Prince William Strolling Across the TARDIS Set Is a Good Reminder That ‘Physician Who’ Is Not Useless But

Doctor Who‘s peculiar limbo goes to stay round for an excellent whereas but, it appears, as no one is too keen to definitively put a degree to the present’s future past a general, hopeful desire that in the future it’ll return. That’s meant that ever for the reason that present’s bizarro mess of a season finale earlier this year, Physician Who followers have been left clinging to scraps to point that the present isn’t staring down the Dalek raygun barrel of whole extermination. The newest scrap? His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales.

Properly, largely the set he’s standing on. However Prince William was not less than the avenue to remind us that that set—a vital one certainly at that, the newest TARDIS console room—remains to be prepared and obtainable for filming.

Radio Times studies that Prince William lately visited Unhealthy Wolf Studios in Cardiff, the place Physician Who has been filmed lately, in his capability because the president of the British Academy of Tv and Movie Arts, a place the Prince of Wales has held since 2010. Photos of the royal go to had been launched right now, together with the information that Prince William recorded a message on the studio that was launched throughout tonight’s BAFTA Cymru Awards ceremony (the place Who showrunner Russell T Davies accepted an award for Excellent Contribution to Tv), selling the native movie and tv trade in Wales… which in fact included British royalty stepping contained in the TARDIS.

Placing apart Physician Who‘s personal storied historical past with the royal household—together with that point the present practically dropped a Titanic-shaped starship on prime of Buckingham Palace (after which really did, in an alternate timeline)—the information right here is usually heartening to followers nonetheless ready to listen to extra definitive information in regards to the present’s future, with the BBC and Disney alike remaining vaguely noncommittal however hopeful about an eventual return to adventures in time and area. And that information is that merely the TARDIS set itself, probably the most vital standing units of the sequence, is, nicely, nonetheless standing.

There had been some errant rumors that the set might be doubtlessly damaged down—i.e., dismantling the set totally to open up the occupied studio area for different units—if Physician Who wasn’t planning a return any time soon (or in any respect). However the truth that the set has not less than been maintained, even when just for the occasional go to, does not less than point out Physician Who‘s on-screen future isn’t completely achieved and dusted. It leaves followers in just about the identical place they’ve been for the reason that broadcast of “The Actuality Battle”—eying a 2027 return on the earliest, reducing in likeliness the longer it goes with out the BBC making any announcement—however a glimmer of hope is best than no hope in any respect.

Need extra io9 information? Take a look at when to count on the newest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the pieces you should find out about the way forward for Doctor Who.