Doctor Who is wasted on Disney – ditch it or it risks dying

After almost three years, two seasons, five specials, and a spin-off series I’ve realised one thing – Doctor Who cannot survive under Disney.

When Russell T Davies and the BBC announced Doctor Who’s global partnership with one of the world’s biggest brands, I was initially filled with hope. 

It marked a new era for the show with a bigger budget than ever, the global stature I believed it deserved, and the chance to pull in new audiences to see what this silly British sci-fi show was all about – and why it has captured so many people’s hearts.

And yet, the result couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Jointly with the BBC, Disney Plus only greenlit 26 episodes of the show in total which the creative team decided to divide into three 60th anniversary specials with David Tennant, two Ncuti Gatwa festive specials, two eight-episode seasons and a (yet-to-be released) UNIT spin-off – The War Between the Land and the Sea.

By simply doing the maths, I was already concerned about the inevitably shortened seasons we were going to have. And the fact that three would already be filled with David Tennant’s return, taking away from the size of Ncuti Gatwa’s run.

These worries soon turned into a reality. 

So far, our time with Ncuti has been stretched extremely thin, let alone any one-season-only companions (as we have had so far with Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday and Varada Sethu’s Bellinda Chandra).

Despite an impressive use of the budget to build immersive sets, goblin-themed musical numbers, and an array of vibrant costumes, I barely got to know Ruby Sunday. All before she was bidding adieu to the Tardis in what should have been a tear-jerking finale, but instead just left me baffled and wanting more. 

There was less time for simple scenes playing off Ncuti and Millie’s chemistry and more time devoted to big scale theatrics.

At least for me, the main appeal of the show is the relationship between the Doctor and their companion – with each carving their own mark into our hearts through their many adventures together. 

And when Belinda was introduced, with the promise of a fiery personality that would clash with the Doctor, I had hope anew. 

Unfortunately, the problem is clear and glaring. An eight-episode season, that also includes an epic two part finale, is simply not enough time to flesh out these characters and their dynamics.

The stakes are completely gutted when you’ve only known Belinda (properly) for five episodes before pitting her against the season’s big bad.

The shortening of season lengths started in Jodie Whittaker’s era, but there is a direct correlation between joining Disney+ and our biggest reduction of a regular season size yet down to snappy eight episodes – with just one annual special. 

The very fact we seem beholden to Disney Plus’ decision on whether the show is being renewed means a huge shake-up in production timelines as well. 

Instead of being able to receive guaranteed specials and a steady timeline for when each season will come out, we’re all being forced to wait with bated breath.

The show is unsustainable – and almost soulless – in this condensed, unpredictable format, especially when we still have Doctor-lite episodes like Lucky Day. Without that emotional core, it will be driven to a quiet end. 

And frankly, no amount of Disney budget makes up for what has been lost plot-wise, unless the money is redistributed to guarantee longer seasons at the cost of high-budget effects. And if I were to see a way forward with Disney Plus, this is what I would want to see done.

Not a huge loss since the show still occasionally suffers from the same endearing CGI blunders as before (lest we forget Rogue’s greenscreen cameo in Wish World). This can surely be done in the hands of just the BBC.

Of course, it’s delightful to see the show explore previously uncharted territory like the impressive special effects in Lux, likely only made possible with that sweet Mickey Mouse cash. 

But I would exchange 100 Luxes to have some goofy low-budget filler episodes to build the relationship between our Doctor and their companion. It could have resulted in a season that had the space to turn Belinda’s scepticism into wonder without it feeling rushed or unnatural.

It’s why, when reports came from the Mirror that the show would continue with the BBC even if Disney didn’t renew their deal, I couldn’t help but do a mini-celebration.

Far from despair, I think returning fully into the hands of the BBC with a steady budget alongside 12 or 13-episode seasons (plus specials) would be ideal. 

After all, this is not just on the shoulders of Disney. If it was to go back under BBC’s sole creative jurisdiction, I would hope they could learn lessons from what went wrong with their time at Disney and course-correct.

Especially since there was an era of the show when we were receiving full-length Doctor Who with multi-season companions in tandem with Torchwood (from 2006 to 2011) and Sarah Jane Adventures (2007 to 2011) to target multiple demographics at once. 

The expansive depth of the Doctor Who universe (clearly acknowledged in the Disney+ era as well, if the number of returning Classic Who villains is anything to go by) is what makes the show so rich for fans – and why we have trusted the BBC to have its best interests at heart for so long. 

Naturally, it would be brilliant to see Doctor Who continue to spread its global impact with an easy platform for audiences to access the show – but if it comes at the cost of what makes the series special, then is it really worth it?

I hope that if the Disney+ deal is renewed then it goes forward with radical changes to the current format.

Otherwise, I’m ready to see the show go back to its BBC roots and given the time and space it deserves to flourish on screen – as it did once before.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. 

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