Former Doctor Who showrunner, Chris Chibnall, has really hit the nail on the head by explaining that one of the core components of the show going out to tender is finance.
And yes, that’s what this really is about. It’s not just about creative decisions: it’s finding a team who can help to fund the programme.
Speaking to the WHO Corner to Corner podcast, Chibnall explained:
“I think the biggest thing you can say about all of that is it’s very easy to miss the point ‒ that this is primarily about money… It’s very hard for the BBC to fund their programmes right now because of what’s been done to them in terms of funding agreements over the past 15 years and the slow whittling away of that. And the increase in big Hollywood monoliths and conglomerates really taking over the market. And really what you’ve got is a [BBC that] can’t afford to fully fund any drama now — and it certainly can’t afford to fund Doctor Who.
“Any discussion around it is about money more than anything else. And I think that that’s been missed… in the discourse that I saw around the show. There’s all kinds of other things [involved], and obviously, it’s hugely disappointing and [the tender process so far] hasn’t been handled brilliantly. But really, the big story is: ‘Look, this is a BBC that cannot afford to make shows that it wants to make.’ The BBC wants to make Doctor Who. Don’t be in any doubt about that.”
He sounds pretty much spot on actually. