Spoilers Russell T. Davies' Second Turn as Doctor Who Showrunner

[JD]

Proof?

I was asking for proof that the viewing figures had dipped to unacceptable levels.

It's not on the air right now, that's all the proof you need. And it's pretty clear just from the way people have been talking about the show, or not talking about, just how much it's popularity has been dropping pretty much since Peter Capaldi left, and possibly even as early as Matt Smith's departure.

 

[Starkers]

Technically it's off air at the moment because Disney ended the partnership.

In terms of viewership its worth noting that in the BBC's annual report The War Between the Land and the Sea is mentioned multiple times, as a success story.

That’s why the BBC has been committed to backing homegrown storytelling in 2025/26, proudly remaining the largest producer of UK-made content. We provided hit shows such as Small Prophets, Can You Keep a Secret?, The War Between the Land and the Sea, The Other Bennet Sister, Riot Women, This City Is Ours, Kingdom, Prisoner 951, Industry, Uncanny, Central Intelligence, Civilisations: Rise and Fall, and the return of the hugely acclaimed The Night Manager

Doctor Who spin-off series The War Between the Land and the Sea, made by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios, starring Russell Tovey, was one of the BBC’s biggest new drama launches of the year, and the BBC has commissioned a preschool animation series for CBeebies, inspired by the Whoniverse, as the Disney+ partnership draws to a close. A dedicated fan exhibition, Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction, returned to the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego in early 2026 for the second year running.

To put this in context Viewing figures for TWBTLATS were between 3.08 and 4.31 million. Meanwhile for Ncuti's second season they ranged between 2.71 million (The Story and the Engine) to 3.79 million (The Interstellar Song Contest). Not a huge difference there really. Maybe half a million difference, and perhaps that's the cut off point, only the BBC know for sure.

I also found this on Reddit. Now I confess I haven't double checked the number on BARB but this seems perfectly legit and shows that Who is kinda where it's always been. It's less popular for sure, but it isn't remotely the cliff edge people think it is.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

It's not on the air right now, that's all the proof you need. And it's pretty clear just from the way people have been talking about the show, or not talking about, just how much it's popularity has been dropping pretty much since Peter Capaldi left, and possibly even as early as Matt Smith's departure.

The BBC who have all the raw data of viewing figures from their overnights and iplayer numbers at their fingertips, had been so impressed by said numbers over the last few years, that they cut the show down to 8 episodes a year, and even stopped doing a xmas special from 2024, but none of that is proof of anything it seems, as the show was a doing great and the BBC and Disney it seems decided to drop it because some snow fell at the north pole. lol

 

[Starkers]

The BBC haven't 'dropped it' that's an outright lie. If they'd dropped it they wouldn't be tendering for a new production company to produce it.

But I get it, people have their issues and their peeves and won't let facts get in the way of them.

 

[MNM]

The BBC haven't 'dropped it' that's an outright lie. If they'd dropped it they wouldn't be tendering for a new production company to produce it.

They've dropped RTD's version then.

Ultimately the Doctor Who that has been on for the last 20 years is over as, for whatever reason you want to ascribe, the multinational streamer partner dropped out, the actor playing the Doctor quit, the company/showrunner has been let go and the Christmas special that was announced as being written to air this year isnt happening and the entire thing has been put out to tender to find new everything for it, and wont show up again on tv for, conservatively, three years or so. None of that paints Who in a good light.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

They've dropped RTD's version then.

Ultimately the Doctor Who that has been on for the last 20 years is over as, for whatever reason you want to ascribe, the multinational streamer partner dropped out, the actor playing the Doctor quit, the company/showrunner has been let go and the Christmas special that was announced as being written to air this year isnt happening and the entire thing has been put out to tender to find new everything for it, and wont show up again on tv for, conservatively, three years or so. None of that paints Who in a good light.

On a massive positive of all the above, we may now get to see Eccleston appear as the doctor again on tv because his sack list for ever returning to Dr Who has just been fullfilled, so mark that as a big positive. :-)

 

[The Wormhole]

Disney+ walked away. What more proof do you need? If they had good numbers, the show would still be on Disney+ and a third season would be filming or ready to go. And the War Between would have aired by now.

Its international performance on Disney+ has nothing to do with how good or bad the ratings on BBC1 in Britain were.

