The BBC announced on June 10 it has cancelled the planned 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special and will put the series out to competitive tender for new production companies to pitch for the franchise rights [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf are both leaving the show after the 2025 season concluded [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

Russell T Davies said, “And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas special... You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off” [1]. Davies also confirmed no script was written and no actors approached for the cancelled special, saying “I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor” [3].

The 2025 season ended with the 15th Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, regenerating into Billie Piper’s character Rose Tyler [2, 4, 6]. Gatwa first appeared as the Doctor in 2023 in "The Church on Ruby Road" [1].

Disney ended its co-funding and partnership deal with Doctor Who in October 2025, citing cost and ratings concerns [2, 4, 6]. The estimated cost per episode is around $13 million [4]. Despite changes, BBC retains intellectual property and global distribution rights for Doctor Who [4, 5].

A new animated Doctor Who series for preschoolers is currently in production for CBeebies, BBC’s children’s channel [2, 4, 7].

The BBC said in a statement, “After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode... we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory” [2].

Fans will now have to wait longer than a Christmas special for new episodes. The future of Doctor Who is uncertain, and the show may be off air for several years as the BBC reviews bids for production rights [1, 3, 5, 6, 7].