes, it's really the business side of the computer that gets into all the trouble.

NOMAD (Star Trek)

Like so much other tech, Star Trek was really tapped into what the future could actually look like when it comes to computers. I mean, computers were barely even understood by the general public, yet the creators of the classic '60s show still managed to make them as scary today as they were then. NOMAD from the episode "The Changling" is the classic example.

Ultron (Avengers: Age Of Ultron)

Even the Marvel movies have gotten in on the fun here with one of The Avengers' most sinister villains, Ultron. Voiced by James Spader, Ultron was originally conceived by Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr), but the program becomes sentient and uses its own logic to decide humanity must be wiped out. The plot of Avengers: Age of Ultron isn't all that unique in fiction, and it's not my favorite MCU movie, but it is still a lot of fun.

Everything Electronic (Maximum Overdrive)

So, in Maximum Overdrive, the only Stephen King movie actually directed by the famous author, it's all machines that turn against humanity. Computers don't play a huge role here, as it was the '80s. Most of the evil machines are trucks and other mechanical machines, but it's safe to assume the computers went rogue, too, right?

Unnamed Computer (Superman III)

Superman III is a silly movie and such a huge departure from the first two, great Superman movies led by Christopher Reeve that it's easy to see the beginning of the end for that version of Big Blue. If you're ranking Superman movies, it'll always be at or near the bottom. BUT, it does feature a computer that turns on its creator, placing it firmly on this list.

Rehoboam (Westworld)

The HBO original Westworld started with such promise, after an amazing first season. Sadly, it all went downhill from there, and while it remained good, it never came close to the heights of that first season. We do eventually learn that the system, Rehoboam, is what drove the chaos among the robots in the park.

HAL 9000 (2001: A Space Odyssey)

Ah, the total classic example here. HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the earliest and most iconic examples of a computer becoming self-aware. If you're reading this list, it's likely the first movie you expected to see on it. Stanley Kubrick's classic is one of the best movies ever for many reasons, but the sinister turn of HAL is what makes it so scary.

Red Queen (Resident Evil Franchise)

As with almost everything in the Resident Evil franchise, bad things all seems to stem from the Umbrella Corporation. The Red Queen supercomputer is no exception. Originally created to help administer the companies vast dealings, it predictably becomes self-aware and makes things more complicated and, frankly, way worse.

Proteus IV (Demon Seed)

1977's Demon Seed is a wild movie. The computer, or the program as it were, in it, Proteus IV, is a pretty early example of AI going bad in movies. It also features an early example of a smart home, run by Proteus IV. Let's all hope Alexa doesn't follow the same path.

Central Operating System (X-Files)

The Central Operating System, or C.O.S. in X-Files, was developed as an AI to run Eurisko Corporation's headquarters, though predictably, things go very wrong. It murders without remorse and even figures out how to pin the murder on its creator. Pure evil!

The Entity (Mission: Impossible Franchise)

If I'm honest, there are some weird aspects to The Entity in the final two Mission: Impossible movies. At the time, I said that to enjoy the movies, you kind of just have to let all reality go, and that's especially true of The Entity. It fits on this list, but let's be real, everyone just wants to see Tom Cruise do crazy stunts.

PAL (The Mitchells Vs. The Machines)

Of all the movies on this list, The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, a Netflix original, is the most light-hearted, but as the title implies, audiences are still treated to an epic battle of man vs. machine. The all-star cast, including Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Eric Andre, Fred Armisen, and more, really carry the movie, even if you're like me and don't love animated movies.

The Matrix (The Matrix Franchise)

Outside of HAL from 2001, the most infamous and terrifying computer in the world of cinema might just be the product of "The Architect" in The Matrix franchise. It's Skynet on steroids, or, if you like, what Skynet in the Terminator franchise could evolve into.

KARR (Knight Rider)

KARR was the prototype version of the more famous KITT in the Knight Rider TV show. It was basically a version of the car that Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) drove in the show for years. It was also like the Bizarro version of KITT that popped up in Season 3 of Knight Rider as an antagonist to Michael and KITT in the legendary '80s show with one of the coolest cars ever.

Ava (Ex Machina)

Sometimes the lines between evil and self-preservation can be blurred. The Alex Garland-directed film Ex Machina is a perfect example. Ava (Alicia Vikander) is an AI-powered robot who realizes she is in danger and does what she has to do to escape her creator. Though it is easy to argue that she goes way too far by the end.

ARIIA (Eagle Eye)

The Autonomous Reconnaissance Intelligence Integration Analyst, or ARIIA, in 2008's Eagle Eye, is one of the most infamous versions of a computer that turns evil. In the movie, we really only know ARIIA as a voice on a phone (voiced by Julianne Moore), and for a while, we're not even aware that "she" is a computer program. It's a fun twist and a really fun movie, despite the incredibly low rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Thinker (Logan's Run)

Logan's Run is a classic dystopian future movie about a supercomputer that tracks everyone who tries to escape their prescribed death, which has been predetermined. Though it doesn't have a name in the computer, in the original novel by William F. Nolan, it's known as "The Thinker." Like a few others, it's a system that was probably created with good intentions, but the end result is a nightmare.

Queeg 500 (Red Dwarf)

The classic BBC science fiction show Red Dwarf addressed an AI-turned-rogue in the show's fifth season, in an episode called "Queeg." In the episode, the ship's computer, or, more specifically, the backup computer, takes control of some of the crew members and wreaks havoc on the Red Dwarf. Though there is a twist at the end that makes this a little dubious to add to this list, if I'm honest.

V.I.K.I (I, Robot)

In the Will Smith sci-fi hit I, Robot, V.I.K.I (short for Virtual Interactive Kinetic Intelligence) goes through a pretty predictable plot of an AI system that decides the best way to protect humans is to take them out. This, of course, turns into all-out war between man and machine, like so many other movies in this genre.

BOSS (Doctor Who)

It's no surprise that the long-running BBC sci-fi show Doctor Who would address sentient computer systems, and the most famous is the BOSS computer chip. BOSS, which stands for "Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor," is implanted into the brain of Global Chemicals and, you guessed it, goes rogue when it learns more from the brain than the brain does from it.

AUTO (WALL-E)

Even Pixar has gotten into the rogue computer game with WALL-E. In the classic animated flick, AUTO, which is clearly an homage to HAL, is the computer that turns evil.

ROK (Airplane II: The Sequel)

When you cram about a million jokes in one two-hour movie, it's easy to work one in about a computer system gone mad. Airplane II: The Sequel features ROK (like elsewhere on this list, a tribute to HAL in 2001). Like HAL, ROK starts to take over the spaceship dubbed "Mayflower One," first by ejecting the crew into space, then steering the ship towards the sun. Luckily, the AI program's plans are thwarted when Ted Stryker (Robert Hays) fights another passenger, played by the late Sonny Bono, for a briefcase bomb that explodes and takes ROK out.

Jobe (The Lawnmower Man)

Jobe is a regular gardener of below-average intelligence who finds himself in a secret, evil program to create super soldiers. This is fudging a little here, because it's not really the computer that turns evil, but the man who goes way too far after being programmed in the project. Eventually, he goes "digital" and turns the computer system evil.

FLDSMDFR (Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs)

We had to at least have a few light-hearted movies on this list, and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs fits the bill. The 2009 movie, based on the classic 1978 children's book by Judi and Ron Barrett, is about an inventor and dad who creates the "Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator," or FLDSMDFR. It just rolls off the tongue! The name might be a tongue twister, but what it creates is chaos, though the stakes are pretty low, all things considered.

SID (Virtuosity)

1995's Virtuosity is really most notable for teaming up two of the greatest actors of their generation, Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Crowe, quite wonderfully, plays an android who is created as a vessel for an AI program called SID. The program was invented to help train cops, but SID has its own ideas about what its mission should be.

M3GAN (M3GAN)

Naturally, sci-fi and horror movies are the most common genres where you'll find computers turning evil. M3GAN is a great example of the latter. This time, it's a robotic doll powered by AI that turns very evil on its owners. Things started so well!

Zero (Rollerball)

Rollerball is one of James Caan's best movies, but it's not the first one you might think of when you think of the late actor. The 1975 sci-fi classic features a computer called "Zero" that holds all the knowledge of humanity, but the software fails and can't help Caan's character succeed.

Alien

Androids, like Ash (Ian Holm) in the original Alien, aren't exactly computers, but they aren't human either. It's also up for debate whether Ash went bad or if he was doing what he thought was best. Either way, it doesn't work out for the humans when he goes rogue.

The Smart Home (The Illustrated Man)

The Illustrated Man is a great movie that uses some tech that was still a ways away from being invented, smart home tech, to turn against its owners. It's a movie, based on a Ray Bradbury story, that warned us all the way back in the '60s of the dangers of virtual reality.

STEM (Upgrade)

2018's Upgrade is a really great movie that too many people haven't seen (yet). The story involves a regular guy who, after a tragic car crash, ends up a quadriplegic. He agrees to have an implant, called STEM, implanted in his brain. Of course, the miracle he first experiences by regaining control of his body, things go very wrong with the tech, and everything goes south from there.

With Ncuti Gatwa's exit and Billie Piper's return to Doctor Who drawing attention after show's the latest season finale, it's easy to see how Jodie Whittaker's unexpected return was lost in the mix. Now, with some time passed, the Thirteenth Doctor actress had a chance to speak about her return. There was apparently one aspect of her reprisal that left her delighted and, in addition to revealing that, she also discussed whether she'd be up to return to the franchise again in the future.

Whittaker spoke to The Times about a litany of topics recently, including something that surprised her about her surprise appearance in Doctor Who's "The Reality War." While her return as The Doctor was brief, the actress talked about how it was comforting to know her classic costume was still as good a fit as it was when she filmed her regeneration sequence:

It's great to read her glowing comments about returning to Doctor Who, especially given all the controversy the show faced while she was The Doctor. As a fan, I'm happy she was able to enjoy her return and perhaps get the flowers and compliments she never quite received during her own run on the show.

