Disney has praised Doctor Who as a “really good fit” for Disney+ amid industry rumors about whether the ambitious co-production deal with the BBC was a success.

Liam Keelan, Disney’s senior vice president of original productions in the EMEA region, said the company was “delighted” to have the sci-fi series “Ncuti Gatwa” on Disney+ outside the UK.

However, the Disney boss did not agree to extend the co-production contract with the BBC beyond the next season, which will be overseen by showrunner Russell T. Davies.

Keelan said: “(Doctor Who) is a fabulous show. In the UK, of course, it’s entirely BBC, and rightly so. We’re taking the rights for the rest of the world. But I’m really, really glad to have it. I think just the quirkiness, the fact that it’s set in this science fiction world, and given what Disney offers in other ways, it’s a really good fit for me. I mean, it’s great to have it.”

He was speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, just weeks after the first season of Gatwa, produced by Bad Wolf and BBC Studios, premiered. An analysis by Deadline revealed industry speculation about Disney’s involvement with the Time Lord, with one source suggesting the future of the co-production deal was in the balance.

Disney is committed to The war between land and seaa five-part spinoff series with Russell Tovey and Gugu Mbatha-Raw alongside existing Doctor Who with Jemma Redgrave and Alexander Devrient.

The war between land and sea focuses on the military organization UNIT. According to the logline, an international crisis is triggered when a terrifying and ancient species emerges from the ocean and reveals itself to humanity in a dramatic way.