A leading BBC executive recently shared news about what’s next for Doctor Who, especially considering the show’s somewhat unclear path forward.
Disney helped fund the last two seasons of Doctor Who, giving the BBC more money to work with on the show. However, that partnership will end in 2025, creating uncertainty about the future of this popular, but costly, series.
I recently read an interview with Zai Bennett, the head of BBC Studios, and he shared some encouraging thoughts about the future of Doctor Who. He essentially said his top priority is ensuring the show continues to thrive for many years to come – and honestly, that’s exactly what fans like me want to hear!
He didn’t say exactly what the future holds for the show, but emphasized that he and the BBC are fully committed to working on it together.
Bennett confirmed that the next Doctor Who Christmas special, penned by showrunner Russell T Davies, will air in late 2026. After that, he said, “it’s time for all of us to get to work on it,” but he didn’t elaborate on what that work will involve, as the studio is still figuring out the financial side of continuing the show.
We play a key role in Doctor Who and are dedicated to its continued success. We have the Christmas special on the way, and then we’ll all be focusing on the next series.
The BBC’s collaboration with Disney had its ups and downs. A major benefit was Disney’s financial power – they provided a much larger budget for Doctor Who than ever before, and you could really see the impact of that in the show’s quality during seasons 14 and 15.
Even with a bigger budget, the latest season of Doctor Who received criticism for its stories and creative decisions, resulting in fewer viewers.
Bringing Doctor Who to Disney+ was expected to attract many new fans in the U.S., but that didn’t happen. As a result, it became obvious the arrangement wasn’t successful, and Disney wasn’t willing to continue investing heavily in a show that wasn’t drawing enough viewers.
Recently, as Doctor Who has become more diverse, it’s unfortunately received hateful comments rooted in racism, sexism, and homophobia. During a two-season collaboration between the BBC and Disney, Ncuti Gatwa took on the lead role as the Doctor. Because the Doctor regularly ‘regenerates’ into a new form, the show is able to feature different actors in the part.
Ncuti Gatwa made history as the first Black and openly queer actor to portray the Doctor on the show. His last episode ended with a surprising twist: the Doctor transformed into Rose Tyler, played by Billie Piper. Over the years, other actors who have famously played the Doctor include Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi, and Jodie Whittaker.
Disney’s deal includes the series The War Between the Land and the Sea, which is available in the UK but doesn’t have a U.S. release date yet. What happens with Doctor Who after that is still unknown. While Russell T Davies seems dedicated to the popular show, no specific future plans have been announced.
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2026-02-10 22:40