Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies on the red carpetImage via: Ryan Hartford/INSTARimages.com
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Erielle Sudario
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Erielle Sudario is a Collider News and Feature Author from Australia and has worked in the journalism industry since 2018. She has a passion for entertainment and pop culture news and has interviewed YouTubers, voice actors, film directors, and musicians throughout her career. When she's not writing, you can see Erielle building keyboards, reading a good book, playing video games, and creating content on social media.
Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapThere is still a long wait ahead before Doctor Who returns with its 2026 Christmas special, and Russel T. Davies has shared a somewhat promising update for the hit sci-fi series' return. The season finale aired back in May 2025, and the show's future remained uncertain for a few months until the Christmas Special was announced.
In an interview with Radio Times, Davies revealed that he already has the plot for the upcoming special, but he hasn't put it down on paper yet, as he's currently working on the Doctor Who spin-off, The War Between Land and Sea, as well as other projects. When asked when he'd start working on it, he replied that it would be sometime next year, once his schedule clears up. It's a short turnaround considering the special comes out in December, but since it's one episode, not a multi-episode series, the amount of work to bring back Doctor Who in time for next year's Christmas wouldn't be as heavy.
"Not at the moment because I'm busy on [The War Between the Land and the Sea]. I'm also shooting a show in Manchester, so next year, my plate clears, and we'll get to work on that. I know exactly what happens in it, don't worry about that."
One thing the Doctor Who showrunner didn't address is how the Christmas special will tackle what happened in the show's finale. In "The Reality War," the epiosode ends with the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) regenerating into his old companion, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper), or at least someone who looks like her. Unlike previous new Doctor incarnation announcements, where the BBC would run some promo, or there would be text saying "X actor" as The Doctor, the finale's credits left it vague, and there's an ongoing debate over whether Piper will be the new Doctor.
Why Ncuti Gatwa Left 'Doctor Who'
Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the lead in Doctor Who back in 2022 and made his debut during the 2023 Christmas specials, when he bigenerated with David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor. Since then, he has only appeared in two seasons, which aired between 2024 and 2025, and has traveled in the TARDIS with two companions: Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) in Series 14 and Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) in Series 15.
In 2025, it was abruptly announced that Gatwa was leaving Doctor Who, citing that he was "getting old" and the show's physical demands as the reason, despite him being the second-youngest person to be cast as the Doctor. He said playing the iconic sci-fi lead "takes a lot out of you physically, emotionally, mentally," but he does regret not facing a Dalek or Cyberman during his time on the show. As of writing, there hasn't been any news on who will play the Sixteenth Doctor.
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Doctor Who
Like Follow Followed TV-PG Drama Action Adventure Science Fiction Release Date 1963 - 1989-00-00 Network BBC One, BBC Television Directors Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Peter Moffatt, Richard Martin, Chris Clough, Lennie Mayne, Pennant Roberts, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Graeme Harper, Gerald Blake, Hugh David, Mervyn Pinfield, Rodney Bennett, Waris Hussein, John Gorrie Writers Robert Holmes, Bob Baker, Malcolm Hulke, Dave Martin, David Whitaker, Brian Hayles, Robert Sloman, David Fisher, Dennis Spooner, Terrance Dicks, Eric Saward, John Lucarotti, Don Houghton, Chris Boucher, Ian Stuart Black, Louis Marks, Peter Grimwade, Henry Lincoln, Johnny Byrne, Mervyn Haisman, Jane Baker, Pip Baker, Robert Banks Stewart, Anthony ReadCast
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Doctor Who is a British sci-fi series that follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time machine that looks like a British police box. The Doctor, often accompanied by various companions, battles foes, saves civilizations, and right wrongs across the universe.
Main Genre Animation Genres Drama, Action, Adventure, Science Fiction Seasons 26 Producers John Nathan-Turner, Innes Lloyd, Peter Bryant, Philip Hinchcliffe, Verity Lambert, John Wiles Creator(s) Donald Wilson, Sydney Newman Powered by
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Doctor Who
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