Doctor Who has made two big announcements regarding the future of the series and its partnership with Disney+. The long-running British sci-fi show confirmed that the series will return with a holiday special in 2026, and that they will not be partnering with Disney+ on the next season.

Rumors had been circulating for months that Disney+ would no longer stream Doctor Who, and those rumors received worldwide attention as Disney+ was the official streamer for markets outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland. Despite the setback, the BBC has commented that they are committed to continuing Doctor Who. This will likely mean partnering with a different streamer or multiple streamers to bring the show to fans around the world.

“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,” BBC Director of Drama Lindsay Salt said. “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.”

Davies is the current showrunner, who returned to Doctor Who in 2023. He was the series showrunner from 2005 to 2010, and has written multiple Doctor Who Christmas specials.

BBC and Disney+ first announced their streaming partnership in the fall of 2022, which ended up including the two seasons that starred Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and holiday specials. Gatwa’s final episode ends with him regenerating in the form of Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), who was a companion to the Ninth and Tenth Doctors. Doctor Who has not confirmed if Piper will play the next Doctor.

Before Doctor Who and Disney+ part ways, the streamer will air The War Between the Land and the Sea (also available on BBC iPlayer and BBC One). Set in the world of Doctor Who, the series will star the characters from UNIT, a military organization that fights extraterrestrial and paranormal threats. Many actors who played UNIT agents are reprising their roles for the spinoff series.

Disney+ will also stream a new animation series for British children’s network, CBeebies.