Doctor Who faces over a year-long break as Disney partnership ends

The BBC has confirmed that Doctor Who will not return to television until Christmas 2026, marking a 19-month gap following Ncuti Gatwa's final episode in May 2025.

The next instalment will be a festive special written by returning show-runner Russell T Davies.

The announcement comes as Disney+ confirms it will not continue its partnership with the BBC on future seasons of the long-running sci-fi drama. The collaboration, which began in 2023, brought Doctor Who to global audiences via Disney's streaming platform.

In a statement, Lindsay Salt, the BBC's Director of Drama, said that the BBC "remains fully committed to Doctor Who, which continues to be one of our most loved dramas".

"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 the extended break, fans can look forward to The War Between the Land and the Sea, expected to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.

The BBC also confirmed that a new animated Doctor Who series is in development for CBeebies.

Russell T Davies spoke about a potential "pause" for Doctor Who, during an interview with Newsround in April.

He said: "I kind of know that the Doctor's reached the status of, like, Robin Hood.

"Sometimes there might be a pause, and during that pause, the viewers of Newsround now will grow up a few years and start writing stories and they'll bring it back.

"So I have absolute faith that that will survive because I am living proof of it," added Davies who himself watched the series as a child.

"And that's what happens to good ideas. No good idea ever dies."