BBC “Committed” to Doctor Who Brand, But Still No Renewal

A month and a half after Doctor Who wrapped its fifteenth series, fans are still waiting for news about the show’s future.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, BBC Studios CEO Tom Fussell gave an update on the situation. “The BBC and Disney haven’t made a decision yet,” he said. “When they do, they’ll announce it. There’s no point me speculating on it.”

The comment follows mounting talk that Disney may be stepping back from the show. Still, the BBC’s commercial arm is at least is expressing clear enthusiasm for keeping the ‘brand’ alive.

“We’re really committed to Doctor Who,” Fussell said. “We really want to carry on looking at ways for fans to interact with the brand. We look after the brand, whether it’s at Comic Con, merchandising, or whether it’s the distribution deal we’ve done.”

Speaking to Deadline, Fussell still praised the collaboration with Disney. “They are a crucial partner and we share a lot of the same values so I’m really proud of the way that relationship has worked,” he said.

Fussell added that BBC studios “is continuing to look at ways in which we can bring the show to fans,” he said. “Fans love the Doctor Who brand. It’s been that way since before I was in short trousers.”

Ultimately, despite all the positive language, not much has actually changed on the Doctor Who front. BBC Studios still wants to keep making money out of the brand, but the TARDIS remains parked, and no one’s commissioned a new journey yet…