Doctor Who named one of top British TV exports as UK show sales hit record US high

Amongst the series which were noted as performing well in the report were Doctor Who, in the first year of the BBC’s deal with Disney Plus to produce and distribute the show, as well as the likes of Boat Story, Planet Earth III and the Got Talent franchise.

Pact found that despite success in the US, British TV exports around the world fell slightly in 2023-24, down two per cent on the previous 12 months.

Scripted drama dominated the genre share of exports, although fell from 49 per cent to to 43 per cent from the previous year, while entertainment saw the biggest increase from 21 per cent to 27 per cent.

The Disney Plus Doctor Who deal is set to continue into 2025, with a second season of the show having already been shot. Meanwhile, a spin-off series, The War Between the Land and the Sea, has also been produced.

Beyond that is less clear – the show has yet to be officially renewed by Disney for a third season under the deal, season 16, although showrunner Russell T Davies has assured fans this is nothing to worry about.

He previously told SFX Magazine: “It’s an industry decision, it’s like any business – these things take time. I think the decision will come after the transmission of season two. That’s what we’re expecting, that’s what we’ve always been heading towards.”

Before this, Doctor Who will be back at Christmas for this year’s festive special, Joy to the World, which has been written by Steven Moffat and stars Nicola Coughlan, alongside Fifteenth Doctor actor Ncuti Gatwa.

Read more:

Doctor Who will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Christmas. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.