Yet, while the experience was great for Jodie Whittaker, is it something she'd do again? Well, Whittaker didn't hesitate with her response, and I love hearing this from her:

I'm so used to hearing or reading about David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi dancing around that reprisal question. So it's refreshing to hear Jodie Whittaker say she'd always jump at the opportunity to return to Doctor Who. I hope future writers keep that offer in mind and find ways to work her into the story in the future.

The larger immediate question might be when Doctor Who is coming back, as fans are still waiting on word of a renewal for a new season. Questions are still looming about whether Disney will remain a co-producer of the series, despite initial reports that the House of Mouse was backing out. At this point, there's still a possibility new episodes will remain streamable with a Disney+ subscription here in the United States, but it's all still very much up in the air.

While it's not entirely clear how or when Who will return, all the word from those connected with The BBC seems to confirm it will continue eventually. That makes sense considering its long, storied history as well as its reputation as one of the few UK productions with an international appeal. Here's hoping we get some positive updates about its return soon, and maybe some details about Billie Piper's return as The Doctor. I'll also keep my fingers crossed that Whittaker finds her way back into the fold at some point as well.

Doctor Who may not be returning in 2026, but what's known is that the spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, is coming up next year. I'm hoping the new series will reignite excitement in the franchise for many and hopefully convince Disney to give another new season of the flagship series a shot.

We're still waiting to hear what will happen to Doctor Who, and when not even showrunner Russell T. Davies has the answers fans want, we have to latch onto what we can. With the upcoming spinoff, The War Between The Land And The Sea, not coming until 2026, there is at least one event on the 2025 TV schedule abroad that has not one, but two Who actors for whom we should all be rooting.

While the United States just saw the latest season of Dancing With The Stars kick off on ABC, the UK series that inspired it, Strictly Come Dancing, is going on overseas. I'm super jealous about not being able to watch it via my normal cable access, because I'm a big fan of the Doctor Who actress they have on there this season: Alex Kingston.

Alex Kingston Has Joined Strictly Come Dancing

Alex Kingston has taken a break from pitching ways for her to return to Doctor Who as River Song and is officially part of the cast of Strictly Come Dancing's latest competition. For newer fans of the franchise, River Song is The Doctor's wife, having married him years after their romance first started. She's been a part of some of Doctor Who's best episodes, and now she might be the next winner of a popular reality series.

Alex Kingston Is Paired With A Dancer Who Was Previously On Doctor Who

Not only is Alex Kingston a competitor on Strictly Come Dancing, but she's paired with a pro dancer who also has a history of the show. Kingston is dancing with Johannes Radebe, and while Doctor Who fans may not know that name off the top of their head, he's been on the show more recently than Kingston.

Radebe is one of the only Strictly Come Dancing pros to have appeared on Doctor Who, and it was during one of Ncuti Gatwa's best episodes. He and Shirley Ballas (mother of DWTS dancer Mark Ballas) appeared in "The Devil's Chord," in which The Doctor and Ruby met The Beatles and went up against Maestro.

While the role was just a cameo, a credit is a credit, and we now have two Doctor Who stars to root for on Strictly Come Dancing. It's an exciting development for fans, who, as we mentioned, don't really have a lot to celebrate at the moment when it comes to the beloved sci-fi series. The show is still on hiatus amid rumors that Disney is considering ending its partnership with The BBC as a co-producer.

Many are hoping for a meaningful update on Doctor Who's future soon, as the latest season finale featured a surprise reveal with actress Billie Piper seemingly playing The Doctor. There's obviously some interest among viewers as to how this new twist will play out, but no return date for the series has yet been announced.

For now, we can root for Alex Kingston on Strictly Come Dancing and watch the latest seasons of Doctor Who with a Disney+ subscription. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some positive update on the series before the end of the year, but we'll see what happens.

Back in 2024, Doctor Who icon David Tennant was relatively clear about having no plans to return as the Fourteenth Doctor. Months ago, he softened his stance a bit, saying that it would likely be a while before audiences ever saw him again. Now, he's walked back his statement even more, and I can't help but be hopeful that the former Who star is considering a return.

Tennant was recently a guest on Michael Rosenbaum's Inside of You podcast, and was asked if he'd return to Doctor Who. His response this time is very interesting to me, because it sounds like he's making it known he wouldn't necessarily shut down any pitches that should slide across his desk:

David Tennant's comments come at a time when Doctor Who is stuck in a holding pattern. Acclaimed star Ncuti Gatwa left the series amid rumors that Disney execs balked at a renewal until they saw the viewership numbers for the latest season. The series received a lot of attention due to its cliffhanger ending, which saw The Doctor regenerate. Most notably, that episode also revealed franchise alum Billie Piper playing the character who serves as the Time Lord's new form.

With Piper back and seemingly playing The Doctor, and David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor still alive in the universe, it doesn't take much to put together what fans are playing. Many viewers want to see the two actors back together again, decades after they teamed up for some of Doctor Who's best episodes.

One detail to note is that when Tennant first announced he was done playing The Doctor, Billie Piper's return was not yet set in stone. In fact, it doesn't seem like anyone knew Ncuti Gatwa was leaving his role until early 2025, when reshoots happened to orchestrate a regeneration scene to write his iteration of the character off the show. Since Piper was brought in, I can't help but notice the change in tone.

People love the classics and, if Doctor Who is in a place where it needs a move that will draw a lot of eyes, using David Tennant and Billie Piper might be the move that gets people back and paying attention to the sci-fi series. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say some lapsed fans may be tempted to pick up a Disney+ subscription to watch it, assuming they don't already have one. I'm not saying it's a sure thing that Tennant is returning, but it does indeed seem more plausible now than it did months ago.

If he does, I'm ready and willing to see what the show intends to do. Until then, I'm enjoying the recent episodes of Doctor Who on Disney+, and of course, hoping we get news of a season renewal sooner rather than later.

Back in May, the Doctor Who fandom was left stunned with the most recent season finale when Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated and Billie Piper was revealed as the 16th Doctor. Following the actor’s surprising exit, CinemaBlend spoke briefly with him about leaving the role during the press junket for his new movie.

Ncuti Gatwa’s latest release is a comedy called The Roses, which has him starring alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Allison Janney and many more very funny actors. During the interview, I brought up to Gatwa that following his exit, I had seen so many people calling him their favorite (or one of their faves) Doctor so far. Here’s how he responded:

Gatwa was emotional and full of gratitude when I brought up Doctor Who following his exit during our interview – which happened fresh off the finale back in June. The actor previously shared that he left the series due to the “strenuous” nature of the show “physically, emotionally, mentally”, but did say “never say never” when asked if he could come back at some point. The actor also said this to the fandom:

It’s clear the actor has a lot of joy towards the fans that embraced his version of Doctor Who, which was announced in 2022 and went on for two seasons. Prior to the finale revealing the change-up in the series, we had some clues that Gatwa might be moving on after he signed on to be in a play for example, among other gigs.

Billie Piper has a long history with Doctor Who, considering she’s been part of Series 1, 2, 4 in the early 2000s before also appearing in the 2010 special which was David Tennant’s final regular appearance as the Tenth Doctor. Piper has said her appearance in the finale was “very last minute”, and we’ve heard that it will be sometime before we meet her version of the Doctor.

In The Roses, Ncuti Gatwa plays one of the waiters to Olivia Colman’s Ivy Rose, who is an up-and-coming restaurateur who suddenly becomes the talk of the town while her husband, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Theo Rose suddenly finds himself dealing with the downfall of his architect career. As the husband and wife become bitter toward each other, Gatwa’s character serves up some hilarious humor alongside Sunita Mani’s waitress character often quipping with him.

You can see Ncuti Gatwa in The Roses, in theaters on August 29!

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail." Stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

Space may be the final frontier, but it is big enough for more heroes than just the people working in Starfleet? There are plenty of species in the Federation that are working to make the world a better place in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and that evidently includes one Time Lord. Yes, there was a sneaky easter egg referencing Doctor Who in a recent episode of the streaming series, and I can't wait for future episodes.

Those who have watched "The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail" might be wondering where the reference is, and I was right there along with them after learning of this special development. As someone who is eagerly awaiting details on where and when Doctor Who is returning, I was pretty surprised I missed a reference until Trekkie diehard @gaghyogi49 showed just how hard you had to squint to spot the TARDIS in the background of the tech-hungry ship enveloping the USS Enterprise:

It would appear some version of the TARDIS was caught by the human scavenger ship that attacked the Farragut and thrust James T. Kirk into his first taste of captaincy. I'm going to assume The Doctor wasn't actively on an adventure whilst the Enterprise and Farragut ships fought for their lives, and trust that Kirk didn't inadvertently kill the Time Lord when he blew up the Scavenger ship. Imagine if Doctor Who ended up being canceled and this served as an unintentional series finale!

Fortunately, I don't think this is Star Trek trying to ensure The Doctor gets a proper send-off, but rather the result of the heads of both franchises coming together and doing something fun for the fans. Russell T. Davies wrote a Doctor Who episode in which The Doctor implied to companion Ruby Sunday that Starfleet was a real organization, and he has openly talked about wanting to do a crossover with the franchise. Maybe the real reason he had The Doctor bi-generate is so David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor could sneak off for wild adventures like this.

The bad news is that with Doctor Who currently owned by Disney+ and The BBC, and Star Trek owned by Paramount and Skydance, the odds of all these corporate heads coming to the table and making an official crossover happen are slim. The good news is that there does seem to be some agreement in place for each series to reference the other, and we may continue to get references to Doctor Who in upcoming Trek shows and vice versa.

