Future of ‘Doctor Who’ Confirmed as Disney Exits Series Partnership
It’s the update all Whovians have been waiting for.
Ever since the last season of Doctor Who came to a conclusion this summer, speculation over the show’s future has been rife. Now, all of our questions have been answered at once, in an official BBC announcement made earlier today.
Doctor Who will return to our screens in 2026 — yet Disney has confirmed they will no longer partner in the show’s production.
Photo: Disney
Disney Breaks From The TARDIS
Doctor Who first entered the Disney sphere back in 2023, and played a huge part in shaping the two most recent seasons of the long-running series.
Following the shocker of a season finale back in June (which you can read about in full, spoiler-filled detail right here), fans were quick to start debating the show’s future, especially since no further series were confirmed at the time.
Photo: Disney
Now, in an official statement, Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama at the BBC, said:
“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. 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.”
Photo: Disney
So, while we’re thrilled to see that Doctor Who will continue to grace our screens in the future, it is interesting to note that Disney will no longer be a part of production.
What this means for the show itself remains to be seen, and the future of Doctor Who‘s availability on Disney+ is also yet to be confirmed at this time.
Photo Credit: BBC
“The War Between The Land And The Sea”
Billed as “the next chapter in the Whoniverse,” The War Between The Land And The Sea will be the final showcase of the BBC x Disney partnership, and is set to air later this year.
A five-part series produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC and Disney Branded Television, this spinoff will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, as well as exclusively on Disney+ (per previous announcement).
Catch the trailer for The War Between The Land And The Sea here!
‘Doctor Who’ Will Return in 2026
Aside from this spinoff, it looks like fans will have to wait until 2026 for the next instalment of Doctor Who.
While there will be no special episode for fans to enjoy on December 25th this year, it has been confirmed that showrunner Russell T Davies will pen a Doctor Who Christmas Special for 2026, marking the return of the TARDIS…and the beginning of a brand-new Doctor’s era.
And, if you’ve watched the heart-stopping final seconds of the last episode, you’ll know just how eager we are to see what comes next!
Photo: Disney
If you’re a Whovian, let us know what you think about today’s announcement in the comments below!
Will you be sad to see the Disney partnership with BBC end? Are you excited to watch The War Between The Land And The Sea? Or are you more excited to see what happened following that shock regeneration? There’s so much to discuss!
