Hey, remember when we told you “Doctor Who” is moving to Disney+? How exciting it was to know new episodes of the classic British sci-fi show would be more accessible to those of us without an HBO subscription? Well, it gets even better.
Rather than simply acting as streaming home for new episodes, Disney has entered into a co-production deal with the BBC, looking to expand the show to a Hollywood level production, while still retaining the double-hearts of the series. This means while showrunner Russell T. Davies will retain the overall creative vision for the program, Disney will be throwing the full weight of its corporate might around to give it vast budgets beyond the BBC’s means, allowing for more cinematic production values & more stars.
“We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world,” Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer, said. “Russell T. Davies’ vision for ‘Doctor Who‘ has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor’s epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve. Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it’s an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world.”
Obviously, Disney negotiated to have some creative input in the series, but the BBC will reportedly retain “ultimate editorial control.” So the tone and content of the show will remain consistent, but now some of the…let’s say clunkier effects will be elevated to the level Disney+’s audience is used to. The BBC also retains the intellectual property rights to “Doctor Who,” so no need to worry about any half-baked spin offs…for now, at least.
Davies praised the new deal as “the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.”
The effect of the new partnership will be seen in 2023, when Fourteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa stars in new episodes of “Doctor Who” airing on BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Disney+ around the world.
