They Filmed Something. I Wonder What It Was?

Doctor Who? More like Doctor When, more like Doctor Never, am I right?

Last week I heard some rather tangential gossip, albeit with providence, that Bad Wolf Studios with Russell T Davies had already filmed a Doctor Who Christmas special on a closed set, with few actors, and keeping everything in house, as part of a plan to get a Christmas Special out there with no leaks, no press previews, nothing, as parft of a big Christmas Day surprise that would get the nation talking, and watching, like nothing else ever has. I wrote an article, and suddenly, the Daily Mail turned my Substack into an article without even a link, and suddenly, there were YouTube videos everywhere. And the person I’d spoken to suddenly went dark. Until today.

Because today the BBC announced that, despite previously saying there would be a Doctor Who Christmas Special in 2026, now there would not be, and that Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf were leaving the show.

“As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC, and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who, ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come. After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”

And Russell T Davies posted on Instagram,

“The BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special - we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worth it! For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor.”

TARDIS sketch by Russell T Davies with the Marvel UK sound effect

Previously, Russell T Davies told BBC Newsbeat that plot details for the special had been shared with BBC bosses and that what’s to come left them “with jaws agape, loving it”.

Doctor Who composer under RTD, Murray Gold, told the Half The Picture podcast, "I know that Russell’s written, I think, multiple versions depending on certain outcomes. So that’s all I really know, and I’m not sure [that] I’m even supposed to know that."

And then I get a message from the person I had spoken to, those weeks ago. “Well, they filmed something. I wonder what?” I wonder what too… it’ll be lonely this Christmas without Who to watch….