The Doctor Who Drama: A Disney Misadventure

If there’s one thing that Doctor Who fans love (apart from timey-wimey stuff and the occasional Dalek), it’s a good ol’ rehash of past drama – and boy, has the Disney deal given us plenty to chew on!

Remember when Disney and Doctor Who were supposed to be a match made in Sci-Fi heaven? Well, let’s just say it turned out to be more of a messy breakup, and we’ll be talking about it for ages! The internet is still buzzing about the why’s and how’s of Doctor Who’s cancellation back in ’89 and the spectacular flop of the ’96 movie. And now, the fallout from the whole Disney affair? It’s next-level chaotic.

The Brief Spark of Hope

So, after all the excitement dies down, what do we have to show for it? A half-hearted partnership that fizzled out after just two seasons! The franchise is left scrambling like an ADHD squirrel looking for acorns, with no lead actor to fill the iconic shoes of the Doctor and a whole spin-off apparently gathering dust on Disney’s shelves.

Peter Hoar, the guy who directed those delightful season 15 episodes “The Robot Revolution” and “Lucky Day”, had some spicy thoughts on why this Disney deal went south. In a chat over at Deadline (yes, that’s a thing), he labeled this whole fiasco as a cautionary tale. He pointed out that while there were indeed bigger bucks involved thanks to Disney, that didn’t magically conjure up better storylines.

When More Money Doesn’t Equal More Fun

Hoar bluntly stated, “I don’t think anybody would doubt the skills at the front line of that show, but something went wrong.” Truer words have never been spoken! With such a budget increase, you’d expect fireworks, yet it seems all we got were sparklers and a lot of confusion. “It wasn’t a better show with more money,” he noted. Amen to that, Pete! Probably a good thing, too. Let’s face it: funds are drying up faster than the TARDIS during a time vortex!

Whovian Whispers

Most Whovians likely sensed something was off well before Hoar’s comments. Sure, the show looked stellar under Disney’s reign (shout out to the prime CGI), but the entire partnership gave off some serious suspicious vibes, especially during star Ncuti Gatwa’s second season.

Showrunner Russell T. Davies was already cooking up scripts for another season with the Fifteenth Doctor back in summer 2024. He was cheerful as a kid in a candy store, certain the show was about to get more action. But what do you know? Disney flipped the script and went all vague on their renewal plans, leaving us all in limbo and ruing about what could have been.

What Went Wrong?

So, what exactly went wrong? Anonymous reports following the breakup hinted at everything from plummeting ratings to some really pricey budgets, and of course, Davies’s penchant for storytelling that celebrates diverse narratives. You know, the things we should love about TV! Also, the fandom was left reeling from some iffy season finales that didn’t help the ratings problem either.

What’s Next, Doc?

Fear not! Doctor Who is about to attempt yet another makeover later this year with a Christmas special that *must* tackle that Billie Piper-shaped conundrum left behind by the bizarre finale “The Reality War.” What the next chapter will entail (or who will lead the charge) is still a big mystery! But one thing is for sure – it’s high time for a fresh start! Let’s hope they can hit it out of the park this time!