Doctor Who exterminated again?

Not the best of sources, but The Sun is reporting that Doctor Who will be exterminated next year after the end of the fourth series. The paper claims producer Russell T. Davies, exhausted by 16-hour days, has decided to axe the BBC1 sci-fi drama and concentrate on other projects and he and senior staff have hatched a plot to hand in a group resignation in summer 2008.

If true, this seems very odd to me -- although there are also rumours that Robin Hood will not return after season two, so maybe this is part of a wider cull of fantasy shows. Perhaps with the BBC recently deciding childhood stops at 11, corprorate suits (better known as Daleks) feel there's no need for such shows and we're all better off watching gritty reality-driven misery like Holby Blue (police), Black (fueneral directors), Green (bin men) or whatever.

Any cancellation decision seems a bit premature. There's clearly demand for the show both in the UK and abroad, the BBC is building a talented pool of writers and other creative staff, and I'm sure there are plenty of talented producers who could take over the show if RTD does want to move on. It seems clear from the show's rating success that there is a mainstream audience for strong fantasy TV if done right.