Yes. Doctor Who is continuing without Disney+ as a partner on its next main series: the BBC is seeking a production company for a future multi-episode series intended to air in 2028/29. The BBC cancelled the previously announced 2026 Christmas special, however, and has not identified the next production company, creative team or international streaming partner.
What changed after Disney+ stepped away?
In 2022, the BBC and Disney Branded Television announced that Disney+ would be the exclusive home for new Doctor Who seasons outside the UK and Ireland, while the BBC remained the UK home. Disney’s announcement described that international arrangement.
On October 28, 2025, the BBC said Disney+ would not partner on the next season. The BBC did not announce that it was cancelling Doctor Who. Its statement said the broadcaster remained committed to the show and would set out plans for a next series in due course. It also announced a Russell T Davies-written Christmas special for 2026, a plan that was later withdrawn.
What is the BBC’s current plan?
On June 10, 2026, the BBC said it would put Doctor Who out to competitive tender and that it, Davies and production company Bad Wolf had collectively decided not to make the previously announced Christmas episode. The BBC said the tender was intended to support the show’s long-term future. The BBC’s update also said the separately announced CBeebies animation was in production.
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The BBC Commissioning notice published on September 17, 2026 specifies a multi-episodic series, including specials, intended for transmission in 2028/29. It gives the BBC discretion to commission a second series. That is a target window in the tender, not a confirmed air date or evidence that production has begun. The initial-submission deadline was October 2, 2026; the sources available as of October 8 do not identify the successful bidder. The commissioning notice sets out the terms.
What does the tender mean for the BBC’s role?
The tender is for production on a work-for-hire basis. The BBC says it will continue to broadcast the programme and retain all rights. It also says BBC Studios will lead global distribution and licensing, consumer products, and digital and immersive experiences on the BBC’s behalf. That distribution role does not, by itself, name a replacement streaming service.
| Area | Former arrangement | Current stated position |
|---|---|---|
| International partner | Disney+ was announced as the home for new seasons outside the UK and Ireland in 2022. Source: Disney+ | Disney+ will not partner on the next main season; no replacement platform is named in the reviewed announcements. Source: BBC, October 2025 |
| BBC’s role | The BBC remained the UK home under the 2022 arrangement. | The BBC retains all rights and continues broadcasting; production is being sought through a work-for-hire tender. Source: BBC Commissioning |
| 2026 Christmas special | Announced in October 2025 as a Russell T Davies-written special. | Cancelled in June 2026 by the BBC, Davies and Bad Wolf. Source: BBC, June 2026 |
| Next main-series timing | The October 2025 continuation announcement did not give a return date. | The tender specifies intended transmission in 2028/29, without an exact date or production start. Source: BBC Commissioning |
What has not been announced?
As of October 8, 2026, the cited announcements do not establish:
- Which production company will win the tender.
- Who will lead the next series creatively, or who will play the Doctor.
- When production will start or the exact date episodes will air.
- Which international streaming or distribution platform, if any, will carry the next series.
The BBC’s director-general has described the franchise as having regenerated multiple times and said it would do so again, but that reassurance is not a casting or production announcement. BBC News reported his comments in October 2026.
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