It might not have come as a surprise to many, but most were still taken aback by the recent news that Doctor Who had been put out to competitive tender. This came following a disastrous second tenure for now-former showrunner Russell T. Davies, which saw an ambitious partnership with Disney end in controversy. Ncuti Gatwa‘s new titular Time Lord showed plenty of promise, but off-screen issues cut his time on board the TARDIS short in one of the most divisive finales in the timey-wimey show’s history.
Sadly, news of Doctor Who‘s spiritual cancellation, which “was not taken lightly,” according to a BBC statement, also revealed that the once-promised 2026 Christmas special and hunt for a new star were never true, further hurting the show’s reputation with its die-hard fanbase. But Doctor Who fans are no strangers to controversy, especially considering that the second Davies era, which saw many beloved faces return to the show, was an attempt to rectify the ratings-killer few years under the helm of Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall.
Following the recent news regarding Doctor Who‘s immediate future, Chibnall himself broke his silence during an interview with BBC Radio Wales. He admitted that the decision was “definitely disappointing,” adding, “I probably had the same reaction as everybody else did. I think it’s a shame that it’s not going to be on for a while.” However, Chibnall has hope that the show will return in a better place, saying, “I hope they’ve got good plans to bring it back. It’s an amazing idea. It’s an amazing series. Hopefully, they’ll find people who, you know, reinvent it for the next generation of kids.” He continued:
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“I feel sad for the kids who are not going to have a Doctor for a little while because I think that’s always the amazing thing, when you work on the show, you cast a Doctor and you know that that Doctor is going to be quite a lot of people’s first Doctor. And your first Doctor is a bit like your first love. I think if you watch Doctor Who, it’s a real connection and it’s there for life. So I think it’s a shame it’s not going to be on the air. It’s not the best thing but hopefully people are going to be working to bring it back.”
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Collider Exclusive · Sci-Fi Personality Quiz Which Sci-Fi Hero Are You Most Like? Paul Atreides · Captain Kirk · Princess Leia · Ellen Ripley · Max Rockatansky
Five iconic heroes. Five completely different ways of facing an impossible universe. One of them shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of refusing to back down. Eight questions will tell you which one.
🏜️Paul Atreides
🖖Capt. Kirk
✊Princess Leia
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🔦Ellen Ripley
🔥Max Rockatansky
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01
How do you lead when the stakes couldn’t be higher? The way you lead under pressure is the most honest thing about you.
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02
What is your greatest strength in a crisis? The quality that keeps you alive when everything else fails.
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03
What is the thing you’d sacrifice everything else for? Your deepest motivation is your truest compass.
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04
How do you relate to the people around you? Who you are to others under pressure is who you really are.
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05
You’re facing a threat that no one else believes is real. What do you do? How you respond when you’re the only one who sees it defines everything.
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06
What has your heroism cost you personally? Every hero pays. The question is what — and whether they’d pay it again.
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07
How do you feel about the rules of the world you’re in? Every hero has a relationship with the system. What’s yours?
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08
When everything is on the line, what keeps you going? The answer is the most honest thing about you.
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Your Hero Has Been Identified Your Sci-Fi Hero Is…
Your answers point to the iconic sci-fi hero who shares your instincts, your values, and your particular way of facing the impossible.
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Arrakis · Dune
Paul Atreides
You carry a weight most people would crumble under — the knowledge of what you’re capable of, and the burden of what you might have to become.
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You see further ahead than others and you plan accordingly, even when the vision frightens you.
You are driven by loyalty to your people and a sense of destiny you didn’t ask for but can’t escape.
Paul Atreides is not simply a hero — he is someone who understands the cost of power and chooses to bear it anyway.
That gravity, that willingness to carry what others won’t, is exactly you.
USS Enterprise · Star Trek
Captain Kirk
You lead with instinct, warmth, and an absolute refusal to accept a no-win scenario — because you’ve always believed there’s a third option nobody else has thought of yet.
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You take the mission seriously without ever taking yourself too seriously.
Your crew would follow you anywhere, not because you demand it, but because you’ve earned it.
Kirk’s genius isn’t tactical — it’s human. He reads people, bends rules with purpose, and wills outcomes into existence through sheer conviction.
That combination of warmth, audacity, and relentless optimism is unmistakably yours.
The Rebellion · Star Wars
Princess Leia
You are the kind of person who holds the line when everyone else is losing faith — not because you’re fearless, but because giving up simply isn’t something you’re capable of.
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You lead through conviction. Your voice carries because your belief is unshakeable.
You gave up everything ordinary the moment you chose the cause, and you’ve never looked back.
Leia is not a supporting character in her own story — she is the moral centre of the entire rebellion.
That same fierce, principled, unbreakable core is what defines you.
The Nostromo · Alien
Ellen Ripley
You are not reckless, not grandiose, and not particularly interested in being anyone’s hero — you just refuse to stop when it matters.
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You see threats clearly, you document the truth even when no one listens, and when the time comes you handle it yourself.
Ripley’s heroism is earned, not performed. She doesn’t have a speech — she has a flamethrower and a plan.
You share her composure under the worst possible pressure, and her refusal to pretend the monster isn’t there.
When it counts, you don’t flinch. That’s everything.
The Wasteland · Mad Max
Max Rockatansky
You have been through fire that would break most people — and what came out the other side is something the world underestimates at its peril.
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You don’t ask for help, don’t need validation, and don’t wait for anyone to tell you the rules no longer apply.
Your loyalty, when it finally arrives, is absolute — but it’s earned in silence and tested in action, not in words.
Max is not a nihilist. He is someone who lost everything and found, against his will, that he still has something worth protecting.
That bruised, stubborn, ultimately human core is exactly yours.
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The BBC Has Finally Responded to ‘Doctor Who’s Cancellation
Although Chibnall’s opinion on the matter is definitely eye-opening, given that he has felt the fury of Whovians before, it was the BBC’s reply that many were waiting for. Incoming Director General of the BBC, Matt Brittin, finally spoke on the issue last week, saying, “That’s a show that has regenerated multiple times in its 60-plus year history, and we’ll do so again.” He added, “I think that’s one of the great things about the 100-year history of the BBC. We can do that, and we can creatively renew shows that people love, and we’ll be working hard on that right now.”
You can stream the most recent Doctor Who seasons on Disney+. Stay tuned to Collider for the latest updates.
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Release Date
2024 – 2025-00-00
Network
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BBC One
Directors
Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Ben Chessell, Julie Anne Robinson, Jamie Donoughue, Amanda Brotchie, Dylan Holmes Williams
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Writers
Steven Moffat, Pete McTighe, Kate Herron, Inua Ellams, Juno Dawson
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