For the last five months, there have been plenty of rumors and speculation about the future of Doctor Who. As much as the BBC has tried to calm our nerves about there being a future, Disney has remained silent.
That is until now, and the break in silence comes with a disappointing update. However, things aren’t completely over just yet.
Disney is not renewing Doctor Who
Let’s start with the bad news first. Disney is bidding adieu to its partnership with the BBC when it comes to Doctor Who. It’s not all that clear what will happen to the episodes already on the platform, but future episodes aren’t guaranteed to go there.
The decision comes with disappointment but not surprise. After all, the original deal was only for 26 episodes, and not all of them had to air. Disney has done more than its minimum agreement with the two seasons, the three anniversary specials, and the two Christmas specials. So, now it’s time for it to step away for the future of the franchise.
Disney will still air the UNIT spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea. The episodes are slated to air on Disney later this year, but a date hasn’t been confirmed yet.
BBC will continue Doctor Who
Variety makes it clear that while Disney is stepping away, the British broadcaster, BBC, is not. There will be more Doctor Who, but a new international home will need to be found.
In some great news for fans, there is a Christmas special coming. While it’s not this year, we only have to wait until Christmas 2026 for the next instalment, which should give us the new Doctor. Will that be Billie Piper? All remains to be seen, as Russell T. Davies pens the episode.
While the BBC is committed to the show, a new Doctor has not yet been announced. Billie Piper stepped into the role at the end of the Doctor Who season 2 finale, which looks to have been quickly reshot. Originally, Ncuti Gatwa was supposed to stick around, but it’s possible that the lack of confirmation from Disney disrupted too much, and he decided to walk away from the series to focus on other projects.
Billie Piper may have just been a stand-in. It’s possible that it’s just a temporary regeneration in the way that David Tennant was, coming back in as Fourteen for the three-part 60th Anniversary special.
The War Between the Land and the Sea will come to Disney, but future episodes of Doctor Who will not, with a home still TBD.
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