10 Moments That Almost Killed Doctor Who
5. The Star-Spangled TARDIS
Doctor Who's cancellation in 1989 didn't sit well with a lot of people. It was an incredible show that had endured for a quarter-century, so there were a lot of fans who weren't happy to see it go. The show had also built up a decent fanbase in the United States, which ultimately worked in its favour.
A collaboration between Universal Studios, the FOX network and the BBC made it possible for the Doctor to return in 1996, in the form of a TV movie. Starring Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor and continuing the story of the show, this movie served as a backdoor pilot for a potential American-funded series.
Essentially, if enough people watched the TV movie, then a new Doctor Who series would be greenlit.
Unfortunately, the movie didn't perform as well as the American companies involved would've liked, and it wasn't picked up for a full series. The TV Movie only drew around 5.5 million viewers in North America, falling short of internal targets, while even its nine million UK viewers was less than the BBC had anticipated.
The seven-year hiatus between the Seventh and Eighth Doctors apparently wasn't long enough. Doctor Who yet again entered a state of production limbo, with no firm signs of the show ever returning to our screens again.