On Friday, May 15, Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T Davies sat down for a conversation with Sherman Theatre’s Artistic Director Francesca Goodridge in a evening to raise funds for the Cardiff venue.
The event was billed as a chat with screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies about his life, his early career, his work creating landmark TV including Queer as Folk, Doctor Who and It’s A Sin, his relationship with Wales, his creative process and future plans.
Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to submit a question for Davies for a Q&A.
Tom Harries, who has a popular and informative YouTube channel dedicated to Doctor Who, attended the talk and reported that Davies didn’t provide a progress update for the 2026 Doctor Who Christmas Special which is expected to go into production this year.
Saw a British icon (& Russell T Davies) at the Sherman theatre charity event tonight and no I didn’t find anything out about Xmas 😭 pic.twitter.com/5MSMbCm7V0
— Tharries (@TharriesYT) May 15, 2026
Several more self-described Doctor Who fans also attended the talk.
It’s notable that the subject of the Doctor Who Christmas special didn’t enter the conversation, either via the host or by submitted question.
The 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special was first announced in October 2025 in conjunction with the news that the co-production agreement with Disney was at an end.
The last update on the progress of the special came from Doctor Who composer Murray Gold in February 2026, who reported that Davies had written several different versions of the script “depending on certain outcomes.”
Since then, there have been no reports of progress and no discernible signs that the special is in any stage of production which would lead to imminent filming. Bad Wolf has not set up a dedicated LTD for the production on Companies House nor have they recently sought to fill the multiple crew roles which are typically listed on the Screen Alliance Wales website when a production is commencing.
Doctor Who production designer Phil Sims is currently working on large, elaborate sets for a different Bad Wolf production. As of May 21, Sims is reported to have built a replica of the House of Lords chamber and corridors of Westminster for a £50m Netflix thriller titled The Lord’s Day. Filming has recently begun on the six-part series.
It remains unknown when Bad Wolf will commence principal photography on the Doctor Who Christmas special. Perhaps the “lengthy post-production period”, often cited when Doctor Who takes longer to produce than expected, is less of a factor for the production of one special.
Another Davies-penned series, Tip Toe, is coming soon to Channel 4 in the UK.