He brought Middle-earth to life in one of the greatest fantasy epics of all time. He brought King Kong into the modern era with a charming but underappreciated reboot. He even gave audiences a fresh perspective on the most iconic rock band of all time. After all this, Peter Jackson is ready to make the jump to the small screen to direct one of the most iconic television shows of all time.
Doctor Who has been around for almost as long as Peter Jackson himself. The 64-year-old director recently opened up about his desire to contribute his considerable filmmaking talents to the beloved British sci-fi series, which first aired in 1963. While his comments may have been made in passing, they could be enough to save the franchise just as it seemed to be on the brink of death.
Peter Jackson has rarely ventured into television. His filmmaking talents have normally been reserved for epic theatrical experiences, particularly The Lord of the Rings. The only television credit in his decades-long career is The Beatles: Get Back, a three-part documentary miniseries released on Disney+ in 2021. Long before this miniseries, the legendary filmmaker named a different television franchise he’d love to be a part of.
In 2013, Peter Jackson sat down with Digital Spy to promote the upcoming installment of The Hobbit, The Desolation of Smaug. There, he voiced his aspirations to one day direct an episode of Doctor Who for the BBC.
“I’d be happy to,” he said at the prospect of guest-directing on the popular British series, “I’d love to try my hand at television, because I’ve never had the discipline of having to shoot for those impossibly tiny schedules. I think I could do okay now.”
He went on to joke that he would have filmed a Doctor Who episode in his homeland of New Zealand, which also serves as the backdrop for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. He even pitched a storyline wherein the Doctor’s most heinous enemies, the Daleks, went up against the beloved Kiwi rugby union, the All Blacks. And, of course, the All Blacks would have won in the end.
Only a few months ago, Doctor Who hit its biggest roadblock in the last 30 years. The rebooted series began to wane in the 2020s under showrunner Chris Chibnall. The show’s declining popularity led to a complete overhaul, with Russell T. Davies returning as showrunner.
Doctor Who returned in 2023 with a series of specials starring David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, leading into a new “Season 1” starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor.
Unfortunately, this revival was not the success it was meant to be. The 2023 specials and Season 1 saw an increase in viewership and quality, but Season 2 saw a rapid decline. Gatwa exited the series earlier than expected in “The Reality War,” which seemingly introduced returning actress Billie Piper as the Sixteenth Doctor.
Despite this cliffhanger ending, Season 3 was never greenlit. Davies left the series after Season 2, leaving the show without a showrunner. The BBC is no longer moving forward with the series, and has put it up for other studios to produce future seasons. So far, there is no concrete future for Doctor Who, potentially marking the end of its run after more than sixty years.
As disappointing as this might be for longtime fans, there’s always a chance for Doctor Who to return. If a filmmaker like Peter Jackson were interested in rebooting the series, this could be enough for studios to drum up the money to reboot it. Jackson is extremely well-respected in his field and could bring a lot to the table that would help refresh Doctor Who for a new generation.
It seems like a long shot, but Jackson could be the last hope that Doctor Who fans have. In achieving his dream of directing an episode of the classic series, he could also fulfill fans’ dreams of seeing the Doctor return for many more adventures to come.
It wasn’t this iteration of the show that Peter Jackson was talking about, however. In 2005, the show returned under the creative direction of Russell T. Davies. The reboot was a massive success, achieving newfound success in the United Kingdom and the United States alike.
At the time of Peter Jackson’s comments, Matt Smith was playing the Eleventh Doctor alongside fan-favorite companions Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) and Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill).
Unfortunately, Peter Jackson never got to direct an episode of Doctor Who. It’s been more than a decade since he voiced his desire to join the franchise, with no developments. And, after recent news, it looks less likely that the Lord of the Rings director will ever get to live out his dream of working in the TARDIS as a result of Disney’s new Doctor Who strategy.