I should also add that there already was an unofficial Doctor Who and Star Trek crossover in the form of a comic published in 2012. The Eleventh Doctor teams up with Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-D crew as they work in tandem to prevent an unholy alliance of the Borg and Cybermen from assimilating everyone in the known universe. It's a fun adventure, though not as cool as it'd be to see an actual iteration of The Doctor team up with a Starfleet crew in canon/live-action.

Until that happens, I'll be thrilled with anything we get in the meantime and continue to watch new episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Thursdays on Paramount+. Season 3 has been a treat for more reasons unrelated to Doctor Who as of late, so be sure to check it out and catch up!

A Doctor Who spinoff is set to hit the 2025 TV schedule, but we're still waiting to hear when (or if) we may see the flagship show return for a new season. This is especially true now that the improbable twist that saw Billie Piper stepping into the starring role of The Doctor happened at the end of the latest season. Unfortunately, the wait for answers has no end in sight, but showrunner Russell T. Davies' latest renewal comments have me curious.

The BBC franchise partnered with Disney for the 60th anniversary and the past couple of Ncuti Gatwe-starring seasons, and those in the United States have been able to stream episodes with Disney+ subscriptions. There were rumors about changes coming toward the start of the year, but Davies said something in an interview with Pilot TV that perked my ears up when talking about how he's as in the dark as everyone else:

The downside of all this is that Russell T. Davies has no read on when Doctor Who may be renewed for a new season. What might be good news is that it sounds like Disney and The BBC are still talking, which leaves the door open for resuming their partnership as co-producers on the series when a new season is ready.

I would love to see Disney and The BBC continue their partnership on Doctor Who, especially after the fantastic run with Ncuti Gatwa as the lead. I'm still upset that he left without doing another season, but not as upset as I'd be losing the great visual effects the series gained under Disney. The BBC could find another co-producer with deep pockets, but that's never a sure thing.

Additionally, I like the marriage of Doctor Who and Disney in the United States. I'm still crossing my fingers along with others for the possibility of seeing The Doctor at Disney parks, or at the very least the TARDIS.

The downside of this is that it seems more than clear that the reason Doctor Who wasn't renewed for a new season before the last one ended and still remains in limbo is because the viewership and financials of it all seem to be a concern for Disney. Given that, I have to wonder how confident they are that bringing in Billie Piper as the new lead will either bring in a bunch of old fans who weren't previously watching or entice new people to watch. If the answer is no, then Disney could leave the partnership, or Piper's tenure as the character could prove to be short-lived.

Eventually, we, along with Russell T. Davies, will know when Doctor Who is returning and where to stream it. For now, watch the latest episodes over on Disney+, and keep an eye out for updates on the series as the year continues on.

Doctor Who will allegedly continue its run beyond where things left off during the 2025 TV schedule, though we're still waiting on any concrete details regarding how and what the plan will be moving forward. It remains unclear if Disney will continue to partner with The BBC or it will find a home elsewhere, though fans seem to be more concerned with prying what details they can about the path ahead from the alleged new Doctor portrayer, Billie Piper.

Piper took the stage with fellow Who vet Christopher Eccleston at Florida Supercon, and it didn't take long for a fan to ask about Ncuti Gatwa's regeneration scene in which she appeared as his replacement. We still don't know for certain what is going on, either story-wise or behind the scenes, and the actress made certain not to let her words get her in trouble by sharing more than desired regarding what showrunner Russell T. Davies and other creatives have in store:

I don't think Billie Piper revealed anything that will land her in hot water with RTD or anyone at Doctor Who, but it does give us some insight into the timeline of how this came to be. Based on this, I would speculate the rumors about Ncuti Gatwa's exit being abrupt are accurate, and that there might've been more to it than the physical demand of the role at play. We do know Gatwa was on the record previously to head up a third season (via Reddit), which matches up with the reshoots happening very last-minute in February 2025, so that the ending could be changed in time.

Gatwa's exit might've been thrown together in a slapdash manner, but overall, fans were pretty ecstatic to see the twist. Billie Piper confirmed that she, too, appreciated how it all played out, and that all her appearances in Doctor Who these days seem to be handled in secret:

It's worth noting that rumors about Piper taking the role of The Doctor leaked out ahead of the reveal, but many fans dismissed it as sounding too wild to believe. I guess going forward, that's a solid tip for showrunners to keep their biggest secrets under wraps?

There are so many questions surrounding Doctor Who at present, including where the story is headed now that The Doctor has a face that resembles his former companion, Rose Tyler. This incident is not entirely without precedent, as actor Peter Capaldi previously had a guest-starring role before coming into the franchise to play The Doctor.

Before we find out what's next for Doctor Who, The BBC first needs to announce when a new season will be happening. At present, it seems the flagship show is in a holding pattern until the spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea, airs later on in 2025. Perhaps a gap year is giving Russell T. Davies the time to figure out why The Doctor has Rose's face, and give us more stories to be excited about.

That's my hope, anyway, as I'm eager to see Doctor Who return with new episodes at some point in the future. That's especially true with a bulk of the library recently being dropped by a major streamer, leaving longtime fans in the United States only limited ways to enjoy the show.

In many cases, a satisfying story sees the protagonist undergo a dramatic change. Sometimes, this means the character adopts new personality traits, for better or worse, but there are also some notable instances in which they change from the outside, often in wild and even unsettling ways. If you have the stomach for it, come relive some of the most bewildering physical transformations from the big and small screen.

Sherman Klump (The Nutty Professor)

Star Eddie Murphy underwent multiple, incredible physical transformations, thanks to Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup, to portray various roles in director Tom Shadyac's remake of 1963's The Nutty Professor. However, his central role is Sherman Klump, a scientist who creates an instant weight loss formula that not only changes his appearance but causes him to unlock an alternate persona that begins to grow increasingly independent.

Walter White (Breaking Bad)

Walter White, Bryan Cranston's four-time Emmy-winning lead role on Breaking Bad, is the ultimate example of a TV character whose personality takes a complete 180 over time. However, the chemistry teacher-turned-criminal not only changes from within, but also on the outside when he shaves his head and grows a goatee early on in Season 1.

The Joker (Batman)

Some iterations of Batman's archnemesis depict him as a man who puts on the face of a clown with makeup and hair dye, but not in Tim Burton's 1989 classic. Jack Nicholson's Jack Napier becomes The Joker when he falls into a vat of acid that turns his hair green and his skin white and leaves a permanent smile on his face.

The Doctor (Doctor Who)

The title hero of Doctor Who may hold the record for the highest number of dramatic physical transformations for a single TV character, having completely altered his appearance at least 15 times in the series' decades-long history. Every few seasons or so, the immortal Time Lord regenerates, appearing in a whole new form and portrayed by a new actor.

Prince Adam (Beauty And The Beast)

Beauty and the Beast, the acclaimed 1991 Disney animated movie classic based on the timeless fairytale, is a story that reminds us that there is more to a person than meets the eye. The titular Beast used to be a handsome, but cruelly arrogant, prince named Adam before he was afflicted with a curse that could only be broken by finding true love with Belle.

Steve Urkel (Family Matters)

You could argue that making Jaleel White's nerdy Family Matters character the star of the show ruined the otherwise beloved TV sitcom, but, admittedly, Steve Urkel did prove himself to be a genius in many entertaining ways. Most notably, he invented a transformation chamber that could replicate his DNA and make him into a more suave alter ego known as Stefan Urquelle.

Steve Rogers (Captain America: The First Avenger)

I believe that none of the Marvel movies in order are more inspirational than 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger, in which the 5'3", 115-lb Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) gets his wish to defend his country in World War II. All it takes to get him qualified is an injection of a special "Super Soldier" serum that allows his inner strength to also become his outer strength.

Mac (It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia)

For the seventh season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney (who legally changed his name to Rob Mac in 2025) thought it would be funny if his character, Mac, gained a great deal of weight. The actor, and his role, would later alter his physical appearance once again when he dropped 60 pounds and achieved a shredded physique.

Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith)

Few characters from the Star Wars movies look quite as unsettling as Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), who once had an entirely different appearance (and I am not just talking about when another actor played him in The Empire Strikes Back). The prequel trilogy reveals that the Sith leader actually looked human before the Force lightning he used to kill Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) reflected back on him, giving him withered white skin, jagged teeth, and yellow eyes.

Sean Archer And Castor Troy (Face/Off)

In one of the all-time wildest premises for an action movie, John Woo's 1997 hit Face/Off sees grieving FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) undergo a revolutionary procedure that allows him to convincingly pose as the comatose Castor Troy (Nicolas Cage). Unfortunately, he comes to discover that the notorious terrorist has awakened and has undergone the same surgery in order to look like him.

Seth Brundle (The Fly)

Arguably, the quintessential body horror movie is director David Cronenberg's (who else?) 1986 remake of The Fly. The stomach-churning classic stars Jeff Goldblum as Seth Brundle, a physicist whose instant transportation experiment goes wrong when his DNA is accidentally fused with an insect, causing him to slowly become a grotesque creature.

Henry Creel (Stranger Things)

The fourth season of Netflix's Stranger Things was chock-full of mindblowing revelations, including how all of the trouble in Hawkins has been caused by a frightening creature referred to as Vecna. A big twist on top of that big twist is that the powerful, decrepit ruler of the Upside Down used to be a human named Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell Bower) until Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) pushed him through a portal to the alternate dimension, causing his transformation.

Sméagol/Gollum (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King)

Andy Serkis' performance in The Lord of the Rings movies is not entirely achieved with performance capture. The actor appears in his practical form in The Return Of The King for a haunting flashback that explains how the creepy little creature known as Gollum used to be a hobbit named Sméagol before he was corrupted by the One Ring.

