Disney calls time on Doctor Who partnership

Disney is exiting as a partner on Doctor Who as the BBC commits to the sci-fi tentpole with a Christmas special in the works for next year.

The US giant’s departure marks the end of a landmark partnership which kicked off in 2022 with the aim of growing the iconic drama internationally. Disney+ took exclusive rights outside the UK for the show under returning showrunner Russell T. Davies and with Ncuti Gatwa playing the Doctor.

The partnership spanned two series, series 14 and 15, and upcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, all of which were produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Productions.

Series 15 of Doctor Who made under the partnership had a quiet ratings performance, ending its eight-part run on Saturday 31 May at 6.50pm with 3.5 million (25%) after 28 days. The series launch on 12 April reached the biggest audience of the 2025 run with 4m (25%). Overall, the series averaged 3.3m after 28 days, with 500,000 (37%) for 16-34s. That was some way behind Gatwa’s first full series as The Doctor from 11 May 2024, which averaged 3.8m (29%), with 657,000 (48%) for 16-34s.

The corporation has confirmed a Christmas special for 2026, to be written by Davies and produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios, and said it will reveal plans for its sixteenth series in due course.

BBC director of drama Lindsay Salt said: “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.”

The War Between the Land and the Sea is set to air on BBC1 later this year, while a new animation series is in development for CBeebies. The pitching process for the CBeebies Doctor Who animation is underway.