As much as the recent finale for Doctor Who, The Reality War, has come in for criticism, it’s still been an impressive year for the show. Some strong episodes can be found in Ncuti Gatwa’s second (and final) season as the Time Lord, and as the final scene in said episode demonstrated, there’s the working assumption that Doctor Who is very much live and kicking.

Not at Disney, though. As had been widely anticipated, Disney – while it hasn’t been announced – is now being reported as ending its interest in Doctor Who. The firm has partnered with the BBC over the last three years on the programme, but once the upcoming mini-series The War Between The Land And The Sea has aired, it’s no longer going to be backing the show.

No surprise, there. It’s been rumoured for some time, and with no new episodes in production at the moment, the earliest we could see the Time Lord return for a new series is late next year if they get their skates on. More specials seem likely.

The large amount of conversation around The Reality War’s finale certainly isn’t going to do the BBC much harm in trying to find a new partner on the show, and a report now suggests that there are “active talks” with other parties looking to get involved. Furthermore, that “things are looking promising.”

That’s still some way away from an inked deal, but it’s not that surprising others would consider stepping in to fill Disney’s shoes here. Doctor Who, in the UK in particular, remains hugely popular on the BBC’s iPlayer service, and the sales of its physical media remain constantly impressive. The ratings for the season just gone haven’t hit the hoped for marks, but there’s also a long tail to the programme, and the archive continues to be explored.

No formal announcement, then, but there’s life in the Time Lord yet. More as we hear it.