The BBC has canceled Doctor Who's planned 2026 Christmas special as it seeks a new production partner for the show.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies announced he is leaving Doctor Who.
The shakeup comes more than a year after the show's last new episode aired.
It’s the end of an era for Doctor Who … for now.
When Doctor Who first hit the airwaves back in 1963, viewers were introduced to a centuries-old alien (known as “The Doctor”) who travels through time and space in a phone booth called the TARDIS and protects people from various forces that threaten them and their civilizations. When facing death, the Doctor can regenerate into a new body and personality.
The show was rebooted in 2005, giving fans the chance to see David Tennant, Matt Smith, Jodie Whittaker, and more portray the famous Time Lord. Doctor Who has also become famous for its holiday specials, which allow new stories to emerge and sometimes introduce new characters.
But things are changing: On June 10, Doctor Who's official website reported that this year’s Christmas special is canceled as the BBC (the network that broadcasts the show) seeks a new production partner. Current showrunner Russell T. Davies is also leaving Doctor Who—and he went on Instagram to express his feelings about it.
“And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender,” he wrote in the caption. “As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special—we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. 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!”
Russell also provided details about the current state of Doctor Who after the shakeup.
“For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor,” he added. “You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time 🪑 Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp 🌪️ @bbcdoctorwho ♥️.”
When fans got wind of all the changes, they applauded Russell for his longtime contributions in the comments.
“Well done for doing such a great job pushing the Doctor forward! ❤️👏👽,” one person wrote. “Long live the Doctor!! And You!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” another penned. “Forever a legend on the show ❤️ congrats on ur new future workings x,” a different follower added.
We’ll be keeping an eye on this!
