No they don't. Disney, through Disney Branded Television, only have the rights to stream Whoniverse content (on Disney+) outside of the UK and Ireland. They do not have any production input, nor do they have any ownership. The show and its IP is still owned entirely by the BBC, who have outsourced production (through third party contracts) to commercial production companies BBC Studios and Bad Wolf, the latter of which is owned by Sony.I’d call it the Whoniverse Era , not least as Disney seem to have spin offs in the works
Didn’t a 6 episode run get leaked that follow on from the 3 Tenant / Tate specialsCalling the next series season one doesn't mean much in the long run. It only serves the purpose to entice overseas viewers in with the Disney+ partnership.
In terms of spin offs, there’s only one that’s been heavily rumoured and that is a UNIT spin-off which was rumoured to have started production in September but has been postponed for whatever reason.
Either way Russel T Davies certainly has plans to expand the ‘Whouniverse’ but it seems like it will be a bit of a wait until we see new spin offs appearing.
Pretty certain that was for a potential Big Finish series (audio dramas).Didn’t a 6 episode run get leaked that follow on from the 3 Tenant / Tate specials
I actually quite liked Flux, but I'm a bit of an outlier in that respect. It was refreshing to see Who attempt to tackle an actual serial again, and on an epic scale, rather than RTD's rather tiresome monster of the week format. I think by this point most fans had checked out though, the previous Chibnall seasons were tough to watch, especially Spyfall.I really enjoyed it. Doctor Who is back! It wasn't an amazing episode, but a fun, no-thrills storyline to ease people back in. I felt the pacing was slightly off in places, but then they had a lot to cram in. My only main criticism is that these are being billed as 60th-anniversary specials; the first episode was more of a 10th Doctor/Donna Noble anniversary special. I hope there's a bit more to the following two episodes.
I found the whole Chibnall/Whittaker era very difficult to watch. I'm a big 'Who fan, normally rewatch episodes, and I've never rewatched a single episode of the Chibnall era; it felt like a chore to watch.
The whole point of these specials is fan service and to get casual viewers from the Tennant/Tate era to return. There has been a sharp decrease in interest in Doctor Who over the past five years, so they've gone for the tactic of fan service and nostalgia; whether that works or not, we'll see. Personally, I would have maybe gone for three specials based around three doctors or a multi-doctor story (I know they've been done to death, but it works).
The real reboot will be from the Christmas special, and the next series in 2024 is being billed as 'season one'. I'm looking forward to that.
It was originally promised that Disney would have no creative input or control in the series, but RTD has said in interviews that he runs the scripts past Disney Branded Television execs, which would suggest that this is no longer true.I admit I enjoyed Flux and The Power of the Doctor as Jodie's final episode.
I don't mind the Whoniverse branding. However, I'm a bit wary of Disney's influence on the show and hope it doesn't impact the upcoming series significantly. Since Marvel/Star Wars has become a bit of a hot mess, churning out show after show, I hope RTD/Bad Wolf/BBC ensure that Doctor Who doesn't fall down the same path.