Doctor Who episode at risk of being pulled from primetime slot amid scheduling chaos – after axing fears

A Doctor Who spin-off special episode is in danger of being axed due to a scheduling shake-up.

The show’s boss admitted he’s unsure whether it will even air, as fierce competition for BBC One’s prime-time slots throws its future into doubt. 

This news follows the official announcement of the show’s return date, with Ncuti Gatwa stepping into the TARDIS once again as the Fifteenth Doctor.

The highly-anticipated new series is set to launch on the channel on Saturday, April 12 at 6.50pm.

However, with a special Eurovision-themed episode lined up – offering a sci-fi twist on the beloved song contest – its broadcast on May 17 remains uncertain.

There could be a potential scheduling clash triggered by the FA Cup Final.

A Doctor Who spin-off special episode is in danger of being axed due to a scheduling shake-up. The news follows the official announcement of the show’s return date, with Ncuti Gatwa stepping into the TARDIS as the Fifteenth Doctor

Teams like Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, and Aston Villa battle for a coveted spot in the match set to air live on BBC One.

With two of the four teams securing a place in the FA Cup Final at Wembley, the possibility of extra time or a penalty shootout could wreak havoc on the BBC’s evening schedule – potentially bumping Doctor Who from its prime-time slot.

The Sci-fi’s showrunner Russell T. Davies recently expressed his concerns over whether the episode will make it to air.

He told OK! Magazine: ‘The FA Cup is going live on BBC One, and then you have Eurovision going live in the evening, we’re squeezed in the middle.

‘We don’t know if we’ll even be transmitted that day.’

‘It will be on iPlayer but you’ll have to sit through a football match to know whether Doctor Who will be out that night,’ he went on.

‘They [the BBC] asked if we wanted to move it. But I said, ”That’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever heard. Let’s find out!”’ 

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment. 

The FA Cup final, which airs on May 17 live on BBC One, could push Doctor Who off the schedule (pictured Manchester City’s Jack Grealish during the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final match)

It comes amid fears that Doctor Who is reportedly facing the axe, while lead actor Ncuti is thought to be on the verge of quitting.

The long-running sci-fi show has suffered a huge drop in ratings of late, with fans said to be fed up of the injection of ‘woke’ storylines.

Ncuti joined the show in 2023 after Jodie Whittaker bowed out as the Time Lord, but it’s rumoured that he’s set to walk away from the BBC show after just two seasons.

According to reports, a decision of the show’s future will only be decided by bosses once Ncuti’s second series hits screens later this year.

It is thought that Ncuti has already filmed his regeneration exit scene, with crews allegedly fearing that this could spell the end of the series after a whopping 62 years.

A source told The Sun: ‘Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.

‘His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.’

They continued: ‘The show has been poorly managed in recent years and there’s a lot of people who’ve been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership.’

It comes amid fears that Doctor Who is reportedly facing the axe, while lead actor Ncuti is thought to be on the verge of quitting

The insider added that people had warned that the episodes were becoming ‘too caught up on an agenda’ rather than focusing ‘telling a story’, with those people apparently being ‘shouted down’ and ‘ignored.’

MailOnline contacted representatives of BBC and Ncuti for comment at the time.

According to the publication, Ncuti’s first series attracted between ‘2.25million and 3.18million viewers’, which was ‘much less than previous series’.

However, a Doctor Who spokesperson told The Sun: ‘This story is incorrect. Doctor Who has not been shelved. 

‘As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes — and exactly half of those still have to transmit.’

Ncuti was the first black actor to take on the leading role as The Doctor, after Jodie made history as the first permanent female Time Lord in 2017.

He became a household name when he starred as gay teenager Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education.