No surprise here, but the future of Doctor Who and Disney is in doubt which follows disastrous ratings under returning showrunner Russell T Davies and new Timelord, Ncuti Gatwa.
The ratings are the worst in the show’s entire 60-year history, and those few remaining fans watching have been on the fence about the quality of the series.
Worst ratings in show’s entire 60-year history
Much like I have been reporting since we first found out how low the viewership was with the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials and the Christmas Special, Deadline writes up a report that questions the future of the Doctor Who and Disney relationship.
It’s safe to say that when the BBC and Disney+ struck the deal to co-produce Doctor Who, expectations were high among the studios and (some) fans.
The iconic British sci-fi series, which has been a part of the cultural fabric for over 60 years, was anticipated to reach new heights with Disney’s involvement and of course the Disney money. However, much like what happened with Marvel and Star Wars on Disney+, as the dust settles on the first season of this partnership, the results are not what was hoped, and now there are growing concerns and questions about the show’s future.
Absent from the Disney’s Upfronts
As Deadline points out, Doctor Who was almost completely absent from Disney’s upfronts in May which raised eyebrows.
While new Disney shows like The Acolyte took the stage, Doctor Who was relegated to only a minor spot. Again, worth a mention is that the Disney upfronts in May followed the 60th Anniversary and Christmas Special episodes which had really low viewership ratings.
As I previously went over, the Disney-invested Samba TV didn’t report on any of the Doctor Who numbers, which was likely at the request of Disney because the viewership is so low. The Disney episodes also never appeared on the Nielsen ratings charts.
Samba TV refusing to post the numbers and Disney sidelining Doctor Who at the upfronts suggests that the series wasn’t a priority (and isn’t) for Disney, casting doubt on Disney’s long-term commitment to the show, with the original deal only having one season remaining.
Disappointing ratings and viewer reception
Again as I reported, the first episode of the new season premiered with a lackluster 2.6 million overnight viewers in the UK. That’s a huge drop from previous seasons, and the viewership gets even worse with additional episodes.
Even with consolidated seven-day viewing figures, the average audience was down nearly 1.5 million per episode compared to Jodie Whittaker’s last season in 2021, which was already down in viewership compared to previous seasons.
An industry source was rather blunt about the situation and filled in Deadline admitting, “The ratings are a problem. They can talk all they like about young viewers, but they’re still down from the specials and down from the Jodie [Whittaker] series. I imagine serious conversations are happening. Disney will want to see results.”
Critical reception: a mixed bag
Critical feedback has been varied, especially among fans where it counts. The Doctor Who Appreciation Society noted that the season was a “mixed bag,” with some episodes failing to live up to expectations. The Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score is at 27%, and the IMDb rating is a 6.2.
Critics also weren’t impressed as Deadline notes The Guardian described the opening episode, “Space Babies,” as a “textbook example of a mid-ranking Who installment,” while The Independent called it a “promising idea that never entirely comes to life on screen.”
More woke than ever
Doctor Who under the return of Davies has also gone woke, and even more so than the Chibnall and Whittaker era.
As I’ve said many times, Davies got the Disney money and doubled down, and rather arrogantly. How is that working out? Davies recently said he doesn’t know if there will be a Series 16.
The story was thrown out the window in favor of the agenda. It became all about Ncuti Gatwa being a gay black actor and the use of trans actors instead of being about the story. Gatwa even told fans to stop watching. Well, that is exactly what they did.
Disney’s influence a concern
There have also been rumors of Disney’s heavy-handed influence on the show’s production.
For instance, while Deadline says a scene in the Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road” was reportedly added at Disney’s request to cater to American audiences, according to a fan in the comments on Deadline, Davies confirmed this in Doctor Who Magazine.
We also know Disney sent Davies notes on the first episode, an episode which per above wasn’t well-received.
Doctor Who’s future on Disney+ is an uncertainty
With ratings and viewership in the gutter and critical reception a mixed bag, the future of Doctor Who under Disney’s deal is uncertain.
It also comes in a time when Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed the streaming business for Disney has been a $4 billion loss. Iger is now stating quality is more important.
One production source for Deadline also suggests that Disney will need to make a decision on its involvement soon after the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, wraps up.
It’s noted, there are fears that if Disney pulls out, it could significantly impact the show’s budget and production quality and that it will be a complete embarrassment.
It’s also been suggested that Ncuti Gatwa might not be returning for a third season. It’s already known Mille Gibson is getting replaced as the Doctor’s companion in the second season with Andor‘s Varada Sethu.
