Overview
- The BBC announced on June 10 that it will not make the previously planned 2026 Christmas special and that showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf have left the series.
- The broadcaster said it will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year, inviting production companies to bid to produce the show while BBC Studios keeps rights and global distribution roles.
- Davies confirmed in a public post that there was no finished script for the canceled special and that no actor had been approached to play the next Doctor.
- Industry sources and trades report that the loss of Disney+ as an international co‑producer and the need for a major creative reset could mean a multi‑year gap before new episodes return, a timeline that is reported but not confirmed.
- A CBeebies animated Doctor Who project remains in production and is unaffected as the BBC sets tender details and next steps for the live‑action series.