Doctor Who & 007 Are Both Starting New Eras After 60+ Years

Two of the biggest franchises to ever come out of the UK are in the process of undergoing enormous changes that could redefine them forever. As much as some of the most popular shows and films in the world were born in the USA, the UK has provided some strong competition with a handful of IPs that have captured the imaginations of film and TV lovers everywhere.

However, it seems as though some of these beloved British franchises are about to experience a major shake-up, thanks to a number of different factors. Of course, we are talking about James Bond, aka 007, and Doctor Who. With both franchises in the process of finding a new team to work on the films, along with new actors to star in the leading roles, the future for both feels precariously uncertain.

James Bond Is Not Going Through A Regular Recasting Process

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Similar to how Doctor Who operates, James Bond has repeatedly sought out a new actor to tackle the leading role. Over the years, a handful of talented actors have assumed the role and left their mark on the character as they starred in several films across up to 15 years (a milestone which was achieved by the latest Bond actor, Daniel Craig).

But, this time, things are very different. The thing is, while the James Bond franchise has been controlled and carefully maintained by EON Productions. Under the Broccoli family, Bond was well cared for, and it was clear that they had a specific vision of how the character should be, and what kind of stories he should appear in, but that is no longer the case.

In 2021, Amazon purchased MGM, which opened the door for them to eventually purchase the controlling share of Bond’s production, and take control of the franchise moving forward. Evidently, this will lead to some changes in how the franchise looks going forward, because the long-standing and always present oversight of the Broccoli family is no more. And until news or a new movie comes out, it’s hard to predict what this new era will look like.

Doctor Who’s Future Is In Major Doubt

Meanwhile, Doctor Who is currently undergoing a massive shift as well. As the longest ongoing sci-fi series running on TV, Doctor Who has overcome an awful lot in the last more than 60 years. But that doesn’t mean the show was always in the strongest position. In fact, in 1989, the original series, which began airing back in 1963, was canceled, and aside from a made-for-TV movie release in 1996, the show did not return to TV until 2005.

Since 2005, Doctor Who has experienced a major resurgence in popularity, as new audiences connected to the show, and old fans returned to see how things had changed. And for a while, this seemed to work, and the show gained traction around the world that it had never truly experienced in the decades that came before.

However, in 2023, Russell T Davies, the man who revived the series in 2005, returned as the showrunner after the show’s popularity began to waver, and sought to reboot things once more with a brand-new start to a very old series. A new companion, a new Doctor, and a very different look and feel for the show as a whole. Unfortunately, this all fell apart two seasons in, with Ncuti Gatwa, the actor playing the Fifteenth Doctor, suddenly departing Doctor Who, and its future hanging in the balance.

Now, with the BBC putting the show out to tender, which is essentially asking for a new production company to come and helm the series while they continue to own the IP, things seem less stable than ever.

007 & The Doctor Both Need To Get Their Next Steps Right, Or Risk Dying Out

While neither franchise is technically dead and both are actively moving in new directions, this shift will be an essential turning point for Doctor Who and James Bond. Evidently, changing a beloved franchise comes with massive risks, as the dedicated fanbase will scrutinize the new projects to a high degree as they try to reconcile the show they love with whatever new amalgamation appears on the screen.

Realistically, with such a massive shift, changes are bound to occur, and in several ways, they may be necessary. But they also need to retain enough of the old DNA to feel like the show that audiences have grown to know and love. With all of that in mind, a major revamp behind the scenes in terms of the studios and creative teams is inherently risky.

On the flip side, however, there is room for improvement, and having some fresh eyes and new talent come on board to reassess what the show needs to succeed in the future. If they can get a good handle on that and make real positive changes, then these franchises could thrive. Otherwise, things could fizzle out quicker than ever before.

Bond & Doctor Who Show How Volatile The Streaming Era Can Be

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Of course, while modernity has provided both Bond and The Doctor with the opportunity to ingrain themselves in the hearts and minds of the public, the landscape of film and TV has been changing dramatically in the last couple of years. With the rise of streaming and the way that these platforms are taking a bigger slice of the proverbial pie, the bar for success has never been higher and less clear to understand.

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Every platform has its own internal metrics and goals when it comes to new properties, whether that be a certain number of views, total watch time, critical reception or a dozen other factors that are only assessed in-house. This volatility means that there is a lot of competition, and even for major IPs, they need to achieve a certain amount of success to keep being worth the time and money invested by the platforms.

With James Bond now becoming part of Amazon’s network, and Doctor Who fresh off the back of a deal with Disney, it’s clear that this is not a very solid foundation for these properties, unless they achieve runaway success. In that way, the next entries from both properties will need to go above and beyond to ensure their continued success, and to keep some of the best of British programming ever made in circulation.