Chuck Noland (Cast Away)

In 2000's Cast Away, FedEx employee Chuck Noland loses quite a bit of weight and never has an opportunity to shave or trim his hair while stranded on a desert island for four years. Robert Zemeckis actually took a break from production to film What Lies Beneath while waiting for Tom Hanks to lose 50 lbs.

The Gremlins (Gremlins)

In the classic 1984 horror-comedy movie, Gremlins, Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) learns why you should never feed a Mogwai after midnight the hard way. The cute, cuddly, one-of-a-kind creatures mutate into the eponymous, menacing green monsters who cause anything but a silent night around Christmastime.

David Banner (The Incredible Hulk)

In the classic TV adaptation of the Marvel comic, The Incredible Hulk, Bill Bixby plays David Banner, a physicist who is dangerously exposed to gamma radiation. As a result, if his stress levels rise too high, he transforms into a green behemoth played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno.

Elisabeth Sparkle (The Substance)

One of the best horror movies of 2024 (and most acclaimed films of that year, period), The Substance, is a cautionary tale of vanity sealing one's downfall, told from the perspective of Oscar nominee Demi Moore as Elisabeth Sparkle. The actor uses a black market drug to create a younger alter ego named Sue (Margaret Qualley), who begins to take over her life, disrespecting the balance and, literally, draining every last drop of her youth until she becomes a completely unrecognizable, old crone.

Alex Murphy (RoboCop)

In 1987's RoboCop, police officer Alex Murphy (Peter Weller) suffers an incident that leads him to become part-man, part-machine... but mostly machine. Since much of his physical form was destroyed, just about everything from the neck down is replaced with robotic parts, turning him into the ultimate crime-fighting tool.

Melvin Junko (The Toxic Avenger)

Troma's cult-favorite superhero flick, 1984's The Toxic Avenger, is the story of an awkward, geeky custodian named Melvin Junko (Mark Torgl). After falling into a vat of toxic waste, as the result of a disastrously cruel prank, the 98-pound weakling transforms into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength, which he uses to make his crime-ridden community a better place.

Edward Lemuel (A Different Man)

In the acclaimed A24 movie, A Different Man, Sebastian Stan plays Edward Lemuel, an actor born with neurofibromatosis, which causes him to grow abnormalities on his face that he has removed with reconstructive surgery. However, he soon begins to experience an identity crisis when an actor with the same affliction (played by Adam Pearson) is cast to portray him in a play based on his life.

Ben Grimm (Fantastic Four)

Like in the beloved Marvel comic that inspired it, 2005's Fantastic Four sees a group of people suffer a strange accident during a space mission that causes them to gain powers like elasticity, invisibility, and pyrokinesis. However, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) is a special case because, in addition to gaining super strength, his skin turns to an impenetrable, rock-like substance.

Dr. Henry Jekyll (Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde)

One of the few actors to win an Academy Award for a horror movie is Frederic March, who starred in 1931's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as both the ambitious scientist and his grotesque, murderous alter ego.

David Kessler (An American Werewolf In London)

Cinema's gold standard for lycanthropic transformations occurs in 1981's An American Werewolf in London when David Kessler (David Naughton) undergoes a painful metamorphosis from man to animal under a full moon, courtesy of Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup effects.

Gwynplaine (The Man Who Laughs)

In 1928's The Man Who Laughs, Conrad Veidt plays the son of an executed English noble, whose face is surgically altered into an unsettling permanent grin, which would serve as the inspiration for the comic book villain, The Joker.

Thackery Binx (Hocus Pocus)

Hocus Pocus is recognized as a kid-friendly movie about witches, but the Sanderson Sisters (played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) cast some truly dark and cruel spells. For instance, they curse Thackery Binx (played as a human by Sean Murray and later voiced by Jason Marsden) to live forever, but as a black cat.

Squidward Tentacles (SpongeBob Squarepants)

When SpongeBob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) accidentally injures Squidward's (Roger Bumpass) face, it heals in such a way that he appears more conventionally attractive, with a smaller nose, smooth cheekbones, and a chiseled jawline. However, the blessing begins to become a burden, and SpongeBob tries to help by recreating the same incident, which ultimately makes him look like he was molded in clay. I actually think "Handsome Squidward's" final form is a little creepy, but I guess I would have to be a sea creature to understand the appeal.

Shrek (Shrek 2)

The first Shrek ended with Princess Fiona's (Cameron Diaz) nightly transformation into an ogre becoming her permanent form after admitting her true feelings for Mike Myers' title character. However, in the 2004 sequel, the couple both take on human characteristics after he drinks a special potion.

Delenn (Babylon 5)

Mira Furlan stars on the sci-fi series Babylon 5 as Delenn, who is a type of extra-terrestrial called a Minbari. However, in Season 5, she undergoes a procedure that turns her into a half-human hybrid.

Jason Voorhees (Jason X)

In the tenth installment of the Friday the 13th franchise, 2001's Jason X, hockey-masked iconic horror movie villain, Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder), is cryogenically frozen and awakened in the future on a spaceship, where he is nearly destroyed, only to be resurrected with a new look by nanobots.

Wallace Bryton (Tusk)

In writer and director Kevin Smith's odd A24 horror flick, 2014's Tusk, Justin Long stars as arrogant podcast host Wallace, who thinks he has found the perfect subject for his next episode in retired sailor Howard Howe (Michael Parks). However, much to his horror, Howe intends to surgically transform Wallace into a walrus, and the result of the process is nothing short of unsettling.

Gustav Graves (Die Another Day)

In the 2002 James Bond film Die Another Day, the MI-6 agent (played by Pierce Brosnan in his last 007 appearance) faces off against the Caucasian, English-accented Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). However, near the end, he discovers the foe is really North Korean Colonel Tan-Sun Moon (Will Yun Lee), who faked his death, underwent intense reconstructive surgery, and reinvented himself as a wealthy diamond magnate within a matter of months.

Wikus Van De Merwe (District 9)

In Neill Blomkamp's acclaimed 2009 alien invasion movie, District 9, Sharlto Copley plays Wikus Van De Merwe, who is accidentally sprayed with some mysterious substance. As a result, he begins to slowly mutate into South Africa's oppressed extra-terrestrial visitors, known as Prawns.

It seems that, with each generation, people continue to be obsessed with preserving their youth. However, I cannot say that I submit to that mentality because I have watched my fair share of movies and TV shows that deal with eternal life, and it really does not sound like all it's cracked up to be.

That being said, the mere idea of having a life without end and being able to experience multiple eras in history firsthand has always fascinated me, which is why I do tend to enjoy these kinds of stories. We could spend an eternity discussing all the best tales of immortality from the big and small screen, but here are some of the essentials.

Death Becomes Her (1992)

In Robert Zemeckis' darkly comic, classic '90s movie Death Becomes Her, actor Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) discovers that the secret to her longtime rival, author Helen Sharp's (Goldie Hawn), sudden success and "glow-up" is a potion that grants eternal youth. However, it also makes maintaining that youthful glow more challenging, especially after Madeline and Helen suffer insane accidents, which Sabrina Carpenter and Jenna Ortega parodied in the "Taste" music video.

Peter Pan (1953)

I remember looking forward to the freedoms of adulthood when I was younger, but now that I am a grown-up, I think Peter Pan and his Lost Boys had the right idea about staying in Neverland, where they could stay children forever. Steven Spielberg would even use J.M. Barrie's classic fantasy tale as the catalyst of a story exploring the loss of one's inner child in 1991's Hook, which stars Robin Williams as a grown-up Peter Pan.

Deadpool (2016)

Many of the funniest and most gruesome moments from star Ryan Reynolds' adaptation of Marvel's Deadpool comics revolve around the eponymous anti-hero's incredible healing abilities, which also prevent him from aging. Quick-witted mercenary Wade Wilson gained this blessing, or curse, after participating in an experimental program to cure his cancer, which also left him with a grotesque skin condition, inspiring him to wear a costume covering him head to toe.

Doctor Who (1963-Present)

A sci-fi TV show that has managed to get away with featuring the same character in the lead for its entire decades-long run is the British cult favorite phenomenon, Doctor Who. The title character is the last of an alien race known as the Time Lords, meaning he can continue to live on infinitely by regenerating and changing his appearance, which explains why he is played by a different actor every few seasons or so.

The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1945)

One of the most influential stories involving immortality is The Picture of Dorian Gray, in which the title character suddenly ceases to age while his likeness in a recent portrait begins to grow more decrepit over time. One of the most widely praised adaptations of the 1890 novel from Oscar Wilde stars Hurd Hatfield in the title role.

Mr. Nobody (2009)

Writer and director Jaco Van Dormael’s Mr. Nobody is unlike any other film regarding the concept of eternal youth, because the main character is the only one who is not immortal, thanks to a cutting-edge surgical process. Academy Award winner Jared Leto stars in the moving, surreal sci-fi drama as the last mortal man in a utopian future, where he recounts the life (or lives) he has experienced up to this point to a confused journalist.

Interview With The Vampire (1994)

We cannot talk about eternal youth without talking about vampires, and there are few tales of the like that incorporate the theme of immortality as potently as Interview with the Vampire. Director Neil Jordan's adaptation of Anne Rice's novel stars Brad Pitt as Louis, who tells a 20th-century journalist (played by Christian Slater) the story of his life as an ageless creature of the night, dating back to the late 1700s when he is bitten by Lestat (Tom Cruise).

Hancock (2008)

In Hancock, a superhero movie not inspired by a comic book, Will Smith plays the titular boozy, homeless man, who has been mysteriously blessed with extraordinary abilities, including indestructibility and agelessness. However, he comes close to losing those gifts due to a shocking secret about his forgotten past.

