Russell T Davies has said “goodbye” to Doctor Who as the BBC announces that it has cancelled the long-running sci-fi show’s 2026 Christmas special.
The award-winning screenwriter and TV producer, known for reviving the hit show in 2005, added that its future is “unpredictable and new” and that he is “excited to see what comes next”.
Davies revealed his departure as the BBC said that Doctor Who has cancelled its one-off festive episode for the second year in a row.
The Christmas special was due to be written by Davies and produced by Bad Wolf, and would follow on from the series finale last May in which Ncuti Gatwa’s incarnation of the Doctor regenerated into Billie Piper, who previously played the Doctor’s assistant, Rose.
Davies shared a drawing of the Tardis – the spaceship from the hit show – as he told his followers about the “big new future” for Doctor Who, which also involves the BBC putting it out for “competitive tender”.
He wrote: “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!”
Addressing the speculation about the Christmas episode, Davies added: “For the record: There was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor.”
He also said he is “excited as anyone to see what comes next” and reflected on the possible changes to come, adding: “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.”
In a statement revealing the news on Wednesday, the BBC said: “After careful consideration the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode.
“This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, 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 corporation also assured that its previously announced Doctor Who animation series, which will air on CBeebies, is currently in production.
Doctor Who, which first launched in 1963, follows the adventures of an eccentric Time Lord who travels in a spaceship larger on the inside, that disguises itself as a 1960s British police box.
Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy and William Hartnell are among the stars who portrayed reincarnations of The Doctor in the original series of the show, which was cancelled in 1989.
It was later revived in 2005 by showrunner Davies, and in the last two decades stars including Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Jodie Whittaker have played the eccentric Doctor.
