Why Disney Ditched DOCTOR WHO: Ratings Trouble, Costly Episodes, and Culture Clash Behind the Collapse
When Disney teamed up with the BBC in 2022 to help bring Doctor Who to global audiences, it was pitched as a new era for the long-running sci-fi classic, one that would give the series a Marvel-style boost in scale and scope.
But just two years later, that ambitious partnership has fizzled out. The BBC confirmed that its co-production agreement with Disney is over, and the Mouse House didn’t even bother releasing a statement. So what really went wrong?
A Lukewarm Partnership From the Start
According to multiple insiders, Disney’s enthusiasm for Doctor Who never truly ignited. One former Disney executive said: “It was pretty apparent from early on that this wasn’t for the long term. Everyone got the impression that it wasn’t doing what it needed to do [on Disney+] to be sustained.”
Another source close to the show added, “The writing has been on the wall for ages. There has been a complete lack of enthusiasm over at Disney.”
At first, the partnership looked like a major win for the BBC. Announced at the height of the streaming wars, the deal was reportedly worth up to £168M, with each episode of the Ncuti Gatwa-led era costing between £6M and £8M to produce.
But after Bob Iger returned as Disney CEO and began cutting back on lavish streaming budgets, the company’s appetite for high-cost projects that didn’t deliver mass appeal quickly waned.
The Struggle to Find a U.S. Audience
Despite the Doctor Who brand being a pop culture institution in the UK, its Disney+ debut failed to make a splash with American viewers. It never cracked Nielsen’s streaming charts, and the Entertainment Strategy Guy blog labeled it one of the “flops” of 2024. Even awards season ignored it, with just one Primetime Emmy nomination for choreography.
On the home front, the show’s viewership also took a dive. Season 15 averaged 3.8 million viewers in the UK — down a million from the previous season and well below Jodie Whittaker’s final run. “The ratings were not up to much,” someone involved in the series admitted.
The problem wasn’t just viewership; it was also the way Disney marketed it. “It certainly wasn’t being shouted about as a big success,” said the former Disney insider, noting that the show lacked the promotional push of Marvel or Star Wars.
A BBC Studios executive agreed, saying, “It never felt like Disney were making much of a deal about the iconic sci-fi series.”
“Too Woke for Trump’s USA”?
One of the more controversial theories behind Disney’s decision involves politics. A well-placed industry source told Deadline that Doctor Who became “too woke for Trump’s USA,” and that this may have factored into Disney’s choice not to renew.
Under Russell T Davies, the show embraced progressive storytelling, featuring a transgender character played by Yasmin Finney, a drag queen villain portrayed by Jinkx Monsoon, and a same-sex kiss between Gatwa and Jonathan Groff.
While Disney would never admit that political pressure influenced its choice, insiders believe the company has been wary of provoking backlash from right-wing audiences. Recent corporate moves, like temporarily benching Jimmy Kimmel, have shown Disney’s sensitivity to MAGA criticism.
Creative Burnout and Behind-the-Scenes Strain
Complicating matters further, Ncuti Gatwa’s time in the TARDIS was short-lived. After just two seasons, the actor stepped away, citing exhaustion: “I was getting old and my body was tired.”
A Doctor Who source suggested that Gatwa never fully embraced the ambassador role that comes with playing the Doctor. “There is more to that role than performing,” they said. “You have got to be an ambassador for the brand and embrace being that generation’s Doctor.”
Fans were divided on Gatwa’s run as well. “There were some strong episodes in both, but the two-part finales were not particularly well regarded,” said Tony Jordan of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society. “A lack of episodes made it difficult for audiences to get to know Ncuti and his companions.”
What Comes Next for Doctor Who
The BBC now faces a much tighter budget for future seasons. Without Disney’s funding, insiders estimate the network will have to slash production costs by nearly half, to around £2.5M–£3M per episode.
“Once you’ve gone up, it’s always difficult to go back down,” said the former Disney executive. “You can cut budgets to a certain degree but not by so much. Is the BBC really going to stump up even more for something showing decline?”
Still, not everyone sees this as bad news. A BBC Studios insider argued that losing Disney could actually restore the show’s creative spirit. “Budget limitations used to help the idiosyncrasies of the show,” they said, pointing to standout, smaller-scale episodes like “73 Yards” as proof that less can be more.
Meanwhile, with the 2026 Christmas special coming, which is said to wrap up Gatwa’s era and possibly set up a new Doctor, Russell T Davies may soon pass the sonic screwdriver to a new showrunner.
“Nothing says that Russell will be showrunner from 2027 onwards,” said Jordan. “It might be time for a new showrunner to take it forwards.”
As BBC drama chief Lindsay Salt reassured fans, “the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.” And maybe that’s the silver lining here. After all, Doctor Who has survived cancellations, regenerations, and reboots before.
Disney may have stepped out of the time stream, but for this iconic series, the next adventure isn’t too far away.
Source: Deadline