Disney+ Steps Back from Doctor Who

Disney+ is ending its partnership with the BBC for Doctor Who after two seasons, and the BBC will continue the franchise on its own in 2026 with a Christmas special by Russell T Davies.

“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,” said Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC. “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.”

The 2026 Christmas special will be produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios.

Before next year’s Christmas special, The War Between the Land and the Sea will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year. An animation series is in development for CBeebies as well.