Doctor Who - Christmas Cancelled + Show Tendered

This was not the blog post I wanted to be writing today but alas, here we are.

The moment has been kinda prepared for.

The BBC confirmed several important things today in relation to the show's future.

• Christmas special has been officially cancelled and there was no script in place. 
• Russell T. Davies and Bad Wolf Productions have exited the show.
• The show will be put out to tender with further details to be confirmed in due course.
• The animated show for CBBC will still be going ahead.

Where do I begin with this one? I hate to admit it, but I sort of saw it coming. The last few weeks were giving no progress on the Christmas special and RTD seemed reticent to talk about the show at all. I had hoped that maybe the special would be delayed until Easter 2027 but being cancelled, I'm not gonna lie - it's a genuine disappointment and the first time in very long time, it does feel like the show could be danger of not coming back for a long time. I'm not sure if RTD's Instagram post offered much reassurance either.

Over the last few years, Doctor Who has undeniably divided audiences with many creative choices. Whether it's things like bigeneration, the Timeless Child or the show's hit and miss handling of societal topics, for a good portion of the audience, the show has simply stopped being fun. I've liked some stuff in recent years but even I can't defend a lot of the more controversial choices that have negatively impacted the show and driven away casual audiences.

When the show comes back, it needs to strike a good balance between being educational but also entertaining and accessible to a wider audience. Everything is going to be key - a new streaming partner, a new show runner as well as casting and so on. Either the show will come back in a blaze of glory or it really will be the end for now.

I'll always talk about the show on here whenever I can. That's not gonna change. Allonsy.