I think it will depend on popularity. Even in the face of cuts, the BBC will produce it seeing as they make a lot of money selling it to other countries.

Doctor Who still very strong internationally, still a few more seasons minimum if things go wrong.

I was convinced they were going to at the very least rest it after Moffat...and, despite Chibnall not being my ideal showrunner, I was so glad to see the BBC taking the show forward.

It's never been a given that we'd get this far with new Who. Especially with the Beeb budget cuts all over the place. Thankfully, DW is seen as a BBC flagship show, across the world.

I definitely think that would be a fun concept for a few episodes, especially if they mixed it with some 'turn left' elements where things are going wrong and the world is getting worse around him because he isn't saving it.

I personally don't think it would work to stretch it over an entire series, because people would just get bored of him not being the Doctor for that long, but it could work for say a 3 parter I think.

Hmmmm.... so in the first episode, The Doctor does something wrong and is punished in this fashion. He then spends episodes 2-4 like this and people watch as the world goes to heck (like in Turn Left) and/or the world seems horribly wrong (like in Big Bang with no stars). Then the Fob Watch is opened at the end of episode 4, The Doctor realizes who he is and he spends the next eight episodes fixing all of the problems that were created in the universe while he was "away". That could be a really cool Series Arc.

Sounds great. Would love to see that on screen

Quick send it to Chibnall now before he gets tempted just to fall back on Moffats 'easy' route of hiring people like Gatiss and the 'in the forest of the night' guy to write episodes for his series.

Speaking for myself, I find that really boring as a series arc. The whole thing could be done in a two parter!

Nothing lasts forever, and I would give the current run another 3-4 years maximum, since ratings have been on the slide, and I can't see this extended break will do it any good - there will be no buzz about a new Dr when it returns. But this is just my opinion, and I can no more predict the future that a tea leaf can know about the East India Company!

Don't Panic!

I think we've got a while yet. Chibnall takes over production next year for the 2018 screening of Series 11, and I think he'll probably be around for a few years. Peter C may or may not do said series, but if not it'll be a new Doctor who'll have a contract for a few years. And, not wishing to get into a ratings debate (again!) the figures are still pretty darn good for any mainstream UK drama, never mind one that sells so well internationally. (and the other big selling BBC show, about cars and stuff, seems to be going through a difficult period...)

But yeah, nothing lasts forever. Or (as George Harrison sang on me favourite album) All Things Must Pass. We'll see.

how long will Doctor who be on tv for?

Ironically, I'd kinda need a time machine to answer that for you...

Personally, I think that after the next Doctor's run or the end of Chibnall's time in charge (whichever is first), I think that's when the show is likely to end. So, if that's 3 or 4 years time from 2018 when Chibnall takes charge, it will have had a long run modern TV standards.

Nothing lasts forever but I'm sure it could come back again some time down the line. But, as things stand, I think we're nearer the end of its current spell on TV than we are the beginning....

Very reasonable. There could be a format change in the future more in line with 'Sherlock' where we don't get 'full' series (not many programmes still get runs of 12/13 episodes a year these days) but yeah, think the bottom line...I agree it's the show that will always come back in some form or other; which is nice.

As an aside, read in DWM that Piers Wenger (Ex, um, Ex. Producer) has been appointed BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, and will be "...succeeded by his current deputy and former Doctor Who colleague Beth Willis" after her maternity leave.

Who is not in a bad position at all, really. The BBC care about it and it has friends in high places, unlike the latter Eighties years. Let's, hopefully, enjoy it whilst it's in production for a good few years yet!

That line right there is why I also think we have a few years yet. The ratings on the slide issue was, in my opinion, very much due to Moffats increasingly inward facing 'for the fans' approach,( which I as a fan, who understood most references and links didn't think much of) and the burdened with unneccesary complexity which often didn't make sense anyway type stories.

From series 11 the series will be fresh again, and not a moment too soon.

Well, I'm aware you're not Moffat's biggest fan, DBB! After IMO a storming Series 9, I just want to see new episodes.

