The BBC has scrapped next year's Doctor Who Christmas special, abandoning a festive episode it promised just months ago as the show's longtime showrunner, Russell T Davies, announces his departure. The decision, taken collectively by the BBC, Davies and production company Bad Wolf, was confirmed on Wednesday, with the corporation saying it was made "after careful consideration" and "not taken lightly".
The festive special had been announced last year for a 2026 broadcast, but Davies explained on Instagram that it was "only cooked up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen". Now, he says, "there's no need for it". Davies wrote: "Goodbye from me but hello to a big new future for the show." He stressed that "no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor."
“BBC cancels 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special; Russell T Davies exits as showrunner, show put out to competitive tender.”
The move comes after a turbulent period for the sci-fi institution, which launched in 1963. The last series aired in May 2025 and was the final one to star Ncuti Gatwa, who left after two series. The finale saw his Doctor regenerate, and the episode closed with the surprise reintroduction of Billie Piper, who previously played Rose Tyler — though the BBC said at the time that "just how and why she is back remains to be seen".
Disney+, which had co-produced and distributed the show internationally since 2023, ended its involvement in 2025 after 26 episodes. Now the BBC is putting Doctor Who out to "competitive tender" under its Royal Charter obligations, inviting production companies to bid to co-produce the next series. BBC Studios, which owns the rights, or an independent producer could reinvent the show.
"We are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show," the BBC said, promising that when the Tardis lands again, it will do so "in all its glory". Davies echoed that optimism: "You'll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who... but you'll be waiting for more Doctor Who than a one-off. So it's worth it!" He added: "It's all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who — exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future."
Doctor Who had been co-produced by Cardiff-based Bad Wolf since 2021, but with both Davies and Bad Wolf departing, the show's next era remains uncertain. The BBC acknowledged the news would be disappointing for fans, but said the plan was "part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations".