TV Series

BBC Confirms future of Doctor Who and a new Christmas special in 2026

Today the BBC announced that Doctor Who will be back on our screens at Christmas 2026 with a special episode written by Russell T Davies.

With Disney+ confirming they will not be partnering on the next season of the sci-fi show, the BBC remain fully committed to the show and will announce plans for the next series in due course to ensure the Doctor’s adventures continue.

Lindsay Salt, Director of Drama, 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.”

Before next year’s special, fans of the beloved series still have much to enjoy with The War Between the Land and the Sea heading to BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year, as well as a brand-new animation series for CBeebies which is in development.

The Doctor Who Christmas special will be produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC.

More on TV Series

Sorry there is no content available for your region.

more from the whoniverse

Explore

Show Info

Explore

Stories

Explore

Play

More From Read and Watch

Jo Martin on her return as the Fugitive Doctor

25 Jun 2026

Doctor Who Magazine discusses all things CIRCUIT BREAKER ahead of Jo Martin's triumphant return...

Circuit Breaker
Features

The Ultimate Guide to a Doctor Who Watch Party

11 Jun 2026

Lock the TARDIS doors, lower the astro-blinds, and fire up the time machine - let’s have a Doctor Who watch party!

Army of Ghosts
Features

An update on the future of Doctor Who

10 Jun 2026

Today we’re announcing an update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.

TARDIS
TV Series

A Brief History of the Eighth Doctor

6 Jun 2026

With Doctor Who: The Movie now available on Blu-ray, here's the story of the Eighth Doctor – from his television appearances to his adventures beyond the screen…

Eighth Doctor
Features

Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill reunite for new River Song audio series

4 Jun 2026

Alex Kingston and Arthur Darvill star in 'The Death and Life of River Song: River and Rory', a box set of full-cast audio drama, due for release January 2027.

River and Rory
Product