The original Doctor Who series premiered in 1963 and ran for 26 seasons before coming to an end in 1989. In 2005, BBC resurrected Doctor Who with a new series that maintained continuity with the original and it has gone on to become a global phenomenon.
One of the benefits of that success is that the revived Doctor Who is in no danger of ending anytime soon. While speaking to Doctor Who Magazine (via BBC News), showrunner and executive producer Steven Moffat said “I thought it would last 10 years… It’s going to do a minimum of 15.”
Moffat added that “Ten years on, our ratings are pretty much the same.” However, Moffat seemed amazed that the international ratings for Doctor Who have skyrocketed. “It’s extraordinary… You’re meant to go down!”
Having a probable greenlight through 2015 doesn’t guarantee five more seasons of Doctor Who beyond the already-in-production ninth season. BBC series (and Doctor Who in particular) occasionally take longer than a year to produce a new season.
Related: Game of Thrones Actress Maisie Williams Guest Stars In Doctor Who Season 9
But this still good news for Doctor Who fans. BBC’s Head of Drama, Ben Stephenson even seemed to indicate that there’s no reason that the show has to end even five years from now.
“As long as the people looking after it are passionate about it… there’s absolutely no reason why it can’t do another 50 years,” said Stephenson.
Doctor Who Season 9 is expected to premiere in Fall 2015 on BBC One and BBC America.