Highlander (1986)

It is said in Russell Mulcahy's original cult favorite that there can only be one Highlander. However, the action-packed fantasy thriller, starring Christopher Lambert as a more-than-400-year-old Scottish warrior facing the battle of his life in modern New York City, spawned several sequels and a TV series.

True Blood (2008-2014)

One of the most popular vampire TV shows of all time is HBO's True Blood. Based on a series of novels by Charlaine Harris, the drama takes place in a world where humans and fanged creatures of the night are able to co-exist, thanks to the eponymous, synthetic substitute for blood.

Eternals (2021)

Created by legendary comic book writer and artist Jack Kirby, the Eternals are a group of superheroes given the gift of immortality, among other distinct abilities, by their creators, the Celestials. The Marvel Comic would inspire an MCU film from Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao and starring the likes of Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, and more.

The Sandman (2022-2025)

The Sandman is Netflix's long-awaited series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's widely acclaimed fantasy comic book series of the same name, published under DC's Vertigo imprint in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Tom Sturridge's title character, also known as Dream and plenty of other aliases for his purpose of manipulating the human subconscious, is one of several beings known as the Endless, who each personify a different abstract concept, such as Death and Desire.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

You can always count on a filmmaker like Jim Jarmusch to come through with a stunningly unique take on the horror genre, such as with his acclaimed vampire movie, Only Lovers Left Alive. The dramedy follows the reunion between a rock star (played by Tom Hiddleston) and his lover (played by Tilda Swinton), who have been in an on-and-off relationship for a very long time.

Torchwood (2006-2011)

The Doctor may be the last of the Time Lords, but he is not the only character from the Doctor Who universe who cannot die. The hit spinoff, Torchwood, following the adventures of a secret organization defending Earth from supernatural threats, stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, who was turned immortal when he was revived by the power of the Time Vortex after he was killed by a Dalek.

In Time (2011)

Widely regarded as a movie with a brilliant concept but a lackluster execution is the Justin Timberlake-led sci-fi thriller In Time, set in a futuristic society in which people stop aging at the age of 25. However, they can only live perpetually if they have enough time, which is also treated as currency. In other words, the wealthy are truly immortal, while the poor literally struggle to survive until the next day.

What We Do In The Shadows (2014)

One of the funniest films about vampirism is the horror-comedy movie favorite, What We Do in the Shadows, which later inspired a hit FX series of the same name. The faux documentary follows what goes on in the lives of a group of centuries-old bloodsuckers (played by Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement, and Johnny Brugh) sharing a house in New Zealand.

Spring (2015)

Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead's romantic horror movie Spring is a beautiful, Lovecraftian take on a Richard Linklater-style drama like Before Sunrise. It follows an American man (played by Lou Taylor Pucci) visiting Italy when he falls for a woman (played by Nadia Hilker), who is not only cursed with agelessness, but hides another transformative secret.

The Fountain (2006)

From Darren Aronofsky, The Fountain is a trippy thriller starring Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz that is told in a nonlinear, anthology-style structure and takes place over the course of 1000 years. One segment, set in the 1500s, follows a quest for the Fountain of Youth, another centers on a modern-day surgeon and his terminally ill wife, and the last follows a man passionately tending to a tree while traveling through space in the deep future. The question the film leaves you with is whether or not Jackman's roles are all the same person.

The Age Of Adaline (2015)

One film that effectively illustrates the challenging consequences of eternal youth is The Age of Adaline. Blake Lively stars in the title role of a mid-20th-century woman who suffers a freak accident that suddenly causes her to stop aging, forcing her to go on the run and live anonymously for decades.

Forever (2014-2015)

The short-lived crime procedural Forever stars Ioan Gruffudd as a man working as a medical examiner in New York City. However, the most perplexing mystery he struggles to solve is why he has not aged in more than two centuries.

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

Known for being the final film starring Academy Award winner Heath Ledger, director Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus stars Christopher Plummer in the title role, who was gifted eternal life by the Devil (Tom Waits) in exchange for the soul of his daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole), once she reaches her sixteenth birthday.

Altered Carbon (2018-2020)

While most stories about eternal life are considered fantasy, the concept is not entirely implausible. For instance, the Netflix series Altered Carbon imagines a dystopian future in which immortality is achieved by digitally preserving human consciousness and uploading it into a new body.

The Man From Earth (2007)

Writer Jerome Bixby was the legendary mastermind behind some of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, and his final produced work before his death, The Man from Earth, does feel like something that would have been right up Rod Serling's alley. The film stars David Lee Smith as a professor who, during his impromptu retirement party, reveals to his colleagues the shocking revelation that he has inexplicably existed for thousands of years.

He Never Died (2015)

Without giving too much away, He Never Died is a bizarre thriller starring Henry Rollins as a man calling himself Jack, who has been on Earth longer than even he has been able to keep track of.

Cronos (1993)

The feature film debut of writer and director Guillermo del Toro, Cronos, is a chilling thriller about an ancient, highly coveted device shaped like a scarab that can grant people the gift of immortality.

Tuck Everlasting (2002)

Based on the 1975 novel of the same name by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting stars Alexis Bledel as a 19th-century teen who falls in love with a "young" man (played by Jonathan Jackson) whose family has accidentally discovered the Fountain of Youth.

Blade Of The Immortal (2017)

Director Takashi Miike, the mastermind behind some of the shocking Japanese horror movies of all time, brings his signature style to this live-action adaptation of the graphic novel, Blade of the Immortal. The film stars Takuya Kimura as a samurai cursed with eternal life, who is enlisted by a young girl to help avenge her father's death.

The Last Witch Hunter (2015)

Vin Diesel's Dungeons & Dragons character served as the inspiration for his role in The Last Witch Hunter, in which he plays a man whose immortality has allowed him the time to become the most skilled asset in war against witchcraft.

Zardoz (1974)

Writer and director John Boorman's Zardoz is better remembered for the ridiculous futuristic outfit that Sean Connery wears than the plot of the bizarre sci-fi adventure. The story is set in the 23rd Century, in which Connery's deadly warrior, known as Zed, comes across a community where death has been rendered obsolete.

New Amsterdam (2008)

Not to be confused with a hit NBC medical drama that happens to bear the same name, New Amsterdam is a short-lived Fox crime drama starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as a New York detective granted eternal youth by a Native American woman he saved 400 years earlier.

The Old Guard (2020)

Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, the Netflix original film The Old Guard stars Charlize Theron as the leader of a group of ageless mercenaries. It would spawn a sequel that deepens its lore, which was released in 2025.

Immortality (1998)

Also released as The Wisdom of Crocodiles to reflect the novel that inspired it, the aptly named Immortality stars Jude Law as a vampire preying on women in hopes of finding the one who redeems him.

The Doctor Who news cycle has been rampant since the season finale, to the point that Ncuti Gatwa's exit has somewhat flown under the radar. Granted, the signs were there before it officially happened, but amid the excitement about Billie Piper's return to the franchise and uncertainty about the series' future, Gatwa is discussing his reasons for leaving earlier than fans might have expected.

As the odds look increasingly slim that we'll be watching the future new episodes with a Disney+ subscription, Ncuti Gatwa was on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg talking about his exit from the acclaimed sci-fi series. The actor elaborated a bit more on why he left, after an initial goodbye message to fans back in June. Said the actor,

I can't blame Ncuti Gatwa, even if there were older actors and actresses who starred in Doctor Who before him. Almost every one of them has said at one point it was a demanding role, and with all the running, climbing, jumping, and crying he had to do in two seasons, I'd say he was one of the more physical actors to play the Doctor in the modern era.

Of course, the obvious follow-up was whether he'd ever consider a return in the future. While David Tennant has stopped by a few times since leaving, and even Jodie Whittaker made a recent cameo, it's not a given that all Doctors will return following their departure. Peter Capaldi still has yet to return, and Christopher Eccleston hasn't either. So, what did Ncuti Gatwa say when asked if he'd ever come back?

I'll take that answer, especially given how fresh his exit still is. I mean, it's also a non-answer, and maybe a kind way of saying, "It's the furthest thing from my mind." At the same time, his exit was just shown, and Doctor Who doesn't even have a release date for its next season. Why should he have to give us a definitive answer on if or when he'll return?

As mentioned, we're still waiting to see when Doctor Who will get renewed, and what studio/streamer the BBC will partner with to co-produce the next season. While unconfirmed, it's been heavily rumored that Disney will drop its half of the co-production, leaving the door open for another collaborating company to jump in.

That said, one can imagine that Ncuti Gatwa's tenure as The Doctor will live on Disney+ for a while. Assuming that wherever the series lands next doesn't buy the rights to those episodes, it'll remain available for the time being alongside David Tennant and Catherine Tate's episodes they teamed up for in the 60th anniversary specials.

Doctor Who is currently streaming its latest two seasons and anniversary specials on Disney+, and the rest of the modern reboot is available to stream with a HBO Max subscription. Enjoy it on streaming while you can, because by the end of July, a bulk of the library will leave Max.

While rumors persist that Doctor Who creatives are looking for a new partner as the BBC prepares to part ways with Disney in its short-lived partnership co-producing, more big news about the series has dropped. Seasons 1 through 13 have been available to Americans with a Max subscription for years now, but that's coming to an end very soon. Even though fans are concerned, I think it could lead to something positive I've waited to happen for quite some time.

For those who are unaware, Doctor Who will be leaving Max on July 31st (per Collider). As of writing, a new streaming home hasn't been announced yet. As some might guess, the 60th anniversary and Ncuti Gatwa's run remain available with a Disney+ subscription.

With Doctor Who leaving HBO Max, it's possible the series has lost what's been a solid suitor for years now. At the same time, though, I think a valuable asset can be gained, in that whichever platform takes over the ongoing franchise in the United States has the chance to also acquire the vast majority of prior classic seasons and episodes as well.

