Copyright walesonline
The BBC has said it remains "fully committed" to Doctor Who and that the Time Lord is "not going anywhere" after it was confirmed that Disney+ is exiting its partnership with the show. Disney had partnered with the BBC on two series of the show plus an upcoming spin-off entitled The War Between The Land and the Sea, but will not be partnering on the next season of the show. However, confirming the future of the sci-fi hit, the BBC has said that Doctor Who is set to return in 2026 for a Christmas special, which will be written by Russell T Davies. The corporation also shared that plans for the next series of the show - which featured Ncuti Gatwa as the last Time Lord - will be unveiled in due course. Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, said: “We’d like to thank Disney+ 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," Salt went on. Sex Education star Ncuti was the latest Doctor, the 15th incarnation of the character. He took over the TARDIS in 2023. However, earlier this year the Doctor regenerated and Billie Piper arrived in the role. The actress had previously been a part of the Doctor Who world, as she played fan favourite companion Rose Tyler in 2005, when Christopher Eccleston was the Time Lord in the programme. It now looks as if Billie is going to be the next Doctor Who, with fans of the series eager to see what happens next. If so, she would follow in the footsteps of Jodie Whittaker, who made history as the first woman to play the character. Doctor Who airs on the BBC.
