BBC cancels planned Doctor Who Christmas special

A planned Christmas special of Doctor Who has been cancelled while the BBC plans the next phase of the sci-fi show.

The corporation had announced last year that there would be a festive special in 2026, but revealed on Wednesday that it would no longer proceed.

Instead, the broadcaster said it was inviting production companies to put themselves forward to help co-produce the next series.

In a statement, the corporation said the decision to cancel the Christmas episode was made "after careful consideration" and "had not been taken lightly".

The last series of Doctor Who aired in May 2025 and was the final one to star Ncuti Gatwa, who had announced he was leaving 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 in the show.

It was not clear whether that meant Piper would become the next Doctor, and the BBC only said at the time that "just how and why she is back remains to be seen".

Since 2023, Doctor Who had been co-produced by independent production company Bad Wolf, while the BBC struck a deal with Disney+ to co-produce and distribute the show internationally.

But Disney's involvement came to an end in 2025 after 26 episodes, and it was confirmed the company would no longer be involved with the show.

'Securing the next phase'

On Wednesday, the BBC announced both the cancellation of the Christmas special and details of Doctor Who's next era.

The corporation said it had collectively decided, along with showrunner Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf, not to go ahead with the planned Christmas episode.

"This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans," the corporation said.

"But in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that, rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the Tardis lands once more, it does so in all its glory."

The BBC said the plan was "part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations".

A spokesman said the the programme "remains an important part of the BBC" and the decision to put the show out to competitive tender "underpins the BBC's continued commitment to Doctor Who".

The BBC noted that putting the series out to tender was in line with the corporation's Charter and Agreement requirements.

A previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies remains in production.