Russell T Davies has debunked the rumour that Disney+ has ploughed a significant amount of cash into Doctor Who, apparently increasing the budget to some £10 million an episode.

Still, it seems there is some increase in budget.

He explained in Doctor Who Magazine:

“That has been exaggerated. If that was the budget, I’d be speaking to you from my base on the Moon.

“That is not the budget, and I worry that misinformation like that creates false expectation. Nonetheless, we have a lovely, handsome budget, and we’re very happy with how we’re proceeding with it.”

And executive producer Jane Tranter further assured us:

“It’s a really good budget for us. But we are not Game of Thrones. Or The Rings of Power.”

Disney+ has the streaming rights around the world, everywhere except in the UK, and has seemingly added to the series’ cash pot. Davies is right, of course: such exaggerations might go to our heads and think Doctor Who will suddenly have Star Trek or Star Wars visuals. And that might look cool, and might exist in our heads, but equally, isn’t Doctor Who supposed to look more… Web Planet? More Planet of Fire? More It Takes You Away? Even just sometimes?

Ah heck, RTD knows Who — he’s bringing in Beep the Meep for goodness’ sake!

Whatever the budget, the Fifteenth Doctor era is coming, and the Fourteenth Doctor’s tenure has already begin, and we think they’ll look fantastic.