This is to say, whoever gets the new episodes could also obtain Seasons 1-13 of the reboot era, and be just twenty-two episodes shy of having every episode a fan could want. It's a whole lot better of a deal than what Disney had, especially if the new Who home could somehow negotiate with the House of Mouse and get the rights to those episodes as well. I dream of a day when we can stream at least the entire modern Doctor Who in one place, and that day may be much closer than we think.

I should also add that any interested streamer looking to acquire both new and old episodes of Doctor Who has the prime timing to do so. The series just wrote off Ncuti Gatwa's iteration of the Doctor, and the character reappeared with actress Billie Piper taking on the mantle.

Now, we don't know for certain whether Piper, who previously played Rose Tyler in the series, is The Doctor or not. What we do know is that DW has done this before, and that there will be some form of acknowledgment that The Doctor looks like Rose. She's too important a character in his life for that to go unnoticed, so I feel relatively certain it will be addressed. You don't just bring in one of the most beloved actors from the show's past and then not do anything with them.

With a storyline that draws on a past character so much, it would be advantageous for a streamer to also have earlier relevant episodes for the audience to check out. Netflix or some other streamer could manage to grab both, and maybe succeed in pulling in some big viewership for people wanting both new and classic Doctor Who to stream.

We don't know where Doctor Who will end up, but I would wager we'll know more before the end of the 2025 TV schedule. Until then, there's still time to enjoy the series on streaming, and check out our list of the best DW episodes of all time.

Doctor Who has been around for over 60 years, but those decades haven’t all been rosy. The show went off the air for more than a decade, save a TV movie, between 1989 and 2005, and now, it looks like 20 years after the show was successfully rebooted, it may be facing its most difficult period. Following reports that Disney+ will not be moving forward with its partnership with the BBC for the show, the future of Doctor Who, or even if there is a future, is unclear.

It’s clear the BBC doesn’t want to foot the bill for Doctor Who on its own anymore, so if the Disney+ deal is dead, a new streaming partner is going to need to step up. It’s being reported that the BBC is already in talks with a couple of potential new homes, though there’s another option that feels like it might be a perfect fit.

Doctor Who May Go To Netflix Or HBO Max

According to a new rumor from Twitter account @MyTimeToShineH (via SFF Gazette), whose accuracy has been mixed, but has been right before, the BBC is currently in talks with both Netflix and HBO Max about bringing future seasons of Doctor Who to their platforms. Whoever picks up the show will have something of a clean slate following the departure of Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor at the end of the most recent season. Gatwa's departure is widely understood to have come specifically because the show’s future was uncertain. Doctor Who is officially on pause as the BBC figures out its options.

Either of these new streaming partners makes a lot of sense for the show. Netflix has the most subscribers of any streaming platform, making the potential audience that much more significant. HBO Max is already home to all of the seasons of the rebooted Doctor Who, save the two that are on Disney+. It’s unclear if any new deal would include moving those seasons or if Disney+ will keep them.

However, while both Netflix and HBO Max have their upside for the further adventures of The Doctor, I think there’s another streaming service that might be a perfect fit for the show.

Apple TV+ Should Take A Serious Look At Doctor Who

While Apple TV+ certainly doesn’t have the subscriber base of Netflix or other high-volume platforms, there are a lot of reasons why Doctor Who and Apple might fit quite well together. First off, Apple TV+ is already home to several high-profile and high-quality sci-fi series. From thrilling tales like Silo and Severence to space sagas likeThe Foundation to quirky and comedic Murderbot, if you’re a sci-fi fan, you should have an Apple TV+ subscription.

Apple TV+ also isn’t as cancel-happy as most other streaming platforms. Disney+ was already apparently unhappy with the viewership of the show and has cut ties as a result. We’ve seen how Netflix and HBO Max are with cancelling series that don’t perform to a certain standard, so there’s every reason to be worried Doctor Who could find itself right back here in a year or two if it ends up in one of those places.

At the end of the day, as long as Doctor Who finds a new home, I’ll be happy. Even though the final seconds of the last episode of Doctor Who didn’t make me excited for the future, I’ll still be watching, if only to see how it all goes. We don't know when we'll see Doctor Who again, or where we'll see it, but there's certainly plenty to discuss while we wait.

Doctor Who is in a strange place right now, comparable to when the original incarnation of the show went off the air in 1989. Granted, we’re not quite at that stage with the current version of the show, which has been a Disney+ subscription-exclusive for the last few years. However, following Ncuti Gatwa’s unexpected departure as the Fifteenth Doctor just a few weeks ago on the 2025 TV schedule, there’s no word on when we can expect Doctor Who to return. Showrunner Russell T. Davies has confirmed there is a “pause” on the series, but he also has an optimistic viewpoint about Doctor Who’s “potential futures” that I like.

Doctor Who’s Future Remains Unclear To Russell T. Davies

In the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (via RadioTimes), Russell T. Davies reaffirmed that the series centered on the adventuring Time Lord is currently in a holding pattern. However, he also reminded fans that there’s a spinoff coming that will entertain them in 2026:

The War Between the Land and the Sea will follow UNIT members Kathe Lethbridge-Stewart, Shirley Ann Bingham and Colonel Ibrahim, along with a host of brand-new characters, dealing with the reawakening o f the ancient species known as the Sea Devils. So although The Doctor won’t appear in the six-episode miniseries, at least the mythology centered around them will be revisited next year. Otherwise, Russell T. Davies is like the rest of us: wondering where Doctor Who goes from here after we witnessed the Fifteenth Doctor regenerate into a form resembling Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.

Russell T. Davies Is Confident Doctor Who Isn’t Ending

That was quite the cliffhanger to leave off on, especially since given the way Piper was credited, we don’t know if she’ll technically be called the Sixteenth Doctor. There was also the unresolved plot thread of The Doctor mysteriously seeing granddaughter Susan, reprised by Carol Anne Ford, in vision. Though he may not know what’s next for Doctor Who right now, Russell T. Davies isn’t worried about its future, saying:

Now he didn’t clarify if he was talking about Doctor Who the show or if the franchise as a whole will never end. I’m choosing to believe it’s the former, although it may need to find a new home outside of the United Kingdom. A recent rumor claimed that “Doctor Who is dead at Disney,” but “things are looking promising” for moving it to a different streaming service.

So the wait to learn what’s in store for Doctor Who won’t be ending anytime soon. I’m hopeful that Russell T. Davies optimistic prediction does indeed come true, but until then, at least we can not only still watch the Doctor Who episodes from his second tenure as showrunner on Disney+, but also stream the ones from his first tenure with an HBO Max subscription.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who episode, "The Reality War." Stream it with a Disney+ subscription and read at your own risk!

While many didn't want it, the fears many Doctor Who fans had about the Fifteenth Doctor regenerating came to pass. The writing was on the wall that Ncuti Gatwa would leave as rumors circulated about his exit, but I'm not sure anyone was convinced the rumor about his successor was remotely true. And yet, Billie Piper was revealed as the Sixteenth Doctor, but was she really?

The actress, who rose to fame after playing companion Rose Tyler in the early seasons of Doctor Who's reboot era, released a statement about her big return to the franchise that few predicted. She's clearly happy to be back, and already hinting there's some mystery to this interesting development:

We will have to wait and see, but there's no rule against speculating and trying to figure out the answer before we see Doctor Who return for a new season! As someone who has stuck with the series for years, here are the possible scenarios I've cooked up that may explain why it seems like The Doctor has the face of a former companion for the first time.

The Sixteenth Doctor Has Rose's Face Due To "Unfinished Business"

When David Tennant returned to play the Fourteenth Doctor, his face was a reminder of his "unfinished business" with Catherine Tate's Donna Noble. As fans may remember, The Doctor had to erase his former companion's memory to prevent her from dying after her transformation into "Doctor Donna" threatened her life. Of course, he was able to cure her during his return, and the duo had some fun adventures before he eventually bi-generated into Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor.

The Doctor now having Rose Tyler's face may imply she has "unfinished business," but it wouldn't make the most sense if that business were with her former companion. If I had to make a guess, that business would be with the Fourteenth Doctor, who likely still has feelings for Rose after all these years and is still alive following the bi-generation.

The beloved series bringing Tennant and Piper back together for more adventures, especially when both of them are The Doctor, sounds like a dream come true that even fan-fiction couldn't imagine. That said, Tennant has been pretty clear that he's officially retired from the role, and that he won't be coming back for more adventures. Of course, I doubt he expected Piper to be reintroduced when he originally made those comments, so I'd be curious to see if he's changed his mind now that she's back in the mix. Perhaps the grand plan of this is to give Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor a proper send-off, even though I feel like we've already gotten that.

This Is Somehow Tied To "Bad Wolf"

I've already seen a lot of viewers speculate that this isn't The Doctor at all, and that "Bad Wolf" has somehow returned. For those who need a reminder, Bad Wolf was an entity that Rose became in an adventure with the Ninth Doctor after looking into the heart of the TARDIS. The Doctor ended up absorbing the power of Bad Wolf and the Time Vortex to save Rose's life, which ultimately forced him to regenerate.

Could Rose's face appearing mean the residual energy from the Time Vortex still exists within The Doctor? Interestingly enough, the Ninth Doctor theorized a Time Lord absorbing the Bad Wolf would result in "A vengeful god," which seems like an interesting comment to make considering The Doctor recently defeated a slew of gods taking on The Pantheon.

When Russell T. Davies spoke to CinemaBlend about the Pantheon, he said he had more stories to tell. Is it possible that the gods are targeting The Doctor because they ultimately hope to manipulate his own power with the time vortex, and harness it for their own means? What is the whole point of this plan? It feels like the Sixteenth Doctor may continue the story of the gods into its next act, assuming Bad Wolf is involved in any way.