I hope you're right re Chibbers. The show is all about change and it will be interesting to see what his take is on things are as a Show runner rather than as an occasional writer for the show. He's clearly highly regarded by RTD and SM. He's got to be his own man, with his own personal style. A quote from the Moffat interview in the latest DWM;

"He's coming in knowing how showrunning works, in a way that I didn't....and what marks him out as special is the quality of his first drafts....They're immaculate. And that scene, 'the first face this face saw' with the Doctor and Amy-it's world-class scriptwriting, it really is. It's as good as it gets. And what is exciting about Chris is, I don't think people have seen his Doctor Who yet....He'll have, I would think, a quite different approach. I could make some guesses about where he'll go with it, but...I'm not going to say. Except, beautiful dialogue. And beautiful plotting. He'll be amazing."

I enjoyed RTD. I enjoyed Moffat. (the latter more, yes, but there ain't *that* much in it.) Proof of the pudding and all that, but fingers crossed for the Chibmeister...

As worrying as a completely new take can be, I do hope that Chibnall has the guts to really define his own stamp on the show rather than trying to imitate one of his predecessors. Many people wish Moffat had tried to stick to RTD's style when he took over, but two people don't necessarily excel in the same areas and I think he made the right call doing it in his own style, as I doubt the show would still be here if it was the same as it was back in 2005.

I'm hoping to see a bit of that suspense that Chibnall can be so good at when his era comes along. Just no Cyberwoman vs. sex gas.

Yes indeed. We all have our own opinions on what makes good Who, but whether you define eras by Doctors or by Producers/Showrunners, it's always been absolutely vital to have a new take on things to keep the show moving on. Eg Probably why I found early JNT/later JNT stuff engaging, but thought it got far too backward looking and stodgy in the middle!

And I can't see 'The Sex Gas Returns' or 'Revenge of the Cyberwoman' happening. Thank God!

eta Similarly, with Hinchcliffe and Williams in Tom's era, I know and understand that the Hinchcliffe era is seen as a high watermark of Who, quite flipping right, but some of the radically different Williams stuff (a lot of Season 16, City of Death...) is *so* different, but equally marvellous IMO. ("Well, I think it's marvellous.")

Hinchcliffe era is the absolute peak of Doctor Who in my opinion, but where I enjoy it for its gothic tones and mysteries I also love the Williams era on its own merits, such as its campy sci-fi and its sense of humour. I also love the Pertwee years for their deeper and more serious themes, or the 60s for their feeling of wonder and adventure, or the Moffat era for its craziness and unique ideas.

It would be a real shame if Chibnall tried to play it safe and try and mimick someone else rather than just going with the flow, and also damaging.

Whilst I am admittedly indeed not Moffat's biggest fan, I think there are far worse detractors of him on here than myself. Some people won't mention a good thing about his time, whereas I try to make an effort to balance things out by saying so when I do enjoy his work. I have said repeatedly for example how I mostly enjoyed series 9, and found it on the whole an improvement on the previous two seasons.

On the whole though, my position is this. I came into who at the with the start of the RTD era, and fell in love with a show which was astoundingly good, and continued to be so for the remainder of RTD's time on the show. Then the Moffat era came along and the show was still mostly a good show, but that, from then to now is the highest praise I could give it. Now I see a possibility of a change from the period I didn't enjoy as much to one that could possibly bring the magic back into the show the way I used to feel it.


P.s
I definitely hope Moffat is right about 'beautiful plotting' from Chibnall because I felt with Moffat, pre planning or his lack thereof, was what has bugged me the most in his era. The man had/has so much imagination, but always seemed to get bored of his own plot lines to quickly.

If chibnalls first season doesnt attact a big audience then the writing is on the wall for the show. Im afraid thats how it will pan out too... ironic it some ways. But it will be back some day

I think it will be around for a lot longer. However I don't think it will be on the BBC much longer....

Why? BBC own the rights to Doctor Who and will not sell them to anyone else.

Dr who will be on tv forever.

As long as Watch shows the repeats!