Chris

Hardly.

Disney did the tie up because of what they *thought* they were getting. We all know what that is. Doctor Who has had a following in the States since Tom Baker’s era was first shown over there. If you’re still in any doubt, consider which classic-era logo was brought back for the occasion.

What they actually got was Russel T Davies’ messiah complex, because he’s convinced himself he can use Who as a vehicle for “trans rights” in a similar way to his notable efforts in the gay rights movement with “It’s a Sin” and “Queer as Folk”.

This, I am absolutely certain, is absolutely not what Disney signed up for, and not remotely what it’s interested in, seeing as culturally, those issues sit on a significant political fault line in the USA.

Aside from any of that, “It’s been recommissioned” is just a teensy bit straw-clutchy, seeing as we’re talking about a Christmas special that won’t be screened until 14 months from now, and, presumably, a full new series which we won’t see until some undefined point well into 2027. All of this talk is smoke-and-mirrors obfuscating the fact that without Disney, the BBC has no money to start shooting any more episodes until, probably, mid-summer next year.

I suspect you and I are both old enough to remember the 18-month hiatus of 1985, when the show was ‘rested’ by Michael Grade in order to give it time to explore new blah blah blah, when was was really behind it was Grade simply not liking what the show had become and refusing to allocate any money to it that year. By Christmas next year it will have been off-air for longer than that, and for not dissimilar reasons (the people paying the piper didn’t like the tune).