What could Doctor Who's future look like? Every possibility explained

After all, five of the 26 episodes originally agreed with Disney are still yet to broadcast, and will be coming our way in the form of spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea (which we're waiting on a release date for).

As it stands, the BBC's most current statement on the matter was following a report that the show had been "shelved".

It said: "Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs." It added that "the deal with Disney Plus was for 26 episodes".

So, basically, a decision from Disney could arrive in the coming weeks or months (or it could come after The War Between airs) - but, as we await that, here's every possibility we're looking at.

To be crystal clear, none of the below options have been confirmed or hinted at by the BBC - this is speculation and analysis from our team at Radio Times.

1. Recommission from Disney

It is still possible that a recommission from Disney could be announced.

What would this mean for the show? If the recommission comes, we'd expect the show to continue for at least two more seasons in more or less the same vein as it has since Russell T Davies's return (albeit with a new Doctor) - potentially alongside more spin-offs.

We'd also expect Davies to stay on as showrunner, as he's said he already has plot lines for seasons 17 and 18 in mind, and he's mentioned that he wants to answer unanswered questions from the season 15 finale (including the return of Carole Ann Ford's Susan and, of course, what Billie Piper's return means).

It is also probably one of the quickest routes to getting Doctor Who back on our screens.

What would lead to this? While Doctor Who was previously available to air in the US and other countries, with some past eras actually proving pretty popular across the pond, the Disney deal marked a new era for Doctor Who's global reach.

For this reason, Disney will surely want to assess how well Doctor Who has performed around the world and make its decision based on that. Perhaps it'll want to wait until after The War Between the Land and the Sea has aired - but perhaps the decision will come sooner than that.

Disney has not addressed Doctor Who's performance, but we do know that ratings in the UK have been lower this time around than we've seen in previous years (although terrestrial TV ratings as a whole are now lower than they have been in previous years, so this should be taken with a pinch of salt).

However, if Doctor Who has performed well enough globally - or even if it hasn't and Disney are willing to give it another shot - we could be looking at a recommission.

Streaming expert Robin Parker says: "Doctor Who landing its first Emmy nomination is a welcome reputational boost, though this may equally reflect wider industry love for choreographer Jack Murphy, who’s also nominated for Bridgerton.

"Given that The War Between the Land and the Sea is aimed at an older audience, it feels like a stretch to say that its performance will dictate any decision regarding the regular show. If Disney loved it, wouldn’t they be shouting about it?"

2. Picked up by another streamer

If the Disney deal is not renewed, it's possible that Doctor Who could be shopped around to other streamers, for instance Netflix, Prime Video, Max, Apple TV+ etc.

What would this mean for the show? If another streamer does decide to pick up Doctor Who, the benefit would be that it would likely continue with an increased budget. Whether or not you liked how Doctor Who's bigger budget was used for the past two seasons, there's no doubting that a big budget for a show like Doctor Who is a good thing.

However, it's not unreasonable to assume that a partnership with another streamer could result in other creative voices needing to be taken into account. Perhaps the tone of the show would have to change. Perhaps more spin-offs might not be possible.

In this scenario, we'd still expect Davies to stay on as showrunner - as long as the new streamer's vision for Doctor Who aligned with what he hopes for it.

However, this option would likely take quite a long time, and we'd expect Doctor Who to be off our screens for a few years while a new deal is worked out.

What would lead to this? This would probably be the next best option after a Disney recommission. If Disney decides it doesn't want to continue with the deal, BBC Studios/Bad Wolf will likely shop the show around to see if another streamer would like to pick it up.

At the moment, it's difficult to see a better fit than Doctor Who and Disney, but it's very possible that other streamers would want to diversify their content - and there are certainly worse ways to do that than a British institution like Doctor Who!

Streaming expert Robin Parker says: "Doctor Who is a beloved brand that has proved itself capable of regeneration many times over and in theory would be a jewel in the crown for any streamer.

