Timey Wimey Business- a thread for Doctor Who
- Thread starter AgentOrange
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So I finally got around to watching this season, mostly a lot going on that I got behind on several shows. TBH, I really liked this season overall. I felt like it did fix a lot of issues I had with the first season. The only episode I really didn't care for was Lux. It wasn't a bad episode, but it was weak for me and the one that didn't make sense. Though I will give it full credit for the 4th Wall break, I love that they did that regardless of how or why. No episodes felt missing, nothing felt shuffled around or lost or rushed. The Doctor and Belinda feel like they have a credible relation that we actually see grow. They seemed to cut down on the Doctor crying all the time. I also, honestly believe this is one of RTD's best season finales. [/spoiler] Just in case: I even feel Omega was handled INFINTELY better then Sutekh. Even the Doctor explains that Omega has become his own legend. I feel that is a good explanation for why this Omega is different then he was before. This is Omega warped by myths and legends, something that was a running theme in RTD2, to become something entirely different. It is much better and to me at least makes more sense then the BS of Sutekh just clinging to the TARDIS for decades. I also love that they brought Jodie back and even a cheeky reference to it not being Tennent. Also Anita! Even if it was minor, I love that we got more with her after her being the best part of 'Joy to the World'. Its pretty clear with how she interacted so little with everything else she was added in later, but they still made her count. [/spoiler]
Personally, now I'm kinda sad that this is likely the end of DW for who knows how long, and the end of Ncuti's run becuase this season actually made him feel much more like the Doctor and I wanted to see more from him.
Yes, I did post this in the other thread...
screenrant.com
Strange New Worlds Reveals Doctor Who Connection In Season 3 Finale
Someone on Strange New Worlds met the Doctor.
screenrant.com
Disney has officially ended their partnership with Doctor Who.
www.cbr.com
deadline.com
That's not even the craziest thing. The BBC are also planning on a animated pre-school show featuring the Doctor. I don't know how that works. Unless the Doctor regenerates into a child. Or "adopts" a bunch of alien orphans to join in on adventures.
It's The End of an Era for Doctor Who
After months of rumors about Doctor Who getting canceled, Disney+ has officially revealed the fate of the series.
www.cbr.com
Disney+ Officially Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ Partnership With BBC After Two Seasons
Disney+ is pulling out of the 'Doctor Who' BBC deal after two seasons but the show will continue with a CHristmas special written by RUssell T Davies.
deadline.com
That's not even the craziest thing. The BBC are also planning on a animated pre-school show featuring the Doctor. I don't know how that works. Unless the Doctor regenerates into a child. Or "adopts" a bunch of alien orphans to join in on adventures.
Disney has officially ended their partnership with Doctor Who.
It's The End of an Era for Doctor Who
After months of rumors about Doctor Who getting canceled, Disney+ has officially revealed the fate of the series.Disney+ Officially Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ Partnership With BBC After Two Seasons
Disney+ is pulling out of the 'Doctor Who' BBC deal after two seasons but the show will continue with a CHristmas special written by RUssell T Davies.
That's not even the craziest thing. The BBC are also planning on a animated pre-school show featuring the Doctor. I don't know how that works. Unless the Doctor regenerates into a child. Or "adopts" a bunch of alien orphans to join in on adventures.
I could see it essentially being The Magic Schoolbus but with the Doctor replacing Ms Frizzle. I mean, the fan theory has always been that she's a Timelord and the bus is her Tardis anyway.
The cartoon's been known about for months now. Honestly, until I see it, I'm not going to bother trying to figure out how it "works." It'll most likely be its own thing, and I'm fine with that.Disney has officially ended their partnership with Doctor Who.
It's The End of an Era for Doctor Who
After months of rumors about Doctor Who getting canceled, Disney+ has officially revealed the fate of the series.Disney+ Officially Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ Partnership With BBC After Two Seasons
Disney+ is pulling out of the 'Doctor Who' BBC deal after two seasons but the show will continue with a CHristmas special written by RUssell T Davies.
