‘Doctor Who’ Canceled Or Renewed For Season 13? Ratings Decline Addressed Before Finale

“Doctor Who” isn’t the juggernaut it once was, and fans are worried that the TARDIS might be on its last flight. Could the show be canceled 15 years after it returned to the air waves? BBC drama chief Piers Wenger seemed to indicate that cancellation is unlikely, even though it hasn’t been officially renewed yet.

Wenger praised the show’s creative direction and production values before pointing out that “Doctor Who” doesn’t rely solely on the BBC for its budget. “It’s also not just funded by the BBC, it’s funded by lots of international partners,” Wenger said, according to Deadline.

It is broadcast in over 40 countries worldwide, airing in the U.S. on BBC America. Early seasons of the rebooted show (it returned after a long absence in 2005) used to pull in over 10 million viewers in the U.K. alone, but the numbers have been steadily declining, with Sunday's episode pulling in just 3.7 million viewers in the U.K. Stateside ratings aren't much better. The current season is averaging just over half a million viewers on BBC America. Of course, TV ratings have generally been falling over the last decade with more viewers watching via streaming and DVR, which accounts for some of the dropoff.

Wenger, who has been a producer on “Doctor Who,” noted that it’s one of the few shows that families can watch together, giving the BBC another reason to renew it for Season 13.

“It’s an incredibly important show for young audiences, it’s still watched by families in a world where there are fewer shows that have the power to do that. It will always be an important show for us and we’re a very long way from wanting to rest it,” he said.

It’s worth noting that the BBC hasn’t officially renewed “Doctor Who” for Season 13 yet, but it sounds like it’s highly likely. Jodie Whittaker has previously said she’ll stay on as the Doctor for at least one more season while showrunner Chris Chibnall has agreed to do the same.

Whittaker, the first female Doctor, will wrap up her second season in the TARDIS on Sunday. She’ll face off with The Master (Sacha Dhawan) in the season finale. “That really important statement that I said to the Doctor, which is ‘Everything you think you know is a lie’ — hopefully that question will be answered,” Dhawan teased to Entertainment Weekly. “But more answers lead to more questions. The Master has so many different sides, but you’re going to see a side to him that you’ve not seen before, and you’re going to see a side to the Doctor that you’ve not seen before either.”

The “Doctor Who” Season 12 finale airs Sunday on BBC America.