Photo Credit: Disney+
It’s official. Doctor Who will return, just not on Disney+.
What’s the latest Doctor Who update?
It’s now been confirmed, after months of rumors, that Disney+ will pull its involvement with the long-running science fiction series, ending a short-lived partnership with the BBC that resulted in two seasons of Doctor Who, plus the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
In a statement (via Deadline), BBC drama director Lindsay Salt thanked 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.”
When the Disney+/BBC partnership on Doctor Who was first announced, fans were largely excited, as Disney’s involvement meant that the budget for episodes would increase, allowing for better VFX and more high-profile guest stars, although some ultimately expressed displeasure at the changes. Despite heavy promotion, as well as rebranding Series 14 as “Season 1,” the Disney era of Doctor Who did not translate into higher ratings, with the show underperforming both on BBC and in the U.S. on Disney+.
With Disney out of the picture, the show will see its production budget decrease, although the BBC and showrunner Russell T. Davies will no longer be beholden to running any creative changes by Disney, which could see Doctor Who return to its extremely successful pre-Disney era.
While a Series 16/Season 3 has not been officially greenlit yet, Doctor Who will return in 2026 with a Christmas special penned by Davies. While plot details remain under wraps, the special will likely pick up from the shocking Series 15 finale cliffhanger, which saw Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerate into someone with the appearance of Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler.
“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,” stated Salt. “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.”
Doctor Who will return in 2026 with an untitled Christmas special.
