Doctor Who Showrunner Says 'I Literally Don't Know' When Asked About Series Future, But Hypes Spin-Off as 'Even Better Than We Thought'

Russell T Davies, the showrunner of Doctor Who, has said helium is not a portion of ongoing conversations betwixt the BBC and Disney regarding the series' aboriginal — but promised its upcoming spin-off bid would beryllium "brilliant."

Speaking connected the Pilot TV podcast, Davies was asked galore times what the presumption of the BBC's flagship sci-fi amusement was pursuing the decision of its astir caller season, the departure of its pb histrion Ncuti Gatwa, and nary motion of an imminent renewal from co-funding spouse Disney.

In response, Davies repeatedly said helium did not cognize what was happening, arsenic conversations relating to its aboriginal were retired of his hands. Davies was besides incapable to accidental erstwhile the already-filmed Doctor Who spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea would air, either, though said it had turned retired "even better" than expected.

"You've benignant of got maine astatine the worst imaginable clip due to the fact that I'm not allowed to accidental what's happening with Doctor Who, I don't cognize what's happening with Doctor Who, that's fact," Davies said erstwhile asked for an update connected the show, which has been near connected an unplanned hiatus pursuing the departure of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor via a reshot ending and its last-minute uncover of Billie Piper successful an unexplained role..

"We've got a spin-off bid called The War Between the Land and the Sea coming up starring Russell Tovey," Davies continued. "I don't cognize erstwhile that's on."

Months connected from Doctor Who's astir caller finale, fans stay successful the acheronian astir the show's aboriginal — and it is singular to perceive the series' ain brag claiming helium is besides nary the wiser. Davies has been the key fig successful Doctor Who's 2005 revival and its 2023 Disney relaunch, the designer of David Tennant's short-lived instrumentality and the casting of Gatwa arsenic the Fifteenth Doctor, caput writer for the series, and its astir disposable nationalist face.

But successful the aftermath of Gatwa's two-season tally connected the show, which drew mixed reviews and the show's lowest ratings since 2005, fans person raised questions implicit whether the showrunner volition continue, oregon whether — should Disney driblet the bid and the BBC look for a caller backing spouse — Davies' existing plans for aboriginal episodes volition beryllium retained.

Now, Davies has said that discussions are happening betwixt the BBC and co-funding spouse Disney that helium is not a portion in, and seemingly not being kept informed of.

"Literally there's thing to... I haven't travel connected this podcast to denote immoderate news, there's thing to report, nothing's happening, you'll cognize erstwhile we know. I don't cognize due to the fact that conversations are betwixt the BBC and Disney," helium added. "I don't enactment for either of those, I enactment for Bad Wolf truthful I'm not a portion of those rooms. So I virtually don't know. Even radical I enactment with each time inquire maine what's truly going on, I don't know. I don't know! So. Who knows."

Turning his attraction to what has already been shot, Doctor Who's UNIT and Sea Devil-related mini-series The War Between the Land and the Sea, Davies struck a much affirmative enactment and said the spin-off was looking promising.

"But we person the spin-off coming The War Between the Land and the Sea with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw," helium continued. "I'm immensely arrogant of it. I deliberation it's perfectly brilliant. It's like, we had a bully edit - sometimes you decorativeness a amusement and they're great, [you think] 'good, we did a truly bully job.' Sometimes they spell done post-production wherever everything comes in. You enactment connected the effects, connected the euphony and the grading of it. Sometimes magic happens — and it's happening with this. It's adjacent amended than we thought it was! I'm delighted with it."

When volition fans get to ticker The War Between the Land and the Sea, though? "I privation I knew that! No 1 volition determine that, it's up successful the air," Davies said. "I privation I knew."

Amid disapproval of the series' penning and communicative arcs, Doctor Who histrion and writer Mark Gatiss precocious suggested the amusement was successful request of a rest. And arsenic questions stay astir the aboriginal of the BBC's woody with Disney, it was possibly notable that plans for an animated Doctor Who spin-off person been announced for kid's transmission CBeebies without Disney being connected board.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social