LONDON (AP) 鈥� The galaxy-hopping hero of has survived many narrow escapes and reinventions over .
But is time finally up for the science fiction series that has entertained generations of fans?
The British broadcaster has canceled a Christmas special previously announced for later this year, and showrunner Russell T. Davies has confirmed his exit.
Davies had been due to write the Christmas episode, announced when the last season ended in May 2025.
The BBC said Wednesday that it, Davies and production company Bad Wolf 鈥渉ave collectively decided not to go ahead鈥� with the Christmas episode. The broadcaster said it was determined 鈥渢o push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show.鈥�
It said it would put out a tender for production companies to work on the series. A deal between the BBC and Disney+ to co-produce and distribute the show ended in 2025 after two seasons.
First broadcast in 1963, 鈥淒octor Who鈥� follows the adventures of a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in the Tardis, a time-and-space machine that from the outside resembles a mid-20th century British police telephone box.
Its longevity is due in part to its premise: the central character can regenerate into a new body when the old one wears out, so the show can outlive any individual star. have played the role, most recently .
Davies, who revived the show in 2005 after a 16-year hiatus and returned as showrunner in 2022, said the Christmas episode had not been written and no actor had been approached to play the central role of the Doctor.
Davies, who has also written dramas including 鈥淨ueer as Folk,鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 a Sin鈥� and the recent 鈥淭ip Toe,鈥� said the show鈥檚 future was 鈥渦npredictable鈥� in an Instagram post.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who 鈥� but you鈥檒l be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it鈥檚 worth it!鈥� Davies wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who 鈥� exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future.鈥�
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