Doctor Who Returning with Christmas Special in 2026

When the BBC put Doctor Who up for competitive tender, it brought bad news for fans waiting for details about the upcoming holiday special. Neither showrunner Russell T. Davies nor production company Bad Wolf will make a special this year, clearing the path for new creatives to lead the series into a different era.

A Doctor Who Christmas special is arriving after all, with Christopher Eccleston leading the cast.

Doctor Who’s 2026 Christmas special reunites an unlikely pair

Eccleston is best known as the Ninth Doctor. Alongside Billie Piper as his companion Rose Tyler, he battled Daleks, Slitheen, and sentient gas masks during his tenure as the Time Lord. After twenty years, Eccleston has returned to star in a full-cast audio drama from Big Finish titled The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Wash.

Written by Robert Valentine, The Wash reunites the Ninth Doctor and his granddaughter, Susan. Carole Ann Ford returns to voice Susan in this audio-only drama. Read the full summary of the adventure below.

When Rose and Jackie start early Christmas prep, the Doctor opts to do the laundry. The Wash Inn is a hub and haven for lonely souls, and who is more lonely than the last of the Time Lords?

But why has the memory of his granddaughter, Susan, begun to trouble him? What terrible force lurks in an innocent washing machine? And is there enough Brite White in the world to deal with it? It will all come out in the Wash…

Eccleston shared his appreciation for the project in an interview with Big Finish. “This was a brilliant, really outstanding script, I thought. I love that notion that as we go through our lives, particularly if you’re a Time Lord, everybody you meet remains with you,” Eccleston said. “And working with Carole was really exciting. I’d been looking forward to it. I think that ‘An Unearthly Child’ is the greatest episode ever made — when I made the TV series, that was the one I watched as inspiration. And she’s a pro, she was absolutely brilliant — a real honor.”

“An Unearthly Child” is the very first episode of Doctor Who. It introduced the First Doctor, played by William Hartnell, and his four companions, including his granddaughter Susan Foreman, played by Carole Ann Ford.

“[The Wash] is such a strong story,” Ford shared with Big Finish. “Susan pushes this Doctor to try and sort himself out and not be so touchy with people. I think listeners will be cheering Susan on!”

Where can you watch The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Wash?

The Ninth Doctor Adventures: The Wash premieres on the official Doctor Who YouTube channel on Dec. 22, giving fans worldwide a chance to listen together.

The audio drama will remain free to stream on the Doctor Who YouTube channel for a month afterward, giving fans ample opportunity to enjoy the Christmas-themed adventure over the holidays.

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Source: Polygon