That's not even the craziest thing. The BBC are also planning on a animated pre-school show featuring the Doctor. I don't know how that works. Unless the Doctor regenerates into a child. Or "adopts" a bunch of alien orphans to join in on adventures.
Disney has officially ended their partnership with Doctor Who.
It's The End of an Era for Doctor Who
After months of rumors about Doctor Who getting canceled, Disney+ has officially revealed the fate of the series.Disney+ Officially Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ Partnership With BBC After Two Seasons
Disney+ is pulling out of the 'Doctor Who' BBC deal after two seasons but the show will continue with a CHristmas special written by RUssell T Davies.
That's not even the craziest thing. The BBC are also planning on a animated pre-school show featuring the Doctor. I don't know how that works. Unless the Doctor regenerates into a child. Or "adopts" a bunch of alien orphans to join in on adventures.
Wow. That is weird. I guess I need to get caught up before it gets moved off.
Ok, so no more Disney. It's a BBC franchise, so it doesn't affect me. We cancelled Disney Minus soon after they blocked account sharing. Even when they did allow it, their app was so bad, it was easier to stream it from 'elsewhere' instead anyway.
Looking forward to the future of DW!
Looking forward to the future of DW!
The only really big thing about Disney no longer being a part of the show is, they were supplying a part of the budget (if I'm remembering correctly). So, the next season is going to have a budget more in line with old seasons, rather than the past few, supposedly.
Which might be fine. Doctor Who can work when the budget's a little tighter. It's just that they may have gotten used to relying on a lot of special effects and whatnot. It might be hard to go back.
It's also coming at kind of a unfortunate time, since a lot of other stuff seems to be happening behind the scenes. I'd say the show was going to end up getting "rested" for a few years. Which, at this point, isn't really that unusual given the wait we've had between some seasons.
But, it's pretty much the only big international hit the BBC has, as far as I'm aware. So, I don't think the BBC can really afford to let the show go away. If it's basically their biggest money-maker at this point. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong about that. I'll admit I'm only casually paying attention to some of the behind-the-scenes news. But, could we be in for a world where the only Doctor Who that exists for a few years is the animated pre-school show? That's just kind of weird to think about.
Which might be fine. Doctor Who can work when the budget's a little tighter. It's just that they may have gotten used to relying on a lot of special effects and whatnot. It might be hard to go back.
It's also coming at kind of a unfortunate time, since a lot of other stuff seems to be happening behind the scenes. I'd say the show was going to end up getting "rested" for a few years. Which, at this point, isn't really that unusual given the wait we've had between some seasons.
But, it's pretty much the only big international hit the BBC has, as far as I'm aware. So, I don't think the BBC can really afford to let the show go away. If it's basically their biggest money-maker at this point. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong about that. I'll admit I'm only casually paying attention to some of the behind-the-scenes news. But, could we be in for a world where the only Doctor Who that exists for a few years is the animated pre-school show? That's just kind of weird to think about.
The BBC sellsc many shows around the world, such as period dramas, nature documentaries (possibly making Sir David Attenborough more famous as the "voice" of shows than Morgan Freeman), BBC News (both on TV and radio), etc.
Here's some info about their 2017 sales:
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/worldwide/2018/bbc-worldwide-reveals-top-rating-shows
Info regarding BBC (News') impact globally in 2025:
- https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2025/new-research-reveals-bbc-role-internationally
The BBC also co-produced (and has the international distribution rights) to a little show called "Bluey" :
- https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/bbc...-year-of-record-revenues-and-creative-success
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluey_(TV_series)
British TV, in general, has enjoyed success in the US:
- https://www.theringer.com/2022/10/17/tv/british-tv-shows-in-america-history-bbc-cross-the-pond
- https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-british-exports-us-newsupdate/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_television_series_based_on_British_television_series
So no, Doctor Who has never been, or will be, the only thing the BBC exports.
