A top BBC boss has addressed plans for Doctor Who as fans await news of the show’s future.
The last series of the long-running, family-friendly sci-fi saw Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor leave the show, before regenerating into Billie Piper. Following the cliffhanger, it was confirmed in October that Disney would no longer partner on any future seasons of Doctor Who. A Christmas special is on the way later this year, and now BBC Studios boss Zai Bennett has spoken out about plans for the show beyond that.
There have so far been no episodes since Gatwa’s departure, but a new Christmas special written by showrunner Russell T Davies was confirmed to be coming in 2026 . The Doctor Who Christmas special will be produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for the BBC after the Disney partnership ended.
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The BBC also confirmed last October that it “remains fully committed to the show and will announce plans for the next series in due course”.
In the meantime, a spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, a series which was also partnered with Disney, has aired on the BBC. A brand-new animation series for CBeebies is also in development.
But fans are still awaiting confirmation on what the plans are for the main series beyond December.
The previous series ended with the Piper’s return , having previously played Rose Tyler alongside Christopher Ecclestone’s 9th Doctor in 2005 and David Tennant’s 10th Doctor in 2006. However, it was not confirmed whether she is ‘The Doctor’ or a new character.
In a statement at the time of her return, Piper said: “It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there.
“So to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Speaking to Deadline, Bennett was asked whether BBC Studios will stump up some of the lost cash to give the show a long-term future. He said he “won’t speak for the BBC” but added that “we’re all in it together” when it comes to keeping the Time Lord on the small screen.
He said: “We’re a big, important part of Doctor Who and are all motivated to make sure Doctor Who has a long and flourishing life. We’ve got the Christmas special coming. After that, it’s time for us all to work on it.”
This follows encouraging words from Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, when it was revealed that Disney was pulling out.
She said at the time: “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.”
