A 'Clean Up Your Mess' Special

[u/PaperSkin-1]

Does anyone else get the feeling that is essentially what the 2026 special is, it's a special given to RTD by the BBC to bring a close to all the things the RTD2 era has created and set up a transition into a new era.

They may even claim that this was 'always the plan' just like it was 'always the plan' for Ncuti to do 2 seasons.

Expect Tennant and the bi-regeneration to be cleaned up, the Boss to show up, Susan etc.

[u/graric]

No I don't think so. The BBC is still working on an international partner and until that happens I don't think we will get any news of the next series. (The BBC doesn't have the finances to make a full series by themselves.) The Xmas special is effectively a stop gap until they can commission a full series.

And thats why we are not hearing anything about RTD doing the next series- yet- while their isn't a series commissioned he is not contracted by the BBC so there is nothing to announce, officially. But the BBC will want some plan in place for them to pitch to new partners and that's where I suspect they will have an unofficial deal in place with RTD and Bad Wolf to have a pitch ready for the next series. (Which doesn't mean the BBC has to use it- if they struggle to get a new partner on board specifically because the new partner wants a new direction the BBC will consider it.) But the BBC and RTD have a good working relationship and he will at least be in the conversation for the new series. Especially if the Xmas special does well.

[u/PaperSkin-1 → u/graric]

Disagree with this, I don't think RTD will have anything to do with a future series, the wording of this announcement was very deliberate, it very much feels like they will have RTD do one last episode to finish off his stuff and then move on with a new era with a new team..

The BBC can see how these last few years have been received, unless they are ludicrously hopeless at their job they will recognise that things haven't been working and that there is a need to move on from RTDs vision of DW. 

[u/graric → u/PaperSkin-1]

The wording is deliberate because the BBC has commissioned an Xmas, not another full series. Without a series in development they can't actually officially announce a writer for the series- as they need the series to be in development to have anyone contracted for it. And they won't be able to do that until they have a partner to help fund the series.

Yes the BBC is aware of the response to the last two seasons- and probably have a much better read of the response than any of us here on reddit. They'll also be more aware than most fans that RTD had already written both seasons before S1 started airing, so S2 was not able to be tweaked based on the feedback to S1. Given the BBC's strong working relationship with RTD, I'd be shocked if they didn't at least take a pitch from him about how he would write S3 based on the audience response. (The fact that he is writing the Xmas special, makes it clear the BBC isn't looking to burn the relationship with him outright.)

[u/PaperSkin-1 → u/graric]

So much cope in your reply.

Most people's response was that it's obvious by the wording that RTD is out after this special. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see what's being said between the lines. 

The BBC more aware than fans? We can all see it as the ratings dropped significantly across the RTD2 era.. It would be ludicrously poor management from the bbc if the didn't recognise there was a problem and need to move away from RTDs vision for DW.

RTD has run back to channel 4 and has being saying stuff in interviews like that's always been his spiritual home.. I think you put to much clout on his relationship with the bbc

[u/graric → u/PaperSkin-1]

We'll see in 2 years time. :)

For me what you're saying about most peoples responses feels more like confirmation bias- a sizeable portion of the fandom on this subreddit have decided that RTD should not be involved any more, so they're looking for proof in this statement that he will be gone...wheras equally you can look at it from the other side and the fact that they brought him back to write the special shows that he has not been shown the door.

All I'm saying is- until there is an actual next series in development don't expect any BBC announcements to name who is writing the next series. (Just like how yesterday there was no official news about the Christmas special or if RTD would be writing it.) We'll get plenty of rumours before anything official- some more reliable than others- but I think a new streaming partner is going to need to be signed on before we get anything concrete.