Richard Osman believes cancelling this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special was a crucial step to ensure the show continues, and he’s shared his pick for the next Doctor.
The BBC announced last week that the planned Christmas special for 2026 has been cancelled. They also said the show will be open to bids from different production companies, leading to more discussion about its long-term future.
Osman recently told listeners of The Rest is Entertainment podcast that the show hasn’t been cancelled – in fact, it’s been renewed and will continue.
He clarified that putting the show up for bids was always intended, but the BBC sped up the process. This meant the planned 2026 Christmas special—originally meant to bridge a gap in programming—would have been disruptive and essentially unnecessary.
So, here’s the story as I understand it. Back in 2025, Disney decided to back out of the deal. But the BBC was adamant they’d keep Doctor Who going, planning to open up bidding for production in 2028 or 2029. Everyone then had the idea of doing a Christmas special to keep things afloat until then – a way to bridge that gap and keep fans happy.
The BBC was navigating a complex period with the Trump-related legal issues, as well as leadership changes – their Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore was departing and Kate Phillips was taking over. This created significant disruption within the organization.
He went on to explain that Kate Phillips immediately decided to open the project up for bids. She believed this was important because they intended to develop several seasons of the show and wanted production companies to submit their ideas.
Once you announce a bidding process for the show, you can’t proceed with the Christmas special. The planned story involving Ncuti Gatwa and Billie Piper would significantly change the show’s established direction, and it’s unfair to ask potential production companies to build their ideas around that uncertainty. Introducing such a major plot point mid-bid would make the entire process unworkable.
Elsewhere in the interview, Osman tipped SNL’s George Fouracres as the new Doctor Who.
I was just thinking, wouldn’t it be incredible to see him as the Doctor? Seriously, all the truly great Doctors – guys like Matt Smith, David Tennant, and Peter Capaldi – have a knack for comedy. It’s a key part of what makes them so good, you know?
These performers are incredibly versatile – they’re just as skilled at doing comedy as they are performing Shakespeare. George Fouracres, in particular, excels at both comedic and Shakespearean roles; he’s truly talented in either genre.
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Authors
Molly Moss writes about the newest happenings in television, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has also contributed to major publications like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.
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2026-06-17 18:05