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Disney+ Ends Doctor Who Partnership; BBC Confirms 2026 Christmas Special
After months of rumors, Disney+ is officially ending its co-production partnership with the BBC for the main Doctor Who series. The collaboration covered the past two seasons and several specials of the iconic sci-fi show.
Despite the change, the partnership is not over entirely. Disney+ remains involved in an upcoming spin-off miniseries titled The War Between the Land and the Sea.
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In a statement reported by The Hollywood Reporter, BBC drama director Lindsay Salt thanked 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 new miniseries will focus on UNIT and the Sea Devils, a returning monster from the classic Doctor Who era. Filming for the spin-off concluded last year, and it is still scheduled to air on both BBC One and Disney+ later this year. The two Doctor Who seasons and specials produced under the deal will also remain available to stream on Disney+.
The Future of Doctor Who
For fans of the main series, the BBC confirmed that Doctor Who will return with a Christmas special in 2026, written by showrunner Russell T. Davies. This will mark a significant gap of almost two years since the last episode aired in May 2025.
The BBC also indicated that more information on future seasons, as well as a separate animated show for pre-school children, will be announced at a later date.
Salt reaffirmed the network’s dedication to the franchise, stating, “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.”
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