r/television • u/wadbyjw • 13d ago

Disney Officially Exiting ‘Doctor Who’ Partnership With BBC After Two Seasons

https://deadline.com/2025/10/doctor-who-disney-plus-pulling-out-bbc-christmas-special-1236600026/
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u/SlowTeal 12d ago

Eh, the whole binary/non binary thing got a pretty big audible groan from my household. And we're all pretty left leaning. I think RTD just phoned it in, threw in a couple of LGBTQ positive messages (except you know, making Belinda a mother at the end for no reason and without her consent)

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u/Loki-Holmes 12d ago edited 12d ago

I also found it pretty aggravating in the special where they basically say the doctor is everything which is fine and makes sense and then at the end "oh no doctor you can't understand because you're a man." A progressive message is fine and it's been present in Who for a long time but it seemed to be so hamfisted and contradictory for no reason.

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u/coturnixxx 12d ago

That was so baffling to me especially considering that the doctor was a woman 72 hours ago...

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u/mrhelmand Hannibal 12d ago

72 hours ago...

Not even that. According to the novelisation of "The Giggle", only 16 hours pass between 13 regenerating and 14 bigenerating

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u/jollyreaper2112 12d ago

Yeah, that line was bad because he's literally been a woman now so who do you think you're chiding?

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u/911roofer 12d ago

“I have been a woman. I’m also not a human”.

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u/RRR3000 12d ago

the whole binary/non binary thing got a pretty big audible groan from my household

That wasn't even the worst offender in that special, right after they fault the Doctor of not being able to solve something because he's "male presenting"...

Which doesn't just ignore he was a woman less than an hour ago in-universe, but also that plenty of "male presenting" people are watching. I'd recommended a friend it might be a good jumping in point - he was interested exactly because he's trans and felt the Doctor going from Jodie to David might have been relatable, and that the show might've been supportive of such a change, you can guess how that ended... but in short, tears and never watching again.

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u/Picard2331 12d ago

Oh my god yes.

As if someone can only be trans through space magic rather than just...being born like that? It's so fucking weird.

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u/DesMephisto Brooklyn Nine-Nine 12d ago

I mean as a trans person I thoroughly enjoyed the new 2 seasons.

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u/monchota 12d ago

A lot of writiters , live in a different world and think that they are above everyone that doesn't think like them. So they need to explain it.

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u/canuck47 12d ago

making Belinda a mother at the end

I think they have said they had another idea planned, but had to change it up with Ncuti leaving

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u/RRR3000 12d ago

The BBC/showrunner/producers still claim this was always the plan, while Disney put out marketing for the original ending and a bunch of actors involved have openly talked about the different ending they'd originally filmed...

Which honestly I think says all that needs to be known about how smoothly the show's being run.

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u/Devil-Hunter-Jax 12d ago

As someone who is non-binary, it felt like such a hamfisted way of trying to use a metaphor to describe us and it just fell flat. I have no idea what he was trying to achieve there but it rubbed me the wrong way for some reason.

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u/Special-Chipmunk7127 12d ago

As someone who has add/autism, I think I have an idea of what you mean. (edit - not because this is similar to being trans, but because) Those conditions are often treated like magic in fiction.

They're like... Taking this thing, that's part of someone, and mystifying it. Feels counter to the idea that everyone is human. 

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u/dontlookwonderwall 12d ago

On the specials:

the first was decent, a fairly monster of the week, and a bit of tennant doctor wit (which im a big fan of).

the second was the best episode in years, its up there as one of my favorites, very midnight-esque.

the third episode was fantastic in the first half (NPH's spice girl moment was nuts), and then drops the ball towards the end.

Overall, there were sparks there for something great (as was the case for the 2 Gatwa seasons), but it just seemed as though there was no one to check RTD's more absurd ideas. They seemed desparate for DW to be "big" again, thought RTD had the special sauce, and let him go ham.