"Disney has the biggest family focus of any streamer, but Amazon Prime has gone big with fantasy with shows like The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

"It also co-produced Good Omens, starring David Tennant, with the BBC, so there is precedent. But the BBC/Disney partnership was far from plain sailing and both Amazon and the BBC would be seeking reassurances of a firm commitment to a future vision capable of re-engaging jaded fans and new viewers alike.

"There may also be a tussle about release dates – due to the funding balance between its commissioning partners, Good Omens aired internationally long before BBC Two viewers got to see it."

3. The BBC goes it alone

If Doctor Who isn't recommissioned by Disney and isn't picked up by another streamer, the BBC will likely continue it alone.

What would this mean for the show? If BBC Studios/Bad Wolf go it alone, we'd probably be looking at a similar sort of show to the one we watched for years before the Disney deal.

However, it would probably be on a very limited budget. It's no secret that the BBC has faced significant budget challenges impacting its TV output - and that's not an uncommon problem at the moment.

But, as has been said time and time again, Doctor Who is built to survive, and it can do so on a shoestring budget if needed.

In fact, as plenty of the show's writers have said, necessity is the mother of invention and plenty of Doctor Who's best episodes have been produced due to this necessity - the prime example being Steven Moffat's Blink, which needed to be a Doctor-lite episode, and went on to become one of the best-loved ones of all time.

It would also mean that Davies gets to retain more creative control over the series.

What would lead to this? If a deal with another streamer doesn't work out, and the BBC has the budget to make Doctor Who work, it's likely it'll continue it. Recent reports have certainly suggested this much.

While it would likely be a longer route to getting Doctor Who back on TV (if other potential deals are explored first), it's not a bad option from where we're standing.

Streaming expert Robin Parker says: "BBC Studios says it remains 'really committed' to Doctor Who and talks of it as a returning brand. But hardly any dramas of this scale are wholly funded by the public service broadcasters today.

"The BBC simply couldn’t make it in the same volume without sacrificing a major chunk of spend – either on Doctor Who or elsewhere.

"A low-key series or two, with smaller-scale stories and fewer locations could – with the right narrative drive and casting – intrigue viewers and certainly sounds more appealing than the overstuffed everything-but-the-kitchen-sink finales of recent years. But this would be a huge gamble."

4. Cancellation/hiatus

Obviously, this is the worst-case option - but it doesn't have to be absolutely disastrous. It's not outside the realms of possibility that Doctor Who will have at least a short hiatus.

No new episodes are being filmed at the moment, so it stands to reason that there will be a gap in the show's broadcasting after season 15 and The War Between the Land and the Sea.

What would this mean for the show? Of course, it would be bad news for Doctor Who fans who have loved seeing the show back on screen almost every year since 2005. However, there would be benefits too.

It's very unlikely that Doctor Who would be cancelled forever. We thought it was going to happen once before, in 1989 - and then the TV movie came along in 1996, with Davies's reboot happening in 2005.

If this iteration of Doctor Who is cancelled, we'd expect it to be brought back again in the future after a number of years - probably by writers who grew up with the rebooted version. There are some that argue that a rest would do the show good. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

Davies recently said that Doctor Who will never end and, presumably, this is what he meant.

What would lead to this? At the moment, this is looking like an unlikely option, and it stands to reason that Doctor Who will continue in some form. However, if all three of the above options fail, it may be the only choice - at least for a time.

Streaming expert Robin Parker says: "Right now, a lengthy pause feels if not completely inevitable, at least highly likely.

"A special or two exploring – or rapidly moving on from – the implications of Billie Piper’s casting could perhaps bridge the gap, but the show just isn’t part of the national conversation it once was, and it has seemed incapable of picking up casual viewers unless David Tennant’s involved.

"It needs fresh eyes to determine how and why it deserves a place in today’s TV landscape – and what form that should take. We might be waiting some time."

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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