Disney+ has confirmed that they will not be partnering on the next series of Doctor Who. The partnership will end following their transmission of the Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea in 2026.

Doctor Who will return Christmas 2026 with a special episode written by Russell T Davies. Bad Wolf has also indicated that they will continue to produce the programme. Fans will expect the special to resolve the question of why Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor regenerated into the form of Billie Piper in the Season Two finale The Reality War. The BBC has not said whether Piper is playing the next incarnation of the Doctor.

There is no word yet on whether or how the Christmas special and future series will reach audiences outside the UK.

The BBC remain committed to the show and will announce plans for the next series in due course, according to BBC Director of Drama Lindsay Salt.

“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.”

In addition to the main series, a new animated series for CBeebies is in development.

The War Between the Land and the Sea will transmit on BBC iPlayer and BBC One later this year. BBC Director of Content Kate Phillips said at the Edinburg TV Festival in August that the spin-off will transmit on Disney+ in 2026 saying, “Disney has been a great partnership and it continues with The War Between The Land And The Sea next year.”