Mark Gatiss thinks Doctor Who has 'run its course'
Former Doctor Who writer Mark Gatiss has delivered another pessimistic view on the future of the beloved show.
Mark Gatiss thinks the "current iteration" of Doctor Who has "kind of run its course".
The 59-year-old Bookish creator, who has penned several episodes of the iconic BBC sci-fi show, has suggested the beloved series being put out to competitive tender is a definite positive if it means Whovians have to wait long enough to really "miss it".
He told Digital Spy: "Personally, I think it should rest for a good while.
"Nobody knows anything… someone could come in, totally reinvent it, and no one minds that it's been off the air for three or four years.
"But I personally just feel like this iteration has kind of run its course, and you want people to miss it – and an entirely new generation to go, 'This is my show', and for their parents by then to say, 'Oh, in my day, my Doctor was… Who was your Doctor?'
"And then their grandparents vaguely remember Tom Baker. Then the wheel turns again."
Mark referenced the BBC previously promising to stick with the show "through the '90s", only for Doctor Who to be off air from 1989 to 2005.
He added: "It's uncanny. This is the bit that fascinates me. As Mark Twain said: "History doesn't repeat itself, but sometimes it rhymes." And the rhyming is off the chart. Two years after a major anniversary, it's off.
"The BBC said they were 'committed to taking Doctor Who through the '90s', remember? Lots of bids from Verity Lambert, Gerry Davis, and then nothing happens.
"Who knows? But it's weird, isn't it? It's weird."
Last month, the BBC announced that Doctor Who is being put out to competitive tender, and the planned Christmas special has been cancelled.
The broadcaster said in a statement: "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."
