Today the BBC announced that will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year, effectively ending its arrangement with Bad Wolf, which was commissioned to produce 26 episodes related to the franchise since 2021.
Showrunner Russell T Davies has also withdrawn his involvement, also announced in 2021.
“After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”
Conspicuously missing from the BBC’s terse statement is the gratitude and praise the corporation typically expresses after ending a long-standing relationship with both the production house and the showrunner.
Davies revealed on his Instagram that he never wrote a script for the special and that plans for a Christmas special were only developed to “guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it.”
Closing its door on its era of Doctor Who production and on the massive TARDIS interior set built at its studios, Bad Wolf praised Davies and stated it’s off to new adventures. Bad Wolf is rumoured to be in the early stages of producing a different Christmas special for its hit series The Other Bennet Sister, as evidenced by BAD WOLF (TOBSX) LTD, a company set up by Bad Wolf on 22 May 2026.
The BBC briefly announced its intention to to put the programme out to tender in its update on plans for the future of Doctor Who.
“As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.”
There you have it. The future of Doctor Who is very much unresolved with the programme unlikely to hit screens until 2028, at the earliest — based on our knowledge of past production schedules. Since a production house and a possible co-production partner are yet to selected, it will likely take longer than that estimate. Fans are left wondering how and why Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor seemingly regenerated into the form of Billie Piper in the last episode of the Bad Wolf/Russell T Davies era.
The previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in production.
The BBC retains all intellectual property rights in Doctor Who. BBC Studios will continue to lead the global distribution of Doctor Who as well as licensing, consumer products, digital and immersive experiences on behalf of the BBC.