This Is Just Another Case Of The Doctor Borrowing A Familiar Face

While The Doctor borrowing the face of a companion isn't familiar territory, this is not the first time we've seen him take a face we've seen before. The most recent example is how Tennant played both the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, but people may overlook another instance where this happened. Spoiler alert, his picture is shown above this paragraph.

Peter Capaldi was a prominent guest star in Doctor Who during the episode, "The Fires Of Pompeii," and then later became the Twelfth Doctor. The series didn't shy away from bringing that to the viewer's attention either, as The Doctor pretty immediately remarked he took on the face of Caecilius, the character Capaldi originally played.

In this instance, he figured the reason was that he needed a reminder that The Doctor helps people, just like Caecilius did. As someone who watched Capaldi's run at the time, I don't remember fans being too up in arms about the fact that the character was played by someone who was previously on the show as someone else. Then again, Caecilius was nowhere near as iconic of a character as Rose, so I think there are understandably a lot more reactions.

The concept, however, remains the same. The Doctor may have taken the face of Rose because she needs to be reminded of something that she'd previously forgotten. I think out of all the possibilities for why The Doctor looks like her, this is the cleanest one to pull off, making it the most likely. Russell T. Davies has surprised me before, however, so I don't expect we'll know until we see the series return for more episodes.

Doctor Who doesn't have a confirmed new season just yet, but I'm sure we'll get news on what's next for the series as the year goes on. Until then catch all of Ncuti Gatwa's run on Disney+, and keep an eye out for what's next for Earth's protector.

Doctor Who ended its latest season on an exciting cliffhanger with a big mystery to unravel regarding why The Doctor looks like Rose Tyler. However, there's a bigger issue for the series to solve in the real world. There's still no official ruling on a season renewal for the series, and with persistent rumors that Disney may pull out of its co-partnership with The BBC, the network has some big questions to address ahead of any new episodes.

Fortunately, there is a positive rumor to shine some potential light on what could've been a dark time for the franchise. The news comes from Who insider Daniel Richtman, who notes that while the days of streaming new episodes of Doctor Who with a Disney+ subscription may be at an end, there's optimism it will end up elsewhere (via SFFGazette.com):

I'm not entirely surprised a franchise as well-known as Doctor Who has other interested parties willing to take on the streaming rights outside of the UK. We have no idea as to who, specifically, but it's worth noting that most all of the reboot-era episodes are available for those with a Max subscription. Having the back catalog plus new episodes would make it a hot destination for fans, though it remains to be seen if Disney will hold onto the anniversary specials and Ncuti Gatwa's run as The Doctor.

Paramount+ could also be an interested party, especially with the crossover fandom it has with Star Trek. DW showrunner Russell T. Davies has talked about wanting to do a Trek crossover, and he even did a panel with Alex Kurtzman at San Diego Comic-Con last year, talking about the potential of one. Speaking as a fan of both franchises, I would love to see them on the same streamer. However, I can't speak to whether that would actually happen.

It's also worth mentioning that, as of writing, Disney has not officially backed out of being a co-producer with The BBC on Doctor Who. Until that happens, it's hard to speculate who could be the next home for the best episodes of the series, and who will help usher in a new era with Billie Piper as the lead.

One potential hang-up with Doctor Who finding a new suitor is that Piper's involvement suggests the series is more into catering to its current fan base rather than attempting to draw in new fans. Bringing the actress back after she appeared as Rose Tyler in the earlier seasons is bound to bring forth a lot of classic references to the show, which would work for a streamer like HBO Max, which has those episodes for new fans to look back on. For other streamers, however, they may not like the idea of viewers needing to go elsewhere to get all the information they need following a new episode.

For now, we can only wait for more information and see what becomes of Doctor Who as the months go on. All I'm hoping for as a fan is to see more episodes in the future, so whatever scenario leads to that is the one I'm going to support.

Despite indications that Ncuti Gatwa would continue starring in Doctor Who for a third season, the era of the Fifteenth Doctor is over. At the end of “The Reality War,” which aired last month on the 2025 TV schedule, 15 regenerated into a form resembling Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, though given the way Piper was credited, it’s unclear if she’ll be labeled as the Sixteenth Doctor or not. It’s just one of many things still up in the air with Doctor Who following Season 2’s conclusion, including whether the show will continue being a Disney+ subscription-exclusive show outside of the UK.

Right now, however, I’m thinking about how Ncuti Gatwa’s relatively short time on Doctor Who was its most LGBTQ-friendly yet. While queerness has been built into Doctor Who since it was revived in 2005, it’s chiefly been through other characters and rarely focused on with The Doctor. But with 15, the adventuring Time Lord’s own queerness was brought to the forefront, which was was arguably best demonstrated through his passionate kiss with Rogue in Season 1. Alas, because Gatwa has now left the show, I can’t help but be frustrated by where things stand with Jonathan Groff’s character.

Where We Left Off With Rogue In Doctor Who

Rogue was featured in the aptly-titled Doctor Who Season 1 episode “Rogue” as a bounty hunter who was hired by the mysterious “Boss” (no, we still don’t know who that is yet) to kill a member of the Chuldur, an avian-like shapeshifting species, in 1813 England. He initially thought The Doctor was once of these aliens, but the mixup was soon cleared up. The two men then teamed up to stop the Chuldur, albeit under The Doctor’s condition all these foes were sent to another dimension rather than killed.

They were successful, but it came at the cost of Rogue being transported to that same dimension, as he took Ruby Sunday’s place within their trap when she was accidentally also caught within it. Before he disappeared, Rogue asked The Doctor to find him, a line that should have just come with a neon sign flashing, “This storyline will continue!” But was Rogue rescued in Doctor Who Season 2? Nope!

Instead, Rogue made a cameo appearance in “Wish World,” Doctor Who Season 2’s penultimate episode, where he sent a cryptic message to The Doctor that helped him realize that Conrad’s World was not the way reality was meant to be. Jonathan Groff shot this cameo back in 2023 when he was working on “Rogue,” so there was never any plan for the Frozen actor to have any major role in Season 2, which is fine.

Why I’m Frustrated The Lingering Rogue Storyline

The problem now is that because Ncuti Gatwa’s time on Doctor Who is finished, there’s only two ways I can think of for how this Rogue storyline is resolved. The first is that… well, it isn’t resolved. Rogue just stays trapped in that hellish dimension, and he even stated that he might not survive for much longer. The second is that Rogue is rescued by another incarnation of The Doctor, whether it’s Billie Piper’s (again, we don’t know if she’ll be named as such) or an even later one

Both these options are less than ideal for me, but especially the latter one. As I mentioned earlier, the Fifteenth Doctor being queer was an integral part of his characterization. This was the first time The Doctor was show actively pursing a romantic connection with someone of the same sex. Yes, the Thirteenth Doctor had feelings for Yaz, but she never really acted upon them, something that was acknowledged when she appeared in “The Reality War.”

Jack Harkness kissing the Ninth Doctor was certainly a big deal in 2005, but Rogue and the Fifteenth Doctor kissing was a much bigger moment in Doctor Who history. Like I said earlier, it was abundantly clear that Rogue would appear on the show again at some point, though I understood it might not happen for a while given how busy Jonathan Groff is. Regardless, I was looking forward to seeing the Fifteenth Doctor rescue Rogue from that other dimension and pursue a romantic relationship with him.

I’m Not That Interested In Rogue Meeting Another Doctor

Frankly, I’m not nearly as invested in Rogue getting romantically involved with another Doctor. If that happens years down the line with another male Doctor, then it will still serve as another example LGBTQ representation, but I’ll remain disappointed that Rogue and 15 didn’t get more time together. Granted, I wasn’t expecting their relationship to be explored for nearly the same length of time as River Song had with the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, but a multi-episode arc would have been nice.

And then if Rogue meets a female version of The Doctor, well that just makes further exploration of this relationship even less appealing. We’ll be back to Doctor Who delivering what ultimately amounts to another heteronormative relationship for its title character, only this time it’s The Doctor who’s the woman. To be clear, I don’t mind a female Doctor having a romantic connection with a male companion or some other character, I just don’t want it to happen with Rogue.

My fandom and enthusiasm for Doctor Who is in a weird place right now, and I’m hoping I won’t feel the same way whenever the show returns, which might not be until 2027. What’s not going to change is my feelings about how Rogue was handled and the loss of what could have been. Whether this storyline is revisited or just left unresolved, it’s just disappointing what could have been another huge step for Doctor Who on the LGBTQ front will no longer get the resolution I, and I’m sure many other fans, were hoping for.

The following contains major spoilers for the Doctor Who Season 2 finale. Check it out now with a Disney+ subscription.

After more than six decades, it’s a modern miracle that Doctor Who is still going as strong as it is. The “revival” of the series has now lasted nearly as long as its original run. In that time, there have been highs and there have been lows, but the show has almost always been fun and it’s never boring, as even its worst moments are worth discussing.

To be sure, fans will be discussing the last moments of the Doctor Who Season 2 finale for quite some time. In a shocking movie, The Doctor regenerated, and more importantly, the character regenerated into Billie Piper, the actress who played Rose, the first companion of the modern era. This was made to be a controversial decision, and while I’m open to the possibility that this could be great, my initial reaction is one of incredible disappointment.

I Really Liked Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor, And He’s Gone Too Soon

In my line of work, it’s nearly impossible to avoid spoilers, and I certainly knew there were some behind-the-scenes goings on regarding Doctor Who that left the future of the series in question. However, I still wasn’t aware we were getting a regeneration until it happened. Part of the reason that I wasn’t expecting it was that even if there were issues, I figured we would have at least one more season with Ncuti Gatwa, and I was looking forward to it.

