Doctor Who’s future is hanging in the balance as showrunner Russell T Davies admits that he still doesn’t know whether the iconic BBC sci-fi series will be renewed for another season anytime soon. This uncertainty comes after a mixed reception to the current era of the show, which has left fans wondering if and when the Doctor will return to our screens.
The latest season ended with a cliffhanger involving Billie Piper, as well as the departure of star Ncuti Gatwa, with a regeneration sequence shot during later reshoots, leaving many questions about the series’ future unresolved. Even Davies himself has stated that he is uncertain about what will happen next. 
In a recent column for Doctor Who Magazine, he wrote, “We don’t know what’s happening yet, and while everyone works that out, I’ll take a pause on this page… Hopefully, we’ll have news soon.”
A source close to the production also confirmed to Variety that the show is currently on a “pause.” This follows a noticeable decline in viewership from Gatwa’s first season, which saw a drop of 500,000 viewers compared to his debut. Further declines were observed, with a loss of an additional 1.7 million viewers compared to episodes featuring previous Doctor Jodie Whittaker.
While Davies previously stated that Disney would decide whether to continue co-financing the series after the current season, it’s now clear that a new season will not be produced annually as originally planned. With no new episodes on the horizon, fans can look forward to a spin-off miniseries titled The War Between The Land and The Sea, which has already been filmed and is expected to premiere in 2026. Another spin-off, an animated series for UK children’s channel CBeebies, is also in the works, although its release remains uncertain. No information has been provided on which Doctor this animated series will focus on.
As the BBC continues to explore its options, it seems unlikely that new episodes of Doctor Who will hit the airwaves before 2027.