After five months of uncertainty, Disney+ finally called it quits with its Doctor Who partnership, but there is some good news still. Almost 60 years into Doctor Who's legendary British legacy on the BBC, the British broadcaster opted to shake things up, landing a co-production deal with Disney+. That deal is planned for 26 episodes, including three 60th anniversary specials starring David Tennant, two seasons and two festive episodes with Ncuti Gatwa, and a new UNIT-centric spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is still to be released.
The official Doctor Who site finally pulled back the curtain on the series' future, with the BBC confirming that Disney+ will "not be partnering" on the British sci-fi mainstay's next season, ending a two-year, 26-episode partnership.
Since Doctor Who Season 2 wrapped up in May, Disney+ has reportedly failed to offer a true decision on whether it will renew its deal with the BBC. The uncertainty has wreaked havoc on plans to air new seasons annually and seemingly led to Ncuti Gatwa's sudden exit with the latest finale, "The Reality War."
The BBC's Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt, thanked Disney+ for being "terrific global partners" for Doctor Who's last two seasons:
"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'."
Salt reinforced that "the BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who" and is excited to confirm "another spectacular Christmas special for 2026:"
"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.”
Meanwhile, Doctor Who will be back on the BBC in Christmas 2026 with a festive special written by showrunner Russell T. Davies, and plans for the next season will be announced in "due course to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue."
The press release also confirmed that The War Between the Land and the Sea, a five-episode spin-off, will debut later this year. Currently, the UNIT-centric show is still expected to premiere on BBC One and iPlayer in the U.K. and Ireland and on Disney+ in other territories (as it was part of the original agreement).
Find out more about Doctor Who's more mature spin-off coming in 2025.
Doctor Who's Future Is Finally Clear, And It's Looking Better
Due to the uncertainty surrounding Doctor Who's future, Season 2 ended on a somewhat unusual note, which was crafted mainly during reshoots. The most tragic change came with Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa's exit after just two short seasons, culminating with Rose Tyler actress Billie Piper's surprise return.
Whenever Doctor Who returns in Christmas 2026, fans can expect answers as to Piper's surprise return, including whether she is actually the 16th Doctor. That explanation will have significant consequences for the show's future, as it could set her up as the series' next lead or tee up the true next Doctor's arrival.
Doctor Who fans in the U.K. and Ireland will enjoy the 2026 Christmas special and the next season, which is likely to arrive in 2027, on BBC One and iPlayer. In terms of global audiences, it's unclear whether the BBC will seek a new streaming partner or return to using a range of international broadcasters.
Before then, The War Between the Land and the Sea is still to come this year, presumably airing in December and on Disney+ globally. As such, the wait for new Doctor Who won't be awfully long, with just a year and a half between Season 2 and the 2026 Christmas special, with the void filled by the new Whoniverse show.
Starting with next year's festive romp, viewers can only hope Doctor Who will be back on track after a controversial run under Disney+. Hopefully, the coming episodes can return to the show's former quality across the special, next series, future spin-offs, and the new animated pre-school show coming to CBeebies.
