BBC seals fate of Doctor Who after Ncuti Gatwa left show and Disney pulled out of project
Ncuti Gatwa’s iteration of the Doctor might be gone - but the show itself isn’t going anywhere.
Be warned - this article contains spoilers for the most recent season of Doctor Who.
The BBC’s flagship sci-fi franchise has found itself in muddy waters, after lead actor Gatwa quit the show. This was followed by Disney terminating its partnership with the broadcasting corporation, casting a shadow over the programme’s future.
But the BBC has since confirmed that there will be a Christmas special episode this year, written by showrunner Russell T Davies.
There are also plans for the next series to be put into production, which the BBC is apparently “fully committed” to.
Lindsay Salt, the BBC’s director of drama, said: “We’d like to thank Disney Plus 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 a special episode without the Doctor, instead centred around Unit and the sea devils.
As for the last season of Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper, who played companion Rose Tyler when the series was revived in 2005 - sending fans into a social media frenzy.