Written By Kieran Bugg
Doctor Who is getting a huge budget increase thanks to a recent deal between the BBC and Disney. A new era has begun on Doctor Who following the conclusion to Jodie Whittaker’s run as the Thirteenth Doctor. Her emotional farewell to the long running sci-fi series ended with the exciting return of David Tennant to the role.
Immediately after, Tennant became officially confirmed as the Fourteenth incarnation of the Time Lord as well as the Tenth. This makes him the second actor to portray more than one version of the character after Tom Baker. Baker played the Fourth Doctor and a potential future regeneration known as the Curator.
Doctor Who Receives Bigger Special Effects After Disney Deal
Image: BBC
Furthermore, former show runner Russell T Davies will return to the helm for the series’ looming 60th anniversary and beyond. Davies’ long-time partner Julie Garner will also return with Bad Wolf Productions set to produce future episodes. Filming for the upcoming three-part special is currently underway with a new season to follow shortly after.
Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa will then take over the role as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Moreover, not long ago it was revealed that a deal had been reached between the BBC and Disney. This deal would see Disney Plus hold the streaming rights for Doctor Who outside of the U.K. Thus, Disney will also help the BBC finance future seasons.
Compared to other science-fiction TV programs, Doctor Who probably has one of the smallest budgets. Specifically, each episode costs the BBC between £1-3 million ($1.1-3.4 million) to produce. Some have criticized Doctor Who for its cheaper looking practical and special effects. Nonetheless, that’s what many fans believes gives the show its charm.
However, the budget increase to £10 million ($11.5 millon) will change that. A season of Doctor Who usually consists of more than 10 episodes. In other words, that means the upcoming 14th season will have an approximate budget of $100 million.
Doctor Who Receives Bigger Special Effects After Disney Deal
Image: BBC
That’s quite the financial boost. Disney will also assist in financing potential spin-offs that Davies has planned to expand the Doctor Who universe. He attempted back in the mid-00s with The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood.
Other shows with a similar budget includes House of the Dragon, which costs $20 million per episode. Stranger Things at $30 million and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with a staggering $50-80 million.
Both the BBC and Disney believe that Doctor Who has untapped potential as a franchise. Now that it’ll have a bigger budget to back it up, the show can finally reach new heights.