[tv show] BBC and Disney Branded Television join forces on Doctor Who

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Link: BBC and Disney Branded Television join forces on Doctor Who - Media Centre [bBC]

 

 

I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.

— Russell T Davies

The BBC and Disney Branded Television - two giants of entertainment - have come together to transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world.

 

Under a shared creative vision, they will deliver this quintessentially British show to future generations on an unprecedented scale with Disney+ as the exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who outside the UK and Ireland. The announcement – which was made this morning by the next Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa, during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan - begins a new collaboration between BBC and Disney Branded Television.

 

Both partners have aligned under returning showrunner Russell T Davies' bold vision, who takes control of the TARDIS in 2023. He was responsible for Doctor Who's revival in 2005 and is credited with propelling the show into one of TV's biggest hits.

 

The new episodes will premiere on the BBC and Disney+ beginning in late 2023 for fans all over the world.

 

The show will be produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production.

 

Russell T Davies says:

 

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK."

 

Charlotte Moore, BBC's Chief Content Officer says:

 

"We are thrilled to announce this exciting global partnership with Disney who are the perfect partners to bring this very British show to the rest of the world. Russell T Davies' vision for Doctor Who has always been out of this world and we are committed to ensuring that audiences across the globe get the opportunity to enjoy the Doctor's epic adventures with the scale and ambition that they deserve. Joining forces with Disney will elevate the show to even greater heights and reach new audiences so it's an extremely exciting time for fans in the UK and across the world."

 

Alisa Bowen, President, Disney+ says:

 

"We're excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world. The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling."

 

Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television says:

 

"Doctor Who has captivated the imaginations of families around the world for the past six decades. We are so excited about this collaboration with the BBC, and the opportunity to bring this iconic franchise – and Russell T Davies' brilliant vision – to life for a huge new global audience. Grab your sonic screwdrivers and prepare to travel through time and space!"

 

Rebecca Glashow, CEO, Global Distribution, BBC Studios says:

 

"We're delighted to join forces with a partner who shares our vision and ambition for one of the most iconic shows in British TV history. This is great news for everyone who loves Doctor Who, and for all the new fans we will reach through this powerful partnership."

 

Jane Tranter & Julie Gardner, Executive Producers and Co-founders, Bad Wolf, says:

 

"For Doctor Who to have the backing of two of the most innovative and respected media organizations in the world is a testament to the unique drive and vision at the heart of this show. Bad Wolf are beyond delighted to be once again working with the genius that is Russell T Davies and, with the exciting new partnership between the BBC and Disney, we can together reach to even greater heights, producing from Wolf Studios Wales ambitious stories through time and space for audiences across the globe."

 

I have a feeling that, perhaps, this may not be good news for Doctor Who in the longer term.

 

As always, it's all about time.

 

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A new logo for a new era! Doctor Who returns in 2023 on the @BBC in the UK and @Disney Plus in the rest of the world

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Link: Doctor Who to get Marvel makeover as Disney pledges big budgets - Birmingham Live

 

Classic British sci-fi show Doctor Who has been blessing screens with monsters and time-travelling adventures on the BBC since the 1960s. Over the years it has gained a cult following and even moved across the pond to air on ABC in America.

 

Now Disney+ is taking on the cult classic and becoming Doctor Who ’s home in the USA but the deal has more than just streaming rights. The Telegraph uncovered that Disney will also provide big blockbuster budgets for the once humble show.

 

"The corporate might of Disney will give the show vast budgets beyond the BBC’s means," the paper reported, "allowing for more cinematic production values and more stars." This will be a vast departure from the BBC’s decidedly minimal budgets that Doctor Who has worked with for 60 years.

 

Former showrunner Stephen Moffat said in 2018 he was concerned that without a bigger backing, Doctor Who would be left behind. The likes of Game of Thrones and other new shows presented a new era of television and Moffat felt limited by the show's budget.

