As Doctor Who’s Future Remains in the Balance, Writer and Actor Mark Gatiss Says It May Be Time for the Show to ‘Rest’
“It’s been back for 20 years, which is an awfully long time.”
As questions swirl over the future of Doctor Who, one of the its most prolific writers has suggested the series may be due a “rest”.
Almost two months after the airing of Doctor Who’s most recent season finale, the BBC’s flagship sci-fi show is still to be recommissioned for new episodes. The return of co-production partner Disney remains uncertain, and a notable Doctor Who insider recently suggested the series will likely now remain off-air for several years while production sits paused.
Amid all of that, Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss has been asked his view on what might be next for the veteran series. In response, Gatiss referenced the era where Doctor Who was previously off-air for a considerable period, between 1989 and 2005, and suggested it might be time for the franchise to take another break.
A friend and frequent collaborator of previous Doctor Who showrunner Stephen Moffat, Gatiss has written nine episodes of the series since its 2005 reboot, and acted in five episodes.
“It’s been back for 20 years, which is an awfully long time,” Gatiss told Prospect magazine. “Almost as long as its original run. That’s pretty spectacular. So maybe it’s time for another rest.”
“I really don’t know,” he continued. “I only know that I still love the show with all my heart.”
Gatiss is one of the most senior figures to comment on the uncertain future of Doctor Who, following the series’ most recent episode which saw the departure of star Ncuti Gatwa via a reshot ending, and the unexplained appearance of Billie Piper in a role that remains to be confirmed.
Even the mere suggestion that Doctor Who might enter another ‘dark period’, such as the 16-year hiatus between its Sylvester McCoy and Christopher Eccleston eras, would have previously seemed inconceivable. But such is the uncertainty around the show’s future now, with no actor officially confirmed to hold the series’ title role.
Russell T Davies, Doctor Who’s showrunner for its past two seasons, has meanwhile simply said that the series’ makers “don’t know what’s happening yet.”
In the meantime, the BBC will plug the gap with an already-shot spin-off miniseries, The War Between The Land and The Sea, which is expected to debut in 2026. There are also early plans for an animated Doctor Who series for UK children’s channel CBeebies — though with a production partner yet to be found, this sounds much further off.
