Doctor Who isn't dead, but to say it's thriving wouldn't be accurate either. Although Disney's decision not to continue its collaboration with the BBC didn't kill the long-running British sci-fi show, the damage to Doctor Who's reputation in the wake of the Disney era will take a lot of work to repair. Thankfully, the BBC looks willing to put in the effort that's very clearly required to return Doctor Who to its prime. There's no clear path forward, though.
Reports have started to emerge that Doctor Who's 2026 comeback special is in jeopardy. Although playing the Doctor was once seen as a career-defining role for any actor, it's become something of a doomed casting in recent years. While the return of Russell T Davies as showrunner was intended to steady the ship after the divisive Chris Chibnall era, Doctor Who is still pretty lukewarm when compared to its more prosperous years. As a result, the BBC is struggling to find anyone to lead the show. There is a very short-term solution in mind, but all it would do is delay the inevitable.
Doctor Who's 2026 Christmas special is looking increasingly less likely to happen
When Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor made an earlier-than-expected exit in 2025, Davies brought in Billie Piper to briefly fill Gatwa's shoes. There was no confirmation either way who Piper was actually playing in this nonsensical twist, which drove speculation among Whovians into overdrive. Davies' improvised attempt at turning Gatwa's sudden departure into something exciting has been widely criticized.
I'm yet to hear anyone say they'd be interested to see where it could lead.
In a way, I can sort of understand why Davies did what he did. After all, there was no one to properly replace Gatwa because it all happened so quickly.
Still, I maintain that beginning Fifteen's regeneration cycle and then cutting to black would have been a far superior way to cause a stir. As it stands, Doctor Who can't seem to find anyone willing to step into the canonical mess that Davies has set in motion, and no one wants to see Piper's role expanded beyond her time as the beloved Rose Tyler. As a result, the once-confirmed Christmas special that was intended to inject new life into Doctor Who is running out of time to begin production.
It's looking more and more likely that the installment will be completely scrapped as December 2026 edges ever closer.
The BBC's alternative to Doctor Who's 2026 comeback doesn't fix anything
It's been a year since Gatwa headed for the TARDIS door, and yet we're no closer to finding out who his true successor will be. Going from on-screen evidence, it's Piper. The doomed search for another actor strongly suggests that Davies is trying and failing to adjust course, though. So, to buy time, the BBC looks set to abandon the upcoming Christmas special and turn its attention to the next full season of Doctor Who, which is currently part of the BBC's Easter slate.
The thing is, if it's been this long already without finding an actor to become the face of the franchise, what makes Davies and company think anything is going to change between now and whenever production is planned to begin for Doctor Who's 2027 run of episodes? Are they suddenly going to stumble across an actor who they actually want to lead the show, who is also willing to put their career on the line by taking on a role with so much stigma currently attached to it?
It seems like an unwinnable war, but one that I sincerely hope Doctor Who can win.
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