Disney+ officially exists in partnership with the BBC, but the series’ return date has been revealed
Although this news was predictable, it seemed more likely to subside after The war between land and seathe first. Regardless, it has now been confirmed (via SFFGazette.com) that Disney+ is leaving its Doctor Who partnership with the BBC.
The streamer has partnered with the British Broadcasting Company to bring the long-running sci-fi series to a global audience. This included a cash injection intended to give the series a big-budget feel, making it more in line with Game of Thrones And The MandalorianFor example.
Unfortunately, the first two seasons of the latter Doctor Who The revival struggled to find an audience. There has also been repeated controversy around showrunner Russell T Davies’ so-called “woke” approach to telling stories.
Ncuti Gatwa left the series in the season 2 finale, regenerating into a female doctor with the face of Billie Piper (the actress played companion Rose Tyler when the series was brought back by Davies in 2005).
Today the BBC announced that Doctor Who will return at Christmas 2026 with a special episode written by Davies. It’s unclear if this will be his farewell intended to bridge the gap between his vision and that of the next showrunner. Regardless, the broadcaster confirmed that it “announce plans for the next series in due time to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue.”
We imagine this episode will be more in line with Doctor Who from before Disney+’s involvement, as the budget will likely be lower. Still, the series thrived for years without a streaming partner, and there’s hope that it will do so again.
In a statement, Lindsay Salt, head of drama at the BBC, said: “We want to thank Disney+ for being great global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, as well as for the upcoming film, The War Between Land and Sea.”
“The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our best-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 announce plans for the next series in due course, ensuring that the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”
It was also confirmed that The war between the earth and the Sea is heading to BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, with a brand new animated series for CBeebies currently in development.
THE Doctor Who The Christmas special will be produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC. The news that the series isn’t going anywhere will be welcomed by fans, but its future is unclear, despite the promises above. For now, at least, it looks like the BBC won’t be partnering with another streaming platform.
