‘Doctor Who’ special cancelled as BBC issue statement on future of the show
The BBC has issued a statement on the future of Doctor Who after cancelling plans for a Christmas special in 2026.
In addition to scrapping the previously announced episode, the BBC has also announced that showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf have exited Doctor Who.
Furthermore, the BBC has shared that it will be putting the show to “competitive tender”, allowing production companies to come forward to help co-produce the next Doctor Who series.
The statement reads, “The BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.”
It added, “After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode.”
They also noted that the “decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans”, before explaining their reasoning.
The public service broadcaster shared, “In order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”
Doctor Who last aired on the BBC in May 2025, which brought an end to Ncuti Gatwa’s brief tenure in the Tardis after just two series.
In the final episode, Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper, but it was never officially confirmed whether she would become the next Doctor, leaving the show in a cloud of mystery.
Upon leaving the show, Gatwa told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme that he chose to depart because the role “takes a lot out of you — physically, emotionally, mentally. So it was time.”
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