Russell T Davies has spoken out following the BBC's announcement regarding Doctor Who earlier this week, with the former showrunner insisting that the long-running sci-fi series hasn't been cancelled despite its uncertain future.
On Wednesday (10 June), it was announced that the planned Christmas special for this year had been axed, with it later being confirmed that Davies and production company Bad Wolf had left the series.
Though the sci-fi saga has been put out to competitive tender - a process which could take years to resolve - in the hope of finding a new production company, Davies has explained that it doesn't necessarily mean that the show is gone for good.
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney+, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
Speaking to Gaydio earlier this week, the Tip Toe and It's a Sin creator explained: "It's extraordinary to see newspapers, who should know better, saying the show has been cancelled. It's the opposite.
"It's been put out to tender. I understand that's an industry phrase and people might not understand what [it] means. Equally, these people are complaining on devices which have a search engine. No-one looks it up."
What to Read Next
He explained that some BBC shows, including medical soap Casualty, were now being pitched by independent companies as "opposed to the BBC". These companies include BBC Studios, which is a separate entity to BBC Public Service.
"They're in the running [for Doctor Who], I imagine. I don't know, I'm not part of this process", he continued. "It's a very legal process, but it's happened to Casualty... the same thing is happening here with Doctor Who."
Related: Could this sci-fi legend replace Russell T Davies as Doctor Who showrunner?
"No-one's going to apply for a tender for one year, it's not worth it. You've got to lock in just to make it financially worthwhile. So I think this guarantees years of the programme. But no, go ahead and call it cancelled if you want. You're wrong," he added.
Following the exits of Davies and Bad Wolf, it was also confirmed that Andy Pryor would be departing. The casting director had been with the series for 21 years, and called it the "end of a long, happy and thrilling era".
Doctor Who and its spin-offs can be streamed on BBC iPlayer. A new animated series is coming to CBeebies.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, a collector's edition exploring the royal family, is here! Buy The Royals in newsagents or online.
Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.
