Disney+ Doctor Who In Trouble
As you may recall, Disney and the BBC struck a deal back in 2022 which dictated that the former would exclusively host future seasons of the long-running hit series Doctor Who on their Disney+ streaming service across North America. Now, according to a write-up in Deadline, it appears that the deal may not have been quite as lucrative as Disney execs might have hoped, as evidenced by a recent Disney panel which seemed to minimize their Doctor Who investments. While nothing is concrete about the state of the deal, this has led some fans to surmise that Disney and the BBC may be on a fast track to ending their partnership.
The BBC Deal
The recent event in question is the Disney Upfront showcase, which was held at the North Javits Center in New York just a few months ago. While there were some Doctor Who pop-ups at the event, fans couldn’t help but notice that the festivities for the classic sci-fi series paled in comparison to some of Disney’s other projects, such as Welcome to Wrexham, Abbott Elementary, and a wide array of sports commentary shows from ESPN. This realization caused some journalists to dig into the details of Disney’s BBC deal, revealing some interesting findings.
An Uncertain Future
The inaugural Disney-produced season of Doctor Who just finished airing new episodes last month, and was still dead in the middle of its Russell T Davies-led season as the Upfront showcase entered full swing. Despite premiering to critical and audience acclaim, rumors have already begun swirling which suggest that Disney may back out of their projected three-season deal with the beloved series. It’s tough to get a handle on just how much revenue the house of mouse was able to bolster with their Doctor Who investment, though Deadline indicates that the per-episode investment for the first season of the partnership alone was over $13 million.
The Non-Negotiables
Part of the reason this new leg of Doctor Who managed to be so critically successful comes from the involvement of Davies, who previously helmed some of the most successful modern eras of the sci-fi classic. When Davies first came back to run the latest outing, he brought with him a set of non-negotiable terms which included the involvement of Bad Wolf productions, headed by his long-time collaborator Jane Tranter. In a strange turn of events, Davies was able to structure a deal in which BBC Studios would own the Doctor Who IP, but Bad Wolf would have sole ownership over the production contract for the coming seasons.
A Good-Faith Deal
Clearly this deal came with a lot of good faith from both the BBC and Disney, though there’s no telling how this could complicate things if these media giants decide to part ways. Despite most fans enjoying the latest Doctor Who season, which stars Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, some have complained that Disney’s influence was too strong within the narrative, citing a so-called “woke” agenda, which placed LGBTQ and BIPOC performers front-and-center. Davies has made it clear that the decision to include people from all walks of life was largely inconsequential in his writers’ room, though the most vocal and closed-minded fans of the internet were not pleased, nor convinced.
More Updates To Come
For now, there’s no telling what Disney execs plan to do with this deal, nor how Disney pulling out could impact future seasons. Neither the BBC nor Disney has publicly commented about their alleged impending split at this time, even as the budget behind Doctor Who is expected to balloon even further in the coming year.
Source: Deadline
