The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who will return with a Christmas special in 2026.
It’s also been announced that, as suspected, Disney+ has dropped the show, so will not be partnering with the BBC or Bad Wolf (its production studio) for any potential future series. The BBC, however, has stated that it’s “fully committed to the show and will announce plans for the next series in due course to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama at the BBC, said:
“We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming The War Between the Land and the Sea. The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026. We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”
“Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special” does sound a bit suspicious though, doesn’t it? He’s the showrunner, so of course he’s “agreed”… unless his role as showrunner might not be a long-term commitment anymore? Frankly, we don’t know.
Similarly, we don’t know whether Billie Piper — who seemingly took over the role of the Doctor after Ncuti Gatwa quit in The Reality War — will actually be the new Doctor.
It’s also interesting to note that this decision was announced before The War Between the Land and the Sea has been broadcast, going against all those claims that Doctor Who‘s future wouldn’t be revealed until after it’s been on the BBC and Disney+. Things are brewing behind the scenes, but are they good or bad or a bit of both? We’ll have to wait to find out. It’s nonetheless a blow that Disney has apparently lost faith in the programme.
The BBC is set to air The War Between the Land and the Sea by the end of 2025.
The 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special will be produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC.