Disney was, by all accounts, supplying a very significant part of Doctor Who's budget. But I agree with you that the show has proven time and again that it can find ways to make do quite nicely without it.
Depends very much on how you define terms, but I'll readily grant that Doctor Who is by far the most successful international hit the BBC has. They've definitely got a vested interest in keeping it alive.
Personally, I felt the expanded budget was the biggest issue with the past two seasons. THeres a lot of episodes that feel like they're more focused on using that budget then telling a story.
I didn't quite mean that Doctor Who was the BBC's only hit internationally EVER, I more meant that it was the BBC's only international hit that they had RIGHT NOW. A lot of their biggest hits otherwise have ended. Sherlock's been over for years. Downton Abbey is over. I'm not aware of any currently ongoing shows that have really made a splash, at least in America. My point was more that the BBC would hesitate to end one of the only shows they have that's profitable internationally, when nothing else is really catching on at the moment. Even though, creatively, it might be the best decision.
But, I'll admit, I didn't even think about Bluey being from the BBC. That's a oversight on my part. That definitely qualifies as a international juggernaut, I'll admit that.
Also, I wasn't aware that Planet Earth apparently sold well enough to bare mentioning in these articles. Of course a lot of these are from the BBC itself, but still. I'm really not sure how profitable the nature documentaries in general are. I kind of assume they're made as a sort of tax write-off? And because they just enjoy making them. You make shows like Doctor Who, in order to afford to make something like Planet Earth, in my mind. But, I could be wrong about that. I'll admit, nature documentaries not usually the type of thing I pay much attention to. So, I really don't know much about them.
I think a lot of my perception of BBC's success internationally is a little colored by most of their shows airing on PBS in my country. I feel like that wouldn't get you much profit? Or move a lot of merchandise, which I assume Doctor Who is better at than most of the rest of BBC's output. But, again, I could be wrong about that.
But, I'll admit defeat on this point. I really don't pay enough attention to everything the BBC makes at any one time. I'll admit, a lot of my opinions are based on ignorance about the subject. There's probably quite a bit that I'm forgetting about.
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Not surprised by the end of the Disney deal.
Also, let me say that I think RTD has become more interested in spectacle with his finales than he is with telling good stories. I haven't seen the most recent episode, but I know about one moment in particular...and honestly, I think I could've done it better. Let that sink in.
Also, let me say that I think RTD has become more interested in spectacle with his finales than he is with telling good stories. I haven't seen the most recent episode, but I know about one moment in particular...and honestly, I think I could've done it better. Let that sink in.
I mostly think season 2 was better then Season 1, as it feels like he learned SOME things from it. But RTD has always been kinda more interested in the finales. Every season he did he wanted to top the last finale; and he kinda keeps that here. But part of me feels they aren't "earned" (again I feel Season 2 does this a little better) because of how short the Disney seasons are. He had about half as many episodes to try to build up to that grand climax. Season 1 feels like its missing episodes and stuff got shuffled around and just rushes into its finale. Season 2 doesn't feel that way as much, but still feels like it comes up a bit short. Like they still needed more time/episodes to flesh things out which leads to the finale feeling rushed, especially when they had to completely redo the ending.
With Bluey, the BBC doesn't own the show, they just have the rights to sell it internationally, thus its the biggest thing on Disney plus, not that Disney will admit to that fact!
Like I've shown, right now, the BBC makes lots of shows that are sold around the world. The USA isn't the centre of the universe and thus not a big deal if every show the Beeb sells wasn't available there.
However, you did seem to underestimate the amount of successful shows and content the BBC sells to the rest of the world.
As for its nature documentaries being a "tax write-off"...
- https://productions.bbcstudios.com/our-production-brands/the-natural-history-unit
- https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/bbc...s-makes-its-mark-with-international-pre-sales
- https://www.factualamerica.com/docu...rs-exposed-in-jaw-dropping-documentary-series
- https://variety.com/2024/global/asia/david-attenborough-bbc-series-asia-china-launch-1236190824/
The BBC's natural history documentary department is arguably the world leader in such programming.
