Russell T Davies hasn't started writing next Doctor Who special
Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies admits while he has a plot in mind for the 2026 Christmas special, he's yet to start actually writing the script.
Russell T Davies still hasn't started writing the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.
The beloved BBC sci-fi show will return in 2026 with a new festive episode, but the showrunner admitted with just over a year to go, he is yet to put pen to paper.
Asked if he'd started writing yet, he told RadioTimes.com: "Not at the moment because I'm busy on [spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea].
"I'm also shooting a show in Manchester, so next year my plate clears and we'll get to work on that."
However, Russell reassured fans he has the plot all figured out, even if he hasn't actually started fleshing the story out.
He added: "I know exactly what happens in it, don't worry about that."
The War Between The Land And The Sea is a five-part series starring Russell Tovey as everyman Barclay, who works for UNIT (Unified Intelligence Taskforce) and gets enveloped in a struggle to prevent a major war between the humans and the Sea Devils, who were first introduced to Doctor Who fans in the 1970s.
He ends up being the only human that Gugu Mbatha Raw's Sea Devil character Salt can trust.
The series marks the end of the Doctor Who partnership between Disney+ and BBC, after the streamer struck a deal in October 2022 to become the global home for the franchise outside the UK.
The platform has exited the TARDIS and will move on after the upcoming spinoff, but the BBC remains fully committed.
They previously announced the Christmas 2026 special, with plans for the next series being confirmed in due course.
Russell recently admitted he hopes next month's spinoff can show the worth of the Whoniverse.
He told Empire magazine: "I wanted to show the BBC what this universe is capable of. And the potential that it has, and the punch that it can deliver."
