The BBC recently announced that their long-running hit TV series Doctor Who will be taking another potentially-long hiatus and that the upcoming Christmas special will be cancelled. The sci-fi show is beloved by many, so there has been a lot of discussion, speculation, and banter online regarding this hiatus, which feels similar to the one that happened before the series was rebooted in 2005. Because of this, I figured I would also weigh in on what’s happening with the show and all the discourse around it.

First off, Doctor Who has not been cancelled. Only the 2026 Christmas special has. At the time of writing this article, the BBC is currently looking into options as to how to best continue the show. There have been people claiming the show has been cancelled, but that’s misinformation.

As for how I feel about the show’s hiatus, I honestly don’t feel like it’s the worst thing in the world. Sure, I’ll miss it. I’ll miss seeing new stories and adventures when they come out. I’ll miss the speculation of what things could mean or what could happen next. That being said, even if you start at the 2005 reboot, it’s a lot of television. Twenty years of a single show is a lot for any television program, nevermind that it’s over sixty years if you include the classic Doctor Who episodes. A break from that much of one show isn’t a bad thing.

There are so many other shows to watch or get caught up on. One of the longest-running ones taking a break is like being able to catch a breather. Plus, it allows for Doctor Who rewatches that couldn’t be done before or even the time to watch any episodes or eras that you haven’t before. This is also a show that, for some reason, causes a lot of arguing and debate online within the community, and a break from that might be nice too.

Speaking of that arguing, no, the Doctor being black or a woman is not a problem. There seems to be plenty of folks online who blame this hiatus for the show taking progressive stances and having the Doctor regenerate into women or a queer black man. The Doctor, like any Time Lord from Gallifrey, is able to regenerate into any other person. There’s no reason for them to only regenerate into cisgender white men. That wouldn’t make sense. The show itself has always tackled progressive themes; it’s nothing new like these weirdos claim. None of this is related to the hiatus outside of it being a good reason as to why the community might need a break.

This long hiatus will also allow for a thoughtful restructuring of the franchise rather than the showrunners trying to force something out due to deadlines and time constraints. The result will hopefully be something fans will love. If stories are written with more care and everything is carefully thought out, then the series has the chance to return with some of the strongest episodes ever. Twenty years of almost non-stop stories is a lot, and this time might be needed.

While I’ll miss the show, I’m definitely fine with the break. I’m also very excited to see what BBC cooks up whenever it does return. Until then, I’ll revisit some of my favorite Doctor Who stories.

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