On a massive positive of all the above, we may now get to see Eccleston appear as the doctor again on tv because his sack list for ever returning to Dr Who has just been fullfilled, so mark that as a big positive. :-)

Until you take into account that there was an entire decade in which none of those people were working on Doctor Who and when Eccleston was invited back he still refused.

 

[bdub76]

Its international performance on Disney+ has nothing to do with how good or bad the ratings on BBC1 in Britain were.

The fact that it's not the on air says the Disney+ numbers matter. Why would you think they don't matter? It was a co-production.

 

[The Wormhole]

The fact that it's not the on air says the Disney+ numbers matter. Why would you think they don't matter? It was a co-production.

You're not getting it. The original matter being discussed was were the ratings on BBC so bad, you responded with "Disney pulled it for a reason." Whatever the reason Disney pulled it, it wasn't because of the BBC ratings.

 

[ATimson]

the only places where the doctor who legacy will still keeping on going and in a way never gets cancelled is in the audio books paperback books and hardcover books

The books are dead, and the audios don't have a clear succession plan for Jason Haigh-Ellery. I don't think you can count on either.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

Its international performance on Disney+ has nothing to do with how good or bad the ratings on BBC1 in Britain were.

Until you take into account that there was an entire decade in which none of those people were working on Doctor Who and when Eccleston was invited back he still refused.

From the horses mouth in 2023....

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[Starkers]

From the horses mouth in 2023....

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And none of those four people were working on Who during Moffat or Chibnall's eras. As @The Wormhole says, there's a decade when none of those people were involved and Eccleston still refused to come back when asked.

And really, in general how excited would the general public be to see Eccleston again? He was last on tv as the Doctor in 2005. It's been 21 years. For context, setting aside all the Doctors who came after him (or in Hurt and Martin's case technically before him ) the general public have seen Tom, Davison, Colin, McCoy and McGann more recently on screen than they have Eccleston.

Starting a new era of Dr Who by bringing back Eccleston would be the equivalent of if in 2005 RTD had rebooted the show but bought Colin Baker back!

 

[The Wormhole]

From the horses mouth in 2023....

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That does nothing to address the point I was making.

 

[Starkers]

Also, and I appreciate that we're all capable of holding grudges and that we don't know the full extent of what went on, but for him to still be so resentful two decades later is kinda sad.

 

[Haggis and tatties]

That does nothing to address the point I was making.

Well feel free to go tell him that you know better then him. Lol

 

[The Wormhole]

You know what, never mind.

 

[Starkers]

You know what, never mind.

My thoughts exactly

 

[jaime]

Ecclestone turned down the fiftieth after looking at a script treatment, after considering it.

He would turn down returning under his old production team because of events at that time, not least of which was him being wilfully misrepresented in press about the program and not one of them did what was right about it.

As to why people should care about his opinions, well, no Ecclestone era, then nothing for Your Lord And Saviour Tennant(TM) to star in. He only got the job off the back of Ecclestone leaving, and Casanova doing relatively ok from the same writer. If Ecclestone stayed on, Tennant would not have the career he does. If Ecclestone didn’t do for Who what he did, it’s entirely plausible the show doesn’t succeed in its reboot.

The same is true going right back to Hartnell — Sergeant Cockney Hardman Actor is the shoulders on which the rest of the show is built, and each time it flags the lead is key. If Comedy Naval Chap hadn’t done as well as he did, then there’s nothing for Googly Stare Bricklayer to do. Vet Boy did ok, but Villain Man didn’t get the legacy he deserved, no matter how much effort Ferret Trousers Spoon Man puts in.

No Grumpy Northern Man then no Estuary Cultural Appropration Man.

 

[Starkers]

Imagine loving Eccleston so much you can't even be bothered to spell his name right...

 

[jaime]

Imagine loving Eccleston so much you can't even be bothered to spell his name right...

Whoops. I made a typo or succumbed to an overzealous autocorrect.

I am not that big on his run tbh, just fair minded. His season has really only five really good episodes in my opinion, and Moffat wrote two of them. Doctor Who didn’t really get ‘back’ until some time in Smiths run. Or was closer at least. Chibnall was closer still at times, but was quite rubbish at characters.

Imagine being so factional that you can disregard the chaps own words for fear it paints the Big Gay Welsh Chap in a less than positive light.

Imagine being such a Person, remonstrating in continuing kookiness…

Imagine not really having any useful facts or relevance to bring to the discussion.
Just sniping and snark, that isn’t even witty.