Disney+ could reportedly make a decision on whether to renew its deal for Doctor Who in the near future.
The streaming giant teamed up with the BBC to relaunch the show last year under Russell T Davies - a move that has significantly increased the budget available for production.
Davies recently revealed to SFX Magazine that the agreement with Disney was for two years, and now The Mirror reports that the deal covered 26 episodes.
Covered in that tally are the three specials with David Tennant, the 2023 Christmas special, two full series - of eight episodes each - the 2024 Christmas special and a five-episode spinoff centred on the Sea Devils called The War Between The Land and Sea.
All of the Doctor Who episodes in the deal are now almost filmed, while production on the spinoff is expected to begin soon.
The newspaper alleges that Disney will make a decision on whether to continue the partnership "early next year", although that date is likely to be wide of the mark.
The complex production of the show means that for a new series - and more potential spinoffs - to air on time in 2026, the greenlight would need to be given in the coming months in order for scripts to be commissioned and filming dates locked off with lead actor Ncuti Gatwa.
Gatwa recently hinted that he is keen on playing The Doctor for a third series and potentially more, telling the Radio Times that he will "be around for a while yet".
The new series of Doctor Who launches on iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the rest of the world on Saturday.
Neil Wilkes
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