Disney has pulled out of its Doctor Who partnership with the BBC after just two series following what critics called the show’s “woke” rebrand.
The US streaming giant has confirmed it will not be involved in the next series of the sci-fi favourite following reports of lacklustre viewing figures.
The break-up means Doctor Who will not return to TV screens until Christmas 2026, with a special episode written by original showrunner Russell T Davies.
A spin-off series entitled The War Between the Land and the Sea, which was co-produced with Disney, will air later this year, while a new children’s animation series for CBeebies is in development.
The BBC insisted it was “fully committed” to Doctor Who and would announce plans for the next series in due course.
Nevertheless, it marks a major setback for the public service broadcaster, which announced its tie-up with Disney to great fanfare in 2022. Bosses said the partnership would transform Doctor Who into a “global franchise” reaching audiences in 150 countries.
Tim Davie, the BBC director general, has also cited the deal as an example of how the broadcaster is teaming up with streaming services to generate more revenues from its shows abroad, offsetting a decline in licence fee income.
With an estimated budget of around £10m per episode, TV executives on both sides of the Atlantic hoped the splashy reboot would introduce Doctor Who to new generations of viewers across the globe.
Showrunner Mr Davies had gone further, saying Disney funding was needed to guarantee the show’s future as the BBC was “undoubtedly on its way out in some shape or form”.
However, viewing figures in the UK fell by an average of 1.5 million each episode compared to the previous season, which starred Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, according to figures compiled by industry magazine Deadline.
Credit: BBC Studios; Bad Wolf; Disney+
In the US, ratings were described by one industry source as “underwhelming”.
The series, which starred Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Varada Sethu, has been branded as “woke” by some critics, who said it placed too much focus on identity politics.
Ms Sethu hit back at the criticism earlier this year, insisting that the backlash proved the show was “doing the right thing”. Mr Davies also rejected the claims from “online warriors”, saying: “What you might call diversity, I just call an open door.”
A further shadow was cast over the show when Mr Gatwa stepped down this summer after completing his two-series contract as the 15th Doctor, saying the role “demands a lot of you, physically and emotionally and mentally”.
The BBC has not yet announced the identity of the next Doctor. In a surprise move, Mr Gatwa regenerated as Rose Tyler, a previous companion to the Doctor played by Billie Piper, at the end of the latest series.
Lindsay Salt, the BBC’s director of drama, said: “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.
“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.”
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