Latest Doctor Who Update Throws Fans Back To 2005’s Uncertainty

Summary:

• Doctor Who is a British sci-fi series that has been running from 1963 to 1989, and then revived in 2005 by BBC.
• Now it was confirmed by the latest showrunner Russel T. Davies, that the show is going through the revival again with Disney ’s involvement.
• Long-time fans of Doctor Who are anxious about what changes the revival may bring.

Of all the fandoms, Whovians are probably the most accustomed to constant change. The very premise of the show, about an alien with the ability to regenerate and take on another human-like form, suggests that the Doctor's face will change, as will his companions.

In addition, the revival itself has gone through quite a few changes, with three different showrunners at the helm. Russell T. Davies was the first to bring Doctor Who back to the screens of British homes, Steven Moffat was the one who introduced Doctor Who to American audiences, and Chris Chibnall showed us the journey of the first female Doctor.

They all had different styles of storytelling and sometimes introduced controversial changes to the lore, but overall the show remained consistent. However, there was a feeling that New Who was no longer an appropriate name for the revival. Starting in 2005, it was anything but new to long-time viewers.

With the announcement of Disney's involvement in all future content, many Whovians believed in a change of style and the need for another unofficial reboot. This is exactly what happened.

Has Doctor Who (2005) Ended?

From the looks of the setup of Doctor Who's streaming home, the BBC iPlayer, the series has come to an end. At least the era that ran from 2005 has ended. Now the show is listed as Doctor Who (2005-2022), and everything suggests that the upcoming episodes, including both the 60th anniversary specials and series 14 and 15, will be listed as something else.

Another confirmation came from showrunner Russell T. Davies himself, who will also return for the beginning of this new era. Many fans of Doctor Who in the U.S. have been wondering if Disney Plus will be streaming all the previous seasons of the show. Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Not only will the platform stream upcoming specials and series, but it will also change the numbering of the seasons. The first year with Ncuti Gatwa 's 15th Doctor would be marked as season 1 on the platform, as opposed to the season 1 that all Doctor Who fans are used to, with Christopher Eccleston as the 9th Doctor.

Classic Who Fans’ Revival Reaction

All of the news and updates that come at the fandom on a daily basis force viewers to think about them in an accelerated way. However, a fandom like this has one advantage that many others don't: they've been through this before, and they know how to deal with it. And if they don't, they know who to ask.

So, among all the topics discussed in the news, another post appeared on the r/doctorwho subreddit. User redkid2000 asked people who were fans of the pre-revival Classic Who to describe how they felt about season 1 of the New Who, which came out in 2005. As you can imagine, the responses were mixed.

While some fans were filled with pure joy and excitement that their childhood favorite show was taking its place back on the screens, others weren't so sure. Just as the newer fans are worried that Doctor Who will lose its charm with the move to Disney, Classic Who fans had the same thoughts.

“I watched that whole episode with my teeth gritted, waiting for them to screw it up. <...> When the show was over, I tried to contain how happy I was because I was afraid it was going to be yanked out from under me again,” Redditor ghallway said.

This sentiment seems to perfectly reflect the attitude that the majority of the fandom now has towards the Disney reboot of the series. Even though it will be brand new in style and scope, many Whovians believe they'll end up loving the end result. The faith the fandom has in Russell T. Davies is too hard to break.

If you want to see the latest episodes of Doctor Who for yourself, be sure to tune in to Disney Plus on November 25th to watch the first 60th anniversary special, starring David Tennant as the 14th Doctor.

Source: Reddit