6 Times Doctor Who Was Nearly Cancelled (And The Time It Actually Was)

Viewership had already been on a downward trajectory during Peter Capaldi’s era of the show, though the show was still popular with fans. Regardless, it was clear that when Chris Chibnall took over the reins of the show, he’d have to win the casual viewership back. When Jodie Whittaker was cast as the first female Doctor, many fans were intrigued by this new direction for the show.

It’s fair to say, though, that this current era of the show has been incredibly polarising within the fanbase, with people criticising the writing style, characterisation of the Doctor, the show having too many companions, and most recently, the major changes to the show’s lore revealed in The Timeless Children. The era has its fans and defenders, and has certainly won over a new audience, but the viewing figures, especially for Series 12, have continued to drop as many fans have given up on the show.

This, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused issues for many productions, has caused much speculation that the show might go on another hiatus. Rumours continued to resurface during the break after series 12 that the show was in trouble at the Beeb, though none of this was ever proven.

In fact, these rumours seems to have been put to bed completely by the recent announcement that Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker will be stepping down at the end of 2022, making way for a new show runner and Doctor for series 14 - the BBC clearly has plans for the future. Furthermore, with a switch-up to a serialised format, rumoured returns for popular monsters in the form of the Sontarans and Weeping Angels, plus the addition of John Bishop and Jacob Anderson to the cast, the show might just win back its audience sooner than expected. After all, this isn't the first time fans have lost faith in the show, only for it to bounce back.