The uncertain future of the oldest and longest-running science fiction TV series is suddenly a little less uncertain. After a surprising end to its most recent season, the time travel/adventure series Doctor Who does not have a release date or any kind of public plan for a new version of the show. Like James Bond, the titular Doctor is often replaced by a new actor, all thanks to the timey-wimey process of “regeneration.” But, with rumors that Disney+ would no longer distribute the show in the U.S., some fans have feared the show could be lost in the time vortex forever.
However, according to one official from the BBC, “‘Doctor Who’ is going nowhere.” This statement came from Kate Phillips, BBC Chief Content Officer, during an event for the Edinburgh TV Festival on August 21. Since 1963, Doctor Whohas been produced by the BBC, though its distribution in America has varied over the decades. In 2023, Who got a soft relaunch for U.S. viewers on the Disney+, which produced three specials starring returning fan favorite David Tennant, and two short seasons of new episodes starring Sex Education and Barbie star, Ncuti Gatwa. When Gatwa’s 15th Doctor regenerated at the end of the most recent season finale, it seemed the future of Doctor Who was utterly uncertain.
“With or without Disney, ‘Doctor Who’ will still be on the BBC,” Phillips said. “The TARDIS is going nowhere.”
Current showrunner Russell T Davies has made it clear that the decision to continue with Doctor Who is utterly out of his hands. However, a spinoff series, called The War Between the Land and the Sea, is expected to land sometime in early 2026, both on the BBC and Disney+.
