Disney+ Drops Doctor Who: Where Will the TARDIS Land Next?

Well, the TARDIS is staying put, but the Mouse has left the console. After months of chatter, it’s official: Disney+ is stepping away from Doctor Who. The show isn’t canceled, it isn’t going anywhere, it’s just no longer a Disney-backed joint. Here’s what that actually means.

What changed (and what didn’t)

Disney’s short partnership with the BBC is over. That team-up covered two seasons of Doctor Who (the Ncuti Gatwa run fans saw as Season 1 and Season 2 on Disney+, a.k.a. Series 14 and Series 15 on the BBC) and also extends to the upcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea. BBC drama chief Lindsay Salt publicly thanked Disney for the ride and then made it crystal clear the show remains a BBC priority.

"The BBC remains fully committed to Doctor Who ... we can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course."

Why the Disney era didn’t stick

When the BBC announced the Disney partnership, fans were understandably intrigued. Bigger budget. Flashier VFX. A splash of marquee guest stars. The marketing muscle even tried a soft reboot by labeling Series 14 as 'Season 1' on Disney+ to make it friendlier for new viewers.

The results? Despite heavy promotion, ratings didn’t spike. The show underperformed on the BBC and in the U.S. on Disney+. With Disney out, the budget will come back down to BBC levels. The trade-off: Russell T Davies and the BBC won’t have to run creative choices past Disney anymore, which could nudge the show closer to the vibe that made it a juggernaut in earlier years.

So what’s next?

There isn’t an official greenlight for the next full season yet (that would be Series 16, or Season 3 under the Disney-era numbering), but the Doctor will be back in 2026 for a Christmas special written by Davies. No plot details yet, though it almost certainly has to address that wild Series 15 cliffhanger where Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated into someone who looks exactly like Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. Yes, the Doctor seemingly turning into the spitting image of a former companion is a bold, very behind-the-scenes-flavored twist for longtime fans and a head-scratcher for casual viewers.

• Disney era recap: 2 seasons of Doctor Who plus the upcoming spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea
• Fan experience: bigger budgets and glossier VFX, but mixed feelings about the changes
• Ratings reality: heavy promotion and a 'Season 1' rebrand didn’t boost viewership on BBC or Disney+
• What changes now: lower budget, but more creative freedom for the BBC and Russell T Davies
• What’s confirmed: an untitled Doctor Who Christmas special in 2026, written by Davies
• What’s pending: the next season order (announcements to come, per the BBC)

Bottom line: the Doctor leaves Disney+ behind, but not Earth. The BBC is steering the whole thing again, the Christmas special lands in 2026, and we’ll find out soon how the show plans to resolve that cliffhanger face-swap with Rose Tyler.