Disney+ Parts Ways with ‘Doctor Who’ After Two Seasons: Are Horrific Ratings to Blame?

Disney+ will no longer be part of Doctor Who. The streaming service partnered with the BBC for two seasons of the show, but their involvement is ending.

Fans do not need to worry about the Doctor disappearing, though. A Christmas special written by Russell T. Davies is reportedly set for 2026. Plans for a new season of the series are also in development.

Disney+ is still working with BBC One on a spinoff called The War Between the Land and the Sea. The series will focus on UNIT, the military group in the Doctor Who universe, as they try to stop a global war caused by the Sea Devils. Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Alexander Devrient are expected to star.

Lindsay Salt, director of drama at BBC, said in a statement, “We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea.’ “

“The BBC remains fully committed to ‘Doctor Who,’ which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026. We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”

This news comes after Ncuti Gatwa’s exit at the end of season 15. The season ended with Gatwa’s Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper, surprising many viewers. Some questions have been raised about Disney+’s future involvement, leaving the show’s direction uncertain…but we all knew.

Despite the reassurances that the show would continue, season 15 has seen a decline in viewership. Deadline reported that the first four episodes averaged 3.1 million viewers according to official Barb seven-day figures.

This is a drop from Gatwa’s first season, which averaged 3.9 million, and a much larger fall from Jodie Whittaker’s final season, which had around 5 million viewers. The first episode of season 15 had 3.6 million viewers, but by episode four, the number dropped to 2.8 million. For comparison, the same point in season 13 had 4.5 million viewers.

Some critics and fans have suggested that the drop in viewers may be due to what they call “woke” storylines, though it’s unclear if that is the main reason. The BBC said Gatwa was not fired, but they did not confirm whether he left on his own. His representatives have not commented.

Even with the changes and challenges, Doctor Who is still moving forward with new stories and projects. The BBC wants fans to know the Doctor will continue to travel through time and space for years to come.

What do you think about Disney+ leaving Doctor Who? Do you think it will affect the show’s future, or is the BBC strong enough to keep fans happy? Share your thoughts in the comments.