The headaches involved in making a one-off special ahead of a whole new set of episodes from a brand new team became too much14:08, 10 Jun 2026Updated 14:08, 10 Jun 2026As the BBC announced that the Christmas Doctor Who was cancelled, outgoing showrunner Russell T Davies hinted that he’d never intended to make one for 2026 in the first place.‌In a post to fans, in which he said the show’s next era was guaranteed after BBC bosses asked for production companies to pitch for the much-loved series, Russell wrote: “And so goodbye from me to Doctor Who but hello to a big new future for the show as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result 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!”‌And he added: “For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor.”It is thought his suggestion that the festive special was “cooked up” is a reference to the uncertainty brought on by Disney’s decision to pull out its funding last year, leading to speculation that the BBC would abandon the show altogether.One insider said: “The Christmas special was ordered in good faith but sometimes things change and new decisions need to be made to reflect the shifting sands. It seemed odd to have a one-off special for December without knowing what the show’s long-term future would be. It’s hard to have a Doctor just for Christmas when a new team will be running the franchise going forward. This new plan makes far better sense.”‌A BBC statement said: “Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.”Fans have long speculated that the Christmas special would not happen, because Russell T Davies was refusing to talk about it in any interviews and nothing was happening in terms of casting announcements or pre-production on set tin Cardiff.‌The BBC acknowledged that the lack of a Christmas outing - for the second year running - would be “disappointing” for fans but said it was more important to “set the show up for future series” rather than “bridge the gap with a one-off special”.They said the decision had “not been taken lightly” and comes after BBC drama boss Lindsay Salt insisted at the end of last year that the BBC remained “fully committed`’ to Doctor Who. Describing it as “one of our most loved dramas” she said she was “delighted” that Russell T Davies had agreed to write “another spectacular Christmas special for 2026”.But yesterday they explained: “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.”‌Many fans reacted with delight that the show now seems to be guaranteed a future and a fresh start, with a brand new production company making the show alongside long-term producer BBC Studios. One said: “Good! This show needs a whole new creative team and direction.” Another agreed: “What Doctor Who needs, a fresh start, great news!”The last time viewers saw the show, a year ago, the outgoing 15th Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa regenerated into Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler. As she is human, it is understood she cannot really be the Doctor, but it will now be the job of the new team to dream up just why the Doctor has taken her form.One fan sighed: “So - some other poor writer has now got to explain Billie Piper.”Article continues belowAnd others pointed out that it would have been better to wait rather than announce a Christmas outing only to axe it. “Shouldn’t have announced the special in the first place,” one moaned. "Shouldn’t have shown who Gatwa regenerated into either.”Russell, who has been back on the show for his second stint as showrunner since the end of 2023, insisted there was much to be happy about going forward. “Now I’m as excited as anyone else to see what comes next. It’s all up for grabs which is so Doctor Who - exciting and unpredictable and new.”It is understood that the tender will be for the full production of the programme rather than a co-production deal, which is what Bad Wolf had last time around. BBC Studios, which previously made the series, could pitch to go it alone once again.