Director Peter Hoar thinks the Disney+ exit after only two seasons of Doctor Who, one of the biggest co-production deals of the decade, is a cautionary tale.

“I don’t think anybody would doubt the skills at the front line of that show but something went wrong,” the director told Deadline. “I think there were lots of areas you could point fingers at but ultimately it wasn’t a better show with more money. And that’s a good thing, because we haven’t got the money anymore, nobody has.”

Hoar directed the Doctor Who episode A Good Man Goes to War, and his more recent 2025 episodes The Robot Revolution and Lucky Day — which streamed on Disney+.

Speaking of the more celebrated Andor on Disney+, Hoar believes its success is not because of its larger budget but “because of the integrity, wit and sophistication.”

Doctor Who will continue without Disney+ with a 2026 Christmas special written by Russell T Davies and produced by Bad Wolf. The special is expected to air on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer. There’s no word yet on how the special will reach an international audience.