What’s going on with Doctor Who? The answer to that question is very complicated. After the BBC parted ways with Disney+, the company says that it is committed to the long-running sci-fi series. But, to fans, it certainly doesn’t feel that way. We have no idea when we will see new episodes, who the next Doctor and showrunner will be, nor what direction the show is going as it hangs in a weird limbo. At the end of Ncuti Gatwa’s run, he regenerates into someone who looks like an older Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. And, Billie Piper has confirmed that she’s not the Sixteenth Doctor but she is confident about the show’s future, so fans need to “chill out.” (Thanks to Deadline for bringing this to our attention.)
She spoke about the series during an appearance at the For the Love of Fantasy & Sci-Fi convention in London. “I am not the next Doctor. I am Rose Tyler in hiatus,” she said to the crowd during a panel. “Sorry, that’s a really cryptic answer, but because I’m not currently filming Doctor Who as the Doctor, I can’t lie and say otherwise. I’m sweating. I hate this… I think you’ve all got to be very patient because it’ll be worth it when it comes. And I think that we need to celebrate the fact that the [revived] show has … been around for a very long time, it’s massively successful, and it’s impacting so many people’s lives positively.”
We can understand why this would make her nervous and/or annoyed. She’s an actress, and not in charge of the show’s future. And, what she may have known about what’s next is very likely to change. She continued talking about the show’s future, saying “It’s had a bit of a rough time lately, and I think everyone just needs to chill out and wait for what comes from having space… and time.”
Nerdist’s Take: Billie Piper Telling Doctor Who Fans to Chill Out Is Both Right and Wrong
We are pretty sure that Billie Piper didn’t mean to come off as dismissive when telling fans to chill out. But it probably feels that way to a lot of the fandom. It’s no secret that the last couple of seasons of Doctor Who haven’t been the best overall. Nevertheless, the fans continue to stick by the series and support it, pouring hours into watching the show and racking up all sorts of merchandise. We do deserve some clarity about the show’s future and whether it is truly moving forward or if we are coming into another stretch of wilderness years.
Piper’s statement is also right, to a degree. There’s nothing that fans can do to speed up whatever creative processes and decisions are being made right now. And honestly, that’s not what we should want. If the series wants to find itself again and get back to more solid sci-fi storytelling, then the BBC needs to take its time to figure out a strategy and the right company/people to execute it. So, we do kinda need to chill and remain hopeful in the future.
At least we do have further confirmation that Billie Piper aka Rose Tyler is NOT the Sixteenth Doctor. That would just be absurd. In the meantime, you can write all your hopes, dreams, and maybe even frustrations about Doctor Who in your own TARDIS journal and tap into your inner River Song.
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