Doctor Who - The Cancellation

this is all about the details of the show not coming back in 1990

[Problembeing]

My school’s DW club took us to the BBC to visit the set of ‘Ghostlight’ where we got to meet Sylvester, Sophie and JNT, and watch dress rehearsals from the wings. Sylvester and So[hie came out to have a chat to us in a break between set-ups and they were so lovely to us, and it strikes me now to think ‘did they know it was canceled at that point?’ How smiley and friendly that were, but were they thinking ‘god, we have to meet these kid fans and pretend everything’s alright even though their show is going to end’. Who knows

[timrob]

I love that moment of Eccleston's voice whispering over JNT's last words. It's like an echo from the future calling and giving us a hint of saying: "It's not done yet. We will be back."

[odiedodieuk]

“The real...McCoy”

God bless you sir

[culttelevision]

I did my work experience at the BBC in the week of 23rd of November 1988. It was wonderful to see Silver Nemesis be broadcast live whilst in the corridors of the BBC with the TARDIS prop still in the prop store at TVC. I was in contact with the production office the year after and they sent me a load of shooting scripts for the final season and there was no hint of definite cancellation. It did need a refresh beyond where it had go to be 1990 but to leave it off air for 15 years was ridiculous.

[G.R.V-vg]

I was not a McCoy fan at the time. I didn't like his stories from the first two seasons but then his third season happened it was a great turn around and I started warming up to him. I was looking forward to seeing what The Doctor and Ace would be doing but then the cancellation happened.

[chrislupton]

Considering Cartmel's Masterplan, the idea that it was put on hiatus because nobody passionate enough was to be seen is a ridiculous joke.

[flyhyland]

It's really sad JNT didn't get to live to see that not only would the show come back but more successful than ever before in 2005.

[Gibsonuk]

When it was cancelled! The Doctor and Ace were fine tuned and had at least a season or two left for the duo, at least

[yaboi]

I love the 7th doctor he's actually one of my favorites I think it's really sad that he didn't get an epic and dramatic end

[Kryojenix]

"Doctor Who has no place in the nineties" - Janet Fielding ... 😁 well, she was right!
It was so intensely disheartening to wait and wait for the next season of Doctor Who and just not know whether or not it had been cancelled or not.
I'd just become a fan a couple of years back (we used to get them a year later at that point) and going into my adolescence as a social outcast with this new sci-fi character to identify with and not knowing where it went was so upsetting. Made me feel even more like a reject...

[rodneymarsden]

The Doctor Who makers at the time had great ideas but little money to carry out those great ideas. There were some wonderful moments and not so wonderful moments. It all came down to money. The BBC was wrong in what they did. If they had brought in a new producer and more cash it could have gone on forever. Coronation Street means nothing to Australians. Doctor Who meant a lot.

[tomisgood]

I really wish they gave McCoy one more season where they knew it was the final season. It could have been so good, McCoy and Sophie where so well settled into their roles and we could have seen a conclusive end to their story.

... but part of me also wonders if the show being canceled in the way it was, and the hunger it left fans is what led to the revival? If the 7th Dr. and the show as a whole was given a satisfying end would fans of been content to see the show end? In the end it may of worked out in a favor, but that guys still a nob for cancelling the show when and how he did!

[johnking]

2:13 - There is the very talented Mike Tucker who worked as the special visual effects director for Red Dwarf, the hit sci fi sitcom on BBC 2 from 1988 to 1999. Mike also worked on the rebooted Red Dwarf series when it moved to the UKTV Dave channel from 2009 onward.

[CMDRThunderush]

It's sad that the future of the show hinged on one TV movie's viewing figures in 1996 in America, only to be quashed by Roseanne's big cliffhanger with Dan having a heart attack. If we did things today now that social media and videos are spread like wildfire, the reaction might have been much stronger. However, the wild changes proposed for the show were not very well thought out and could have completely twisted what Doctor Who was at its core.

[peterward]

I think one of JNTs biggest errors was introducing a 'Costume' for The Doctor rather than simply a 'style'. And the Question Mark motif really reduced it to a kiddie show level. Though having said that, somehow it worked for Peter Davison's amiable incarnation.

[dommoore]

Funny he says it needed someone to bring it into a new era and update it when that's exactly what had just happened in 1987-89. Not even like it's a small update, they fundamentally changed everything about the show. Rings a bit hollow or as an excuse in that context particularly with everything else that has been said about the BBC and the higher ups view of Doctor Who.

[zigzacpaddywhack]

It’s unfortunate how much Peter Cregeen looks like Harold Shipman here

[johntaylor]

In 1989 I remember how disappointed I was that Doctor Who was not going to be made anymore . I'd loved the show since I started watching it as an 8 year old boy when Jon Pertwee first started in 1970. I'm now 62 years old and still enjoy watching it. It's always been my favourite show on tv.

[jb]

The Doctor, The Master, The Rani, The Castellan...

The Cancellation? Never heard of that Time Lord.

[evanstephen]

Imagine JNT's reaction to the budget spent on series produced beyond 2005