 

This Disney deal could allow returning showrunner Russell T Davies to elevate the visuals and bring Doctor Who into a more cinematic-driven television experience. With such a behemoth backing it, Doctor Who may rise to the levels of the Marvel TV shows or beyond.

 

Davies re-launched the show in the 2000s with the ninth doctor Christopher Eccleston but stepped away in 2009. He has now returned and brought beloved Doctor David Tennant back with him as well as new face Ncuti Gatwa poised to take on the mantle.

 

While it appears that Davies will have overall creative control over the next series, Disney’s deal might include some input on the direction of the show. The media giant has a habit of taking budding or established franchises and pumping it for as much money as possible, evident in the mass of Marvel and Star Wars TV shows.

 

More money might sound good but this link could cause problems as the latest Marvel outing She-Hulk was repeatedly criticised for the CGI and the Star Wars spin-off Obi-Wan faced similar complaints. Additionally, VFX artists have come forward to speak out against Marvel and the unreasonable expectations and working conditions placed upon them.

 

It’s likely that Who fans won't mind shaky monsters or slightly off green-screen worlds but many may expect a step up in quality with bigger budgets. Doctor Who returns in November 2023 with a big 60th anniversary three-part special episode which will hopefully recapture some of the magic of its mid-00s heyday.

 

This gives me some doubts. I recall that American "influences" tried to ditch the Tardis for Paul McGann's stint: A definite no-no for me. I feel that we could be on for a repeat performance and, perhaps, permanent detrimental changes to the show.

 

[Norphy]

Wasn’t there an entire Tom Baker series that had no Tardis, due to BBC budgetary constraints?

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While Jon Pertwee's Doctor (the third incarnation) had access to the Tardis much of the time, it was "deactivated" as part of his exile on Earth [3^rd of January 1970 to 8^th of June 1974]

 

Tom Baker's Doctor (the fourth incarnation) was separated from his Tardis by the Time Lords at the start of "Genesis of the Daleks" They get back to it again at the start of "Revenge of the Cybermen" Thus he was separated from the Tatdis for the duration of one story, a longer than normal one, running for six episodes broadcast from 8^th of March to 12^th of April 1975.

 

There was no suggestion to write the Tardis out completely until "Doctor Who: The Television Movie" with Paul McGann as the Doctor, broadcast on the 27^th of May 1996.

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Link: DOCTOR WHO BUDGET 'TO TRIPLE' UNDER DISNEY+ DEAL

 

As revealed last month, the BBC and Disney Branded Television have come together to transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world.

 

Broadcast reports that Doctor Who's existing budget of £1-3m per episode could triple with an episodic budget of £10m. This would transform Doctor Who into a £100,000,000 franchise.

 

A source told Broadcast that it's an "incredibly exciting" time for the franchise, with Russell T. Davies expected to expand the universe with spin-off series, similar to Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures.

 

A source told the publication: "The BBC had to make the decision for the future success of Doctor Who because any show of scale needs a partner. Reliability is the most important factor irrespective of how many episodes you make or who the Doctor is...

 

"If you can bring in a single partner with one distribution agreement, while retaining exclusivity in the UK, that is the best of both worlds for the BBC."

 

The BBC shared at the time: Under a shared creative vision, they will deliver this quintessentially British show to future generations on an unprecedented scale with Disney+ as the exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who outside the UK and Ireland.

 

Both partners have aligned under returning showrunner Russell T Davies' bold vision, who takes control of the TARDIS in 2023.

 

Russell T Davies says: "I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK."

 

The new episodes will premiere on the BBC and Disney+ beginning in late 2023 for fans all over the world. The show will be produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production.

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Link: DOCTOR WHO BUDGET 'TO TRIPLE' UNDER DISNEY+ DEAL

 

Excited for the new series. I'll admit, I haven't watched much since the Peter Capaldi days and it just didn't interest me as much as the RTD and Moffat days. Looking forward to RTD taking over the reigns again. Hoping that we might get some Torchwood teasers at some point too!