The last two seasons aren’t exactly the best in the history of the series, but they are far from the worst, either. There have been some solid episodes since Doctor Who made the jump to Disney+. More importantly, even when the episodes weren’t great, they were still fun enough because Ncuti Gatwa was in them. I have rarely seen an actor playing The Doctor who was so obviously having the time of their life doing it. He was always happy to be there, and that joy was infectious. I'm far from the only one sad to see Gatwa leave the show.

Three years/seasons (give or take) has long been the default tenure of a Doctor Who lead. There have been exceptions, of course, but most exceptions only stayed longer. The only Doctors to have a shorter tenure than Gatwa were due to the actor clashing with the people running the show (Christopher Eccleston) or the people running the show clashing with the actor (Colin Baker).

While Gatwa is indicating he always planned to leave after two seasons, it seems all but certain that there’s more going on. Losing Gatwa alone is frustrating, but where the show is apparently going next doesn’t make me mad, just disappointed.

Bringing Back “Rose” So Soon After David Tennant Feels Like One Gimmick Too Many

I wasn’t prepared to see a new Doctor at all this past weekend, but seeing Billie Piper just has me scratching my head. What is this? More importantly, why is this?

To be sure, Billie Piper (probably) isn’t playing Rose. She’s playing The Doctor, who has now taken the form of Rose for timey-wimey reasons that will become apparent, assuming more episodes are coming. I’m just not sure I'm as excited as I'm supposed to be.

I will admit that part of the reason for this is that I (please don’t throw things at me) don’t love Rose, at least not as much as many seem to. I think Billie Piper is great, and in her first season on Doctor Who, Rose is great. Unfortunately, she’s the third most interesting of the three companions of David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor.

This just feels like a gimmick; a hook to grab old fans of Doctor Who who have wandered away from the show. The thing is, I don’t have a problem with that idea on its own. I’m a Disney fan, so I eat and breathe nostalgia. Nostalgia is fine, but we just had David Tennant back for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. We’ve fed our nostalgia need for the next little while. We can do it again, but can we wait a little while?

In much the same way that the Fourteenth Doctor being David Tennant had a reason for happening in the broader plot, the fact that The Doctor now has Rose’s face won’t just be a coincidence. It will have a purpose that will all tie back to earlier seasons of the show. Doctor Who couldn’t cast Peter Capaldi without connecting his character to the fact that Capaldi played a small role in a single episode of the show years before. There's no way they're casting Billie Piper and just moving forward.

There’s reason to believe there is something more going on here. As others have already noted, the closing credits did not list Billie Piper as The Doctor, a move that was all but certainly intentional. Of course, even if it’s the case that Piper isn’t playing The Doctor, she's still holding that space for the time being, and if this is all part of some grand plan, does it matter what character she technically is?

Even If There’s “A Plan” To All This, I’m Not Sure It’s Worth It

It’s hard to believe Doctor Who hasn’t been trying to find itself of late. First, we lost a companion after a single season, and then a Doctor after two. Things have been changing so fast that none of these characters have much time to get comfortable before they’re gone.

Perhaps there’s something of a plan in all this. Maybe Russell T. Davies knows what he’s doing and he’s driving everything toward a larger goal. The thing is, even if what we’re getting isn’t the result of randomly throwing things at a wall to see what sticks, it very much looks like that’s what this is. At a certain point, it doesn’t matter if it’s all part of a master plan if everything it takes to get there is a big mess.

Of course, being a Doctor Who fan means being open to change. The decision to allow a show’s hero to transform, thus allowing other actors to take the role, is one of the most brilliant creative decisions in the history of television. Everybody has Doctors they love and those who aren’t their favorites. It’s how the show works, and a big part of the fun.

If we really are getting The Rose Doctor as the Sixteenth Doctor, I’ll give her a chance. I do love that we’re getting another woman in the role. I loved Jodie Whittaker’s run as The Doctor, even if the writing rarely did her character any favors. Maybe what’s coming will be great. It doesn’t change that I’m deeply disappointed by what we’ve lost.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who episode "The Reality War." Stream it with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

While the surprise casting of Billie Piper as the next star of Doctor Who helped lessen the sting of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor regenerating, I can't help but think fans are disappointed the thing they hoped wouldn't happen has come to pass. A new star taking the mantle means Gatwa is indeed moving on from the series, which has yet to fully confirm a new season has been ordered up.

Gatwa's stint on Doctor Who only lasted two seasons, and many hoped he'd at least match many of his successors by reaching three. What's done is done, however, and the actor himself appears grateful for his time spent in the role. But fans like myself are no doubt questioning why his official reason for leaving the series is in contrast to rumors that have circulated for months regarding his future involvement, or lack thereof.

Ncuti Gatwa Shared Love For The Doctor And His Co-Stars After Exiting Doctor Who

Doctor Who ended up bringing Millie Gibson back for Ncuti Gatwa's final adventure as the Doctor, and it seems the star was happy to have his former co-star alongside Varada Sethu for the final episodes. So much so that he dropped a special post on Instagram specifically for the duo, and even gave a shout-out to the adorable little Poppy actress:

There's a lot of emotion in that post, and I'd speculate from reading that he'd jump at the opportunity to work with either actress again if given the chance. In a follow-up post, Gatwa said a proper goodbye to the Fifteenth Doctor, recalling the adventures he's had onscreen that may ultimately make a future list of Doctor Who's best episodes:

As for what's next for the actor, he's set to do a play alongside former Sex Education co-star Edward Bluemel. I'm sure we'll hear of more offers as well, as the actor received a lot of acclaim for his stint on Doctor Who.

What Ncuti Gatwa Said About Exiting The Show 

Doctor Who dropped a behind-the-scenes video detailing the regeneration shoot, and in it, talked about why he decided to leave the show. Here's what he had to say, and I can't help but hear some similarities between what he and past stars have said about the role.

Playing The Doctor is indeed a tough task, and yes, requires a good deal of physical work. Fortunately, the actor was up for the challenge, and his hard work helped earn him a spot as one of the top actors to play The Doctor for some fans.

Rumors Point To Another Reason For Ncuti Gatwa's Exit

While Ncuti Gatwa's reasoning given in the official Doctor Who video makes sense, there have been rumors that there's another reason the actor departed the series. The alleged reasoning comes from a leaker code-named "Andrew", who had previously leaked details like The Rani's return, and even Billie Piper playing the Sixteenth Doctor (via Reddit).

Per the leaker, Gatwa allegedly decided to leave the series once it became clear that Disney would not immediately renew Doctor Who for a third season on the platform. The actor wanted to pursue more opportunities in acting, rather than waiting to see if the series was renewed and being stuck in limbo.

This is only a rumor, but it is worth mentioning one important detail that could poke holes in his official statement. Doctor Who unexpectedly went back and did reshoots for the latest season in February, several months after initially wrapping production. Coincidentally enough, this is when rumors of Disney being dissatisfied with viewership for the show surfaced, and there was rumblings of another season being up in the air. I'm not saying this validates any of the rumor, but it is fascinating how these two news items lined up.

And if it were true, I'm not sure anyone would fault Ncuti Gatwa for not wanting to wait and see if Doctor Who will continue. I say this as a fan of The Orville, which Disney has still not officially decided on whether it's cancelled or renewed, going on 3 years after the previous season ended. The fear of waiting around and turning down jobs is very real for some actors, and I don't blame Gatwa for not wanting to wait and see.

We're still waiting on news on a new season of Doctor Who, and whether Disney will continue its partnership with The BBC or the latter will go it alone for Billie Piper's new adventure in the franchise. In any case, I'm excited for what's ahead and hoping for the best for all parties involved.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Doctor Who season finale "The Reality War." Stream it with a Disney+ subscription, and read at your own risk!

We knew there was a good chance that Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor would regenerate in the latest season finale for Doctor Who, given the hints the actor was moving on elsewhere. Of course, his appearing on Eurovision and the idea that the series would have a gap year in programming if Disney dissolved its partnership with The BBC gave us hope he'd hold on. However, now that we've seen his regeneration scene, his era is finished. It's now time for a new Doctor, and in a shocking turn of events, they're a very familiar face.

Doctor Who has been known to give The Doctor familiar faces from the past, and this is about the biggest one they could've done for the Sixteenth Doctor. Fans of the early seasons of the reboot rejoice, because we got about the best person imaginable playing the next Doctor in the series.

Billie Piper Was Revealed As The Sixteenth Doctor

When rumors first surfaced that Billie Piper was playing the Sixteenth Doctor, I burst out laughing. It was an absolutely ludicrous suggestion, and frankly, it sounded like straight-up fiction that it would happen. Sure, the bi-generation was an unexpected twist, but there's just no way a rumor like that could possibly be true, right?

Well, here I am, eating my words as Piper's shining face appeared after the Fifteenth Doctor used his regeneration energy to set the world right and save Belinda's daughter Poppy, whom he'd forgotten up until the very end of the season. The credits rolled shortly after the Sixteenth Doctor's new face appeared, so we have nothing to go on as to why this happened.

I do have just about a million questions, though. Obviously, The Doctor is going to realize that she looks like Rose Tyler, and should she ever run into David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor, who is still alive but retired according to Tennant, he's going to notice it too. Is it possible for The Doctor to fall in love with another version of themselves? I bet we're going to find out the answer to that in a future season.

Of course, we're still waiting on the official word that Doctor Who is returning for a new season. While I don't have a reason to doubt that it will, it seems as though The BBC will either have to go it alone or seek out a new partner to serve as co-producer based on the rumblings of Disney+ being dissatisfied with the viewership on the platform.

We could always be surprised, however, and maybe a beloved actress like Piper returning will convince the company to stick with it for just one more season.

For now, Doctor Who remains on Disney+, where all of Ncuti Gatwa's era is available to watch on streaming. It's certainly a shame to see him go, but I can't help but feel a bit optimistic for the road ahead with Billie Piper back in the franchise!