Here are three exciting Doctor Who events to look forward to in 2026! Are you sitting comfortably? Good. Then we’ll begin…
The Season 21 Collection box set
Some TV shows are never going to get a home release. The chances of Marlene Marlowe Investigates or even Greenclaws finding their way to DVD anytime soon are nigh-on zero.
So for the first of our Doctor Who events, shall we take a moment to appreciate that not only has Doctor Who Season 21 been released on video, and DVD, and special edition DVD (in some cases) but is now getting a souped-up, high definition remaster with gorgeous packaging and a truck-load of special features.
And this isn’t just any old Collection release; Doctor Who Season 21 is actually a good one. For a start, it features ‘The Caves of Androzani‘ which is often cited as the most popular Fifth Doctor adventure, and one of the most beloved of all time, penned by Robert Holmes. Then you’ve got ‘The Awakening,’ which pays homage to another fondly-remembered story ‘The Daemons.’ Then you’ve got ‘Resurrection the Daleks’ which, despite being a blood-bath, looks incredible.
True, ‘Planet of Fire‘ isn’t too everyone’s taste (although it’s one of our favourites at Lovarzi) and the Myrka from ‘Warriors of the Deep’ is a hard sell. And whilst ‘The Twin Dilemma‘ is almost universally disliked in Doctor Who fandom, one cannot deny its historical significance, being the first to feature Colin Baker as the Doctor.
As such, the release of Season 21 on Blu-ray promises to be an important and memorable Doctor Who event in 2026, and it’s unlikely to be the year’s last box set release; we still have Seasons 11 and 16 to look forward to, plus some possible Hartnell and Troughton releases.
The Doctor Who Christmas Special
There is no Doctor Who event quite like a Christmas special, and we’re getting one in 2026. Now, this is the kind of Doctor Who event that can instil terror in the heart of any long-term fan. Is there going to be some canon-destroying plot twist? Will the next Doctor be a talking penguin? Will the Gastropods be the main villain?
Sometimes, it’s tempting to wish for no Doctor Who episode rather than one that could, potentially, force us to rewrite our encyclopaedias and erase our tattoos. But it all depends on your perspective. The BBC has never been more committed to Doctor Who, and has gone out of its way to make this clear, particularly in light of its deal with Disney coming to an end. Furthermore, the writer Russell T Davies has promised that the story will be jaw-dropping, in the best possible way. So there are lots of reasons to be excited.
Of course, there is no denying that the series is in a (somewhat) uncertain place; at the moment, we don’t even know who the Doctor is! Ncuti Gatwa seemingly regenerated into Billie Piper at the end of ‘The Reality War,’ but she hasn’t been announced as his successor. All we know is that her role will become clear in the fullness of time.
So, this particular Doctor Who event will be surprising, if nothing else. It’s understandable that fans are nervous, but there is comfort in the fact that we have another Doctor Who Christmas special to look forward to (after missing one in 2025) and an unwavering commitment to the show’s future from BBC bosses. If this were the 1980s, we would be telling a very different story.
A missing episodes announcement
For once, this isn’t speculation; a Doctor Who missing episodes announcement is on the horizon. This is one Doctor Who event that is almost guaranteed to please fans, even if the returned film is ‘merely’ ‘The Reign of Terror’ episode four. The recently-formed Film is Fabulous have confirmed that they’ve located several missing Doctor Who episodes in the hands of private collectors, and they’re currently in the process of acquiring them.
It seems almost certain, therefore, that there will be an announcement in 2026 – and we may even get to see them! In the meantime, we can play the fun game of trying to work out which episodes they will be, which is a Doctor Who event in itself. Will 2026 be the year where it is proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that ‘The Feast of Steven‘ was indeed telerecorded, and will soon be appearing on iPlayer?
And whilst we can’t be sure how many episodes are in the hoard, the film specialist Philip Morris (who recovered ‘The Enemy of the World‘ in 2013) previously indicated that he knew of “at least six” episodes in the hands of private collectors, one of which is ‘The Web of Fear‘ episode three. Now, the recovery of this particular film would certainly give fans cause for celebration, as it’s the first to feature the character of the Brigadier.
We at Lovarzi, meanwhile, are keeping our fingers crossed for ‘The Massacre‘ – a mysterious First Doctor adventure which is missing in its entirety, save for its soundtrack and a couple of photos.
There are, of course, many other Doctor Who events which we haven’t mentioned on this list; we have countless Big Finish releases in the schedule, and a number of books. If you’re having a hard time feeling a pang of excitement (and if you’re of a certain age) just remember what it was like in the 90s, when we were chomping at the bit.
So tell us: which of these Doctor Who events are you most excited about? Will you be watching the Christmas special? And which missing episodes are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments below.
I stopped feeling excitement about doctor who before they brought it back , missing episode excitement would be down to what it is , some episodes I couldn’t get excited about , Billie piper regen is a joke surely