Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has announced he will be working on a new series for Channel 4.
The news comes following fears that the long-running sci-fi phenomenon could face the axe following a recent drop in ratings.
His new show, an LGBT drama titled Tip Toe, is slated to come out in 2026, meaning the chances of Russell finding time to work on Doctor Who could be slim.
Speaking about Tip Toe in a press release, he explained: ‘This is a show I had to write because the world is getting stranger, tougher and darker, and frankly, the fight is on.’
Elsewhere, four new writers have joined Doctor Who for the upcoming series and will work alongside Russell this year.
Sunday Times best-selling novelist Juno Dawson, Inua Ellams, Sharma Angel-Walfall and Pete McTighe (who wrote two episodes with the Thirteenth Doctor) will join.
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has announced he will be working on a new series for Channel 4 (pictured in 2023)
The news comes following fears that the long-running sci-fi phenomenon could face the axe following a recent drop in ratings
Russell told the BBC: ‘Doctor Who takes its talent from a glittering galaxy of names, and these extraordinary writers span the skies.
‘We’ve got old hands, new stars, voices from theatre, radio and literature, the whole works!
‘It’s the most wild and exciting season of Doctor Who yet, and I can’t wait to unleash their brilliant work.’
Doctor Who is reportedly facing the axe and lead actor Ncuti Gatwa 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.
The Scottish actor, 32, 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.
His new show, an LGBT drama titled Tip Toe, is slated to come out in 2026, meaning the chances of Russell finding time to work on Doctor Who could be slim (pictured in May 2024)
Lead actor Ncuti Gatwa is thought to be on the verge of quitting after just two seasons
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.
‘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.’
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 have contacted representatives of BBC and Ncuti for comment.
According to the publication, Ncuti’s first series attracted between ‘2.25million and 3.18million viewers’, much less than previous series’.
However, a Doctor Who spokesperson added to 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.