On top of that, the BBC's (and other British channels') period dramas, comedy shows, thrillers, coming shows, etc are very popular globally, including now.
BBC content is HUGE.
Death in Paradise (and it's spin-offs) are quite huge, IMHO. Does the Great British Bake Off/Baking Show count? (It's not on BBC anymore, but started there, and is still going extremely strong internationally).
Like I said, one might have to define terms....
I'll admit, I don't think I've ever even heard of Death in Paradise. And looking it up, it's been running since 2011. That kind of says more about me than about the show, really. I'm sure it's good, I've just never even heard anyone reference it before. There are definitely some holes in my British TV knowledge.
The Great British Bake Off definitely counts, though. That one even I've heard of. That one has made a splash, and gets a few references here and there in other media.
In my head, the condition I'm using is "What show makes the BBC the most profit?" What show, on it's own, brings in money for the company from the general puiblic. Not from TV licensing fees or taxes, or government grants or subsidies, or from private donors. What show makes the most money, on the virtue of being a show itself. Merchandise and commercials included. What show are people voting with their wallets for? I guess some of the reality shows they license out to other countries may be the most profitable. Since they probably just collect the licensing fee and let the other countries make their own versions of the reality shows. Pure profit.
But, I feel like Doctor Who is no slouch either, due to toy and merchandise sales. I feel like just by virtue of being able to sell stuff like Sonic Screwdrivers and officially licensed bowties and whatnot, it's probably up there as one of the shows that's bringing in the most money for the BBC. But, again, I could be wrong.
I'll admit, I'm kind of brushing off the nature documentaries a bit. Because they're kind of playing by different rules than the other shows. The other shows are all "entertainment". Even the reality shows, which probably have a leg up in being "profitable" by virtue of being cheaper to make. But, the documentaries are all "educational", which means they likely get funded and make their money back in different ways. It's a different game being played between the "educational" and "entertainment" shows. And I feel like it's comparing apples to oranges a bit. Maybe that's moving the goalposts too much, though. I'm not sure. But, I'm focusing mostly on the "entertainment" side of things, in my own head.
The Great British Bake Off definitely counts, though. That one even I've heard of. That one has made a splash, and gets a few references here and there in other media.
In my head, the condition I'm using is "What show makes the BBC the most profit?" What show, on it's own, brings in money for the company from the general puiblic. Not from TV licensing fees or taxes, or government grants or subsidies, or from private donors. What show makes the most money, on the virtue of being a show itself. Merchandise and commercials included. What show are people voting with their wallets for? I guess some of the reality shows they license out to other countries may be the most profitable. Since they probably just collect the licensing fee and let the other countries make their own versions of the reality shows. Pure profit.
But, I feel like Doctor Who is no slouch either, due to toy and merchandise sales. I feel like just by virtue of being able to sell stuff like Sonic Screwdrivers and officially licensed bowties and whatnot, it's probably up there as one of the shows that's bringing in the most money for the BBC. But, again, I could be wrong.
I'll admit, I'm kind of brushing off the nature documentaries a bit. Because they're kind of playing by different rules than the other shows. The other shows are all "entertainment". Even the reality shows, which probably have a leg up in being "profitable" by virtue of being cheaper to make. But, the documentaries are all "educational", which means they likely get funded and make their money back in different ways. It's a different game being played between the "educational" and "entertainment" shows. And I feel like it's comparing apples to oranges a bit. Maybe that's moving the goalposts too much, though. I'm not sure. But, I'm focusing mostly on the "entertainment" side of things, in my own head.
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The shorter episode counts certainly don't help. As many issues as I have with Chris Chibnall, I do think that the Flux season was at least decently paced. And that was six episodes. RTD is working with eight a year.