Avid fans of the British cult series Doctor Who (2024– ) no longer have to count on the previously planned Christmas special this Christmas. The BBC. The cancellation is accompanied by the departure of the creator who wrote much of the past two seasons.
No second Christmas special
The announcement of a Christmas special followed last October, after creator Russell T Davies expressed his doubts about the future of the beloved series in the summer. The idea was that Davies would write the script for the episode himself, having previously written the special The Church on Ruby Road (2023). This week the decision is made not to continue with the new special.
Maker leaves
Last year we wrote that there were doubts about a third season of the Doctor Whorevival that kicked off in 2024, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor. It now appears that the BBC is considering a completely new approach to the franchise, and is therefore also canceling the interim special. The cancellation of the special is also accompanied by the departure of Davies, who guarantees on Instagram that fans can expect “much more than just a special” in the future.
Future-proof
The broadcaster itself describes the decision by stating that it wants to deploy the “next phase” of the series for future generations, and that the cancellation is part of that. Whatever this continuation will look like, there will have to be a new Doctor; Gatwa has already confirmed that he will remain in the role for two seasons. The decision to cancel the Christmas special was made before a new interpreter had been approached.
Beeld: Still ‘Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road’ via TMDb
