Doctor Who | Future remains clouded, multiple 2026 endings have been written

Russell T Davies has reportedly penned several endings for the Doctor Who 2026 Christmas special, as the show’s future remains clouded. Where were we? When Doctor Who’s second full season run under the BBC and Disney+ deal came to an end last spring, we got an ending that, well, wasn’t really the one originally planned. ... Doctor Who | Future remains clouded, multiple 2026 endings have been written

Russell T Davies has reportedly penned several endings for the Doctor Who 2026 Christmas special, as the show’s future remains clouded.

Where were we? When Doctor Who’s second full season run under the BBC and Disney+ deal came to an end last spring, we got an ending that, well, wasn’t really the one originally planned. The departure of Ncuti Gatwa from the TARDIS led to some changes being made, and Billie Piper emerging in a much-talked about cliffhanger.

Since then, the Disney and BBC deal was completed when The War Between The Earth And The Sea spin-off miniseries was broadcast over Christmas, and the funding deal has come to an end. The BBC continues to look for a fresh broadcast partner for Doctor Who and its universe, and in the meantime has committed to a Christmas special in December that presumably it’s funding itself. Just to keep the lights on.

There’s no word or sign yet of a fresh deal for Doctor Who, and Russell T Davies has thus been scribbling what’s expected to be his farewell episode from the show. The only definite we know about it is that Billie Piper will be in there somewhere. And chatting to Half The Picture, composer Murray Gold has revealed that “I know that Russell’s written, I think, multiple versions depending on certain outcomes”, adding that “I’m not sure I’m even supposed to know that.”

Gold added that “I think we’re at a precious point for Doctor Who” and that “I am hopefully that it’s all going to be the start of a wonderful new era.”

He admitted that he’d always say yes to being involved with the show, too, but he sounds like he’s as much in the dark as the rest of us on what’s actually happening.

Doctor Who will return at some point in the future of course, but it’s hard to see a regular series of the show appearing until 2028 at the earliest as things stand. Very happy to be corrected on that, of course.

Murray Gold’s interview can be found here.