The Doctor Who and Disney+ partnership is over.
After months of speculation, the BBC and Disney have confirmed that the co-production deal has come to an end following two seasons and one upcoming spin-off. Disney+ will no longer be involved in producing or distributing Doctor Who going forward.
BBC Confirms the End — and What’s Next
The BBC officially announced that Doctor Who will return for a Christmas special in 2026, written by current showrunner Russell T Davies. The special will be produced by Bad Wolf in partnership with BBC Studios. While details of future seasons are not yet finalized, the BBC said more information will be revealed in due course and made clear that the franchise will continue without Disney.
Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, BBC, thanked Disney+ for being “terrific global partners and collaborators” over the past two seasons and noted that the upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, will still air as planned.
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
Deal Covered 26 Episodes, Including Spin-Off
The now-concluded deal between the BBC and Disney+ covered a total of 26 episodes, two main seasons of Doctor Who and The War Between the Land and the Sea. The production was reported to cost around £10 million (approximately $13.3 million) per episode, thanks to Disney’s financial backing.
Despite big-name guest stars and splashy production values, Doctor Who struggled to meet expectations in both the UK and US. Ratings have underperformed, and the series did not make significant inroads on the Disney+ platform, particularly in North America.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Quiet Exit and Franchise Uncertainty
Tension around the show’s future had grown throughout the year. Star Ncuti Gatwa departed as the Fifteenth Doctor under murky circumstances, later citing burnout.
The season finale featured a regeneration twist involving Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, but fans and insiders alike were unclear on what it meant for the franchise.
