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Doctor Who Christmas Special Axed as Ncuti Gatwa’s Future on Show Hangs in Balance

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It appears that the annual Christmas special of Doctor Who might be cancelled for the first time in six years, due to a significant drop in viewership on the program.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I must share that according to The Sun’s reports, I regretfully inform you that the beloved series, with Ncuti Gatwa gracing the role of the Doctor, will not be making its scheduled appearance on Christmas Day this year.

It was recently announced that Ncuti might be departing from the BBC show following only two seasons, due to growing dissatisfaction about the unclear direction the show may take past 2025, as he and his team express their concerns.

As a lifestyle expert, I’d put it this way: “I’m keeping an eye on the audience response to the upcoming second season of our favorite show on Disney+. Only then will we make a decision about continuing our partnership.

Lately, some criticism has been directed at a particular entity due to controversial plotlines that touch on sensitive issues like woke storytelling, the inclusion of transgender and non-binary characters who react negatively to people presuming their gender identities, and a villain portrayed by a drag queen with a disturbed character.

It’s suggested that the Christmas special could potentially be skipped, even though a new series is set to begin in April.

According to a source, there’s quite a bit of doubt about Doctor Who right now, and it seems that the traditional Christmas episode might not take place this year.

It appears that the episode didn’t get approved for production. There was likely anticipation among fans that a new season, including a special holiday edition, would be announced.

However, the situation remains uncertain as it’s unclear whether Ncuti will return or not. Moreover, it’s questionable if they can produce a new episode in time for Christmas Day, given the current circumstances.

Generally speaking, the Christmas special is usually recorded a year ahead of time, so it was anticipated that its broadcast date would already be set.

The BBC has been contacted for comment by TopMob.

According to recent rumors, it appears that David Tennant might be making an unexpected comeback to Doctor Who, since speculation suggests that the show may be facing uncertainty about its continuation.

52-year-old actor once again stepped into the shoes of the Time Lord character he initially portrayed in 2005 for three special episodes commemorating the show’s 60th anniversary, which aired in 2023.

Based on the odds posted by betideas.com, it appears that David is among the top contenders for the prestigious role, even though he had earlier expressed his belief that he was considered “too old” for a comeback.

Among the top contenders, he stands at odds of 5/1 to take over permanently from Gatwa, ranking him third in the current betting. Notably, Josh O’Connor is the bookmakers’ favorite with odds of 2/1, and Jack Lowden follows closely behind with odds of 4/1.

Lee Astley, representing betideas.com, stated: “It seems Ncuti Gatwa’s time as Dr Who may be cut short, and we believe there’s a good possibility that the BBC might rehire David Tennant to help guide the series back on course again.

Among all Doctors in the show’s past, Tennant is widely admired as one of the favorites. With odds of 5/1, he’s a strong contender to take over the role permanently from Gatwa after his appearances in 2023. This puts him second only to Josh O’Connor and Jack Lowden in terms of betting odds for the next Doctor.

Although the BBC refutes reports suggesting the cancellation of Doctor Who, insiders at The Times mention it’s odd that there are currently no plans announced for a third season.

A source revealed: ‘Typically, productions for such shows start preparing well ahead of time, even during the filming of previous seasons. Given that, one might anticipate the pre-production for season 3 to be underway currently, and for them to have decided on who will play the Doctor. However, it seems that isn’t the case yet.’

If the BBC doesn’t confirm a renewal of the Disney deal, it could be a cause for concern. It seems possible that Disney might be holding off until they see how the second season performs, but it’s not exactly a vote of confidence in the program.

If that delay occurs, producing a third series within the next year, or perhaps even two years, after approval will be out of reach.

Previous reports indicate that Ncuti might be considering leaving Doctor Who, as there’s not enough ambiguity or future installments confirmed beyond the second series.

Based on what’s been shared, it won’t be until Ncuti’s second season airs later this year that the executives make a call about the show’s continuation.

It’s rumored that Ncuti has already shot his scene for his departure from the show, and the teams are reportedly concerned that this might mean the conclusion of the series following an impressive 62-year run.

According to a source, Ncuti is considering not continuing with the show past its current run and has plans to move to Los Angeles, where several potential film roles await him.

His team is experiencing significant fan criticism due to the series, and they aim to ensure that his ongoing association with “The Doctor” doesn’t negatively impact any potential future projects.

Over the past few years, the management of the show has been less than satisfactory. Many dedicated individuals who have invested significant time and effort into this production find themselves overlooked because of ineffective leadership.

According to the source, there were individuals who voiced concerns that the episodes were excessively preoccupied with an agenda instead of effectively narrating a story. It seems these individuals were met with dismissal or silence.

Despite rumors suggesting otherwise, Doctor Who is not being cancelled. The decision regarding Season 3 won’t be made until after Season 2 has aired. It should be noted that the agreement with Disney+ includes airing 26 episodes, and only half of these episodes have been broadcast so far.

In October, there were speculations about the future of Doctor Who and uncertainty surrounding if Ncuti might appear in a third season.

The long-term prospects of the popular sci-fi series might be uncertain, given that there’ll be a break of at least two years starting from when the lead actor reprises his role in the title next year.

The extended wait may mean the Scottish actor might not return at all according to The Mirror.

Confidential sources revealed to the publication that there was some concern regarding the program following an enigmatic alteration to the conversation on Graham Norton’s BBC One talk show.

In the most recent installment, it was disclosed that the star of Sex Education will begin shooting the third season of Doctor Who next year.

But the comment was edited out when the episode of the chat show was aired.

Russell T Davies, the producer of Doctor Who, had mentioned earlier that a decision regarding the cast for series three, which was due in July, hadn’t been made yet.

At Comic Con in San Diego, the screenwriter joined Ncuti and Millie Bobby Brown and shared insights about the upcoming storylines for the sci-fi series.

At the moment when Russell, age 61, was asked, he disclosed that they have not finalized the casting choices for the third series because they were still engrossed in shooting the second season at that point in time.

The screenwriter mentioned that they have completed filming for season two, however, this is just the midpoint as there are several months of post-production left. With a significant amount of time remaining until its release, no final decisions have been made yet.

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2025-02-27 20:20

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