Following the news that Doctor Who will return in 2026 without Disney+, let’s take a look at some of the biggest Doctor Who announcements to have rocked the Whoniverse…
David Tennant is leaving
It was David Tennant himself who once remarked that, when you become the eponymous Time Lord, everyone wants to know when you’ll leave, and when you leave everyone wants to know when you’ll return!
But this Doctor Who announcement certainly came as a shock. Tennant was (and still is) one of the most popular incarnations of all time, and many fans were devastated to hear that he was leaving. What made this moment even more dramatic, though, was the fact that he chose to announce his departure live at the National Television Awards, flanked by soldiers (he’d just come off stage in Hamlet.)
And this was a double-whammy Doctor Who announcement. He also revealed that he was about to start filming four more specials, and that another series would follow – but not with him. The actor later said that he chose to leave at this time as he knew there was a possibility that he’d still be missed; he didn’t want to wait until people were sick of him!
90 missing episodes recovered?!
Many a Doctor Who fan will tell you what a rollercoaster ride 2013 was. Early in the year, rumours circulated that a hoard of missing Doctor Who episodes had been located in Africa by a man called Philip Morris. And this wasn’t just a hoard; it was 90 – nearly everything. The rumours went on to say that a Doctor Who announcement was imminent, and indeed these rumours persisted for another six months.
The problem was, the rumours were hard to kill. Even the BBC themselves were unable to crush them, releasing a loosely-worded statement about being “unable to confirm any new finds” which just sent the internet into overdrive.
But as they say, there is no smoke without fire. A Doctor Who announcement did arrive in the October of that year – Philip Morris had found nine missing episodes in Nigeria, amounting to almost the entirety of ‘The Web of Fear,’ and the complete ‘Enemy of the World.’ ‘Marco Polo’ was also rumoured to be among the finds (right up until the last minute) but, alas, we’re still waiting for that one…
The next Doctor is a woman
Any Doctor Who announcement which relates to the unveiling of a new Time Lord is always a big deal, and there are always supporters and detractors. Indeed, there was a backlash when Matt Smith was cast, as some people felt that he was too young and couldn’t picture him playing a 900+ year old time traveller. How on earth was he going to channel the energy of the late, great William Hartnell?
Similarly, the internet almost went into meltdown when the BBC unveiled Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor, in a special scene broadcast during the 2017 Wimbledon Men’s final. The Doctor had always been a man – how could anyone in their right mind cast a woman?!
Of all the Doctor Who announcements, this was certainly one of the most impactful. It was history in the making; there had never been a female Doctor before, and nobody knew if it would work, or if people would tune in.
Even today, there are fans who maintain that this Doctor Who announcement left a bitter taste in their mouths. At the same time, the arrival of a new Doctor will always turn some people off; there are probably some viewers who stopped watching after William Hartnell!
The hiatus!
1985’s Doctor Who announcement was another seismic one. The BBC, having grown tired of its flagship show and wishing you pour money into EastEnders instead, decided to cut the Time Lord’s travels short after Season 22, and take him off the air for 18 months.
To say that fans were unhappy with this Doctor Who announcement would be an understatement. There were letters, public protests, and even TV presenters (of BBC shows) were criticising the Corporation’s decision, laying much of the blame at the door of the controller Michael Grade, who’d gone on holiday.
Thankfully, the series did eventually return in 1986, but not before John Nathan-Turner had assembled a celebrity cast to record a record demanding the Time Lord’s return…
The return of Russell T Davies
When Chris Chibnall announced that he was stepping down as Doctor Who showrunner, the internet was wildly speculating as to who his replacement would be. Such names as Alex Rider creator Anthony Horowitz were even being mooted.
The one person that virtually no one expected, though, was Russell T Davies. He’d relaunched Doctor Who back in 2005, and was responsible for turning it into the juggernaut that it is today. No one realistically believed that he’d return to the show and take the reins once more.
But he did. In September 2021, one of the most stunning Doctor Who announcements of all time was made – Davies was returning for the 60th anniversary, and series beyond. This news was later followed by the announcement that he was bringing back his producers Julie Gardner and Phil Collinson, along with the composer Murray Gold and – staggeringly – David Tennant and Catherine Tate. It felt like Christmas.
Of all the names that had been thrown into the ring, his was one of the least expected, and whilst some fans were cautious or worried (we always are!) there was no denying the universal shock. Was the series about to return to the ‘golden age’ of the early naughties?
These are just some of the biggest Doctor Who announcements from the last 62 years. Which one is your favourite? And which announcements would you add to the list? Let me know in the comments below.
Love to see more the 10th doctor buts its impossible. I was disappointed that the fifteenth doctor only had two seasons. I really liked him he had empathy.