Disney+, BBC end 'Doctor Who' partnership ahead of 2026 Christmas special
Disney+ has officially ended its 'Doctor Who' partnership with the BBC. The latter had earlier made the streamer the platform for the hit sci-fi series outside of the UK and Ireland. Despite the exit, BBC said it remains committed to continuing the show with the next being a 2026 Christmas special.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming [spinoff series] The War Between the Land and the Sea," Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, said.
"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 two entities announced the 'Doctor Who' streaming deal in 2022. The streamer ended up with two seasons of the show with Ncuti Gatwa playing the 15th Doctor. The report added that Disney+ will continue to stream the two seasons and specials that were produced during the partnership.
Gatwa's turn as the titular character ended with the Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper's Rose Tyler. However, it is worth noting that the BBC has not confirmed if Piper will play the next Doctor. Should there be an official confirmation, she will become the second woman to essay the role after Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor between 2018-22.
In related news, 'Doctor Who' producer Jane Tranter had earlier slammed one of the former writers who had boldly remarked the series show "as dead as we've ever known it". According to BBC Radio Wales, "That's really rude, actually. And really untrue," Tranter said, responding to the comment. "The plans for Doctor Who are really simply: the BBC and BBC Studios had a partnership with Disney+ for 26 episodes. We are currently 21 episodes down into that 26-episode run. We have got another five episodes of [spin-off] The War Between The Land And The Sea to come. At some point after that, decisions will be made together with all of us about what the future of Doctor Who entails."
For now, the wait is on for the Christmas special.
