When you spend any time studying TV information within the British tabloid press, you’ll know that there’s a lot hypothesis swirling round Physician Who, it’s like a meteor bathe has engulfed the Tardis.
Rupert Murdoch-owned The Solar newspaper sparked the most recent flurry of rumors, reporting that Ncuti Gatwa had been “exterminated” from the BBC collection amid a rankings “nosedive.” The BBC mentioned it was “pure fiction” that Gatwa had been fired.
The Solar‘s front-page story additionally provides credence to hypothesis that Physician Who shall be “rested” after Season 15 has completed screening on the BBC and Disney+.
The BBC, together with producers at Dangerous Wolf and BBC Studios, have lengthy veiled Physician Who in secrecy, that means that speculative reporting can shortly take root.
So what can we are saying with certainty in regards to the future of the Time Lord?
Firstly, the present’s UK rankings have dropped significantly. Detractors have pinned this on so-called “woke” storylines, although it isn’t clear if that is the one purpose persons are switching off.
Deadline has analyzed official seven-day viewing figures for the primary half of Season 15, and it doesn’t make simple studying for these concerned in Physician Who.
The primary 4 episodes have averaged 2.9M viewers, which is 1,000,000 viewers down from final yr’s season, which was Gatwa’s first because the Physician.
| Episode | Season 15 | Season 14 | Season 13 |
| 1 | 3M | 4M | 5.8M |
| 2 | 3.2M | 3.9M | 5.1M |
| 3 | 2.8M | 3.5M | 4.6M |
| 4 | 2.7M | 4M | 4.5M |
| Common | 2.9M | 3.9M | 5M |
Examine the primary half of Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s final outing because the Physician, and issues get uglier. Season 13 was watched by 5M folks over its first 4 episodes in 2021, two million extra viewers than the present is at present managing.
Deadline has used viewing figures from Barb, the UK’s official rankings physique. They embrace on-demand and streaming viewing on televisions, however are usually not the complete image.
Broadcasters and streamers favor to make use of 28-day figures, which give a extra conclusive image. Nonetheless, seven-day viewing is normally directional and the sample of decline will doubtless be mirrored in Physician Who’s closing rankings.
The second necessary factor to say in regards to the hypothesis round Physician Who is that the drama’s key figures — together with Gatwa himself — have carried out little to dispel the sense of unease.
On Friday, the BBC repeated the road it has held for a lot of months: no selections shall be made a couple of renewal till Season 15 has completed screening.
In a small improvement in the present day, the BBC was ready to say that Gatwa had not been fired from the present, however refused to disclaim that he had stop. Gatwa’s rep has been contacted for remark.
In the meantime, Disney+ has additionally not commented on whether or not it intends to stay a co-production accomplice on Physician Who exterior of the UK.
As for showrunner Russell T Davies, he has actively blown wind within the sails of reporting about Physician Who being rested past its present season.
Chatting with BBC Newsround final month, Davies mentioned that Physician Who is like Robin Hood, that means “there could be a pause” within the story, however “no good thought ever dies.”
On the similar time, Davies has additionally mentioned that scripts have been written for Season 16. “Three of them [are] sitting there, three completely different writers. One script [is] already on draft six,” he advised Dr Who Journal.
Moreover, The Each day Mirror’s Physician Who authority Nicola Methven has reported that tales for 2 seasons are deliberate out, even when there’s a pause.
A BBC spokesperson mentioned: “As we’ve got beforehand said, the choice on Season [16] shall be made after Season [15] airs and another claims are simply pure hypothesis. The cope with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and we nonetheless have a complete spin-off, The Conflict Between the Land and the Sea, to air. And as for the remaining, we by no means touch upon the Physician and future storylines.”
It’s going to take time for the area mud to settle round Physician Who’s future.
