Doctor Who is on the cusp of an exciting regeneration in every shape and form. Not only is the Doctor themselves getting a new body (or two, as the case may be), we’re heading into a new golden age with former showrunner Russell T. Davies returning to helm the series through its 60th anniversary and beyond. What’s more, he’s got the backing of a major new studio behind him, as Disney is teaming up with the BBC to fund Ncuti Gatwa’s time in the TARDIS.
We previously discovered that Disney Plus will become Doctor Who‘s exclusive international streaming home going forward, but a new report claims to reveal the full extent of the Mouse House’s impact on production. According to Broadcast, the extra money from Mickey and co. will boost the show’s per-episode budget from a mere £1-3 million to around £10 million, thereby more than tripling it and transforming the show into a £100K per-season TV juggernaut.
You might expect fans to be overjoyed with this news, but there are a lot of mixed reactions going around on social. For starters, there are those excited by the promise of Who finally having cash to burn.
With this influx of Disney dollars, you can be sure some spinoffs are coming.
Maybe every alien planet will stop looking so much like Wales.
On the other hand, some are fearing Doctor Who will undergo Disneyfication.
Besides, hasn’t the shamelessly low-budget vibe always been part of its charm?
Is it even Doctor Who if the monsters actually look convincing?
With David Tennant back, this time as the Fourteenth Doctor, Doctor Who will air three specials in late 2023 to celebrate its milestone birthday before Gatwa takes over full-time for this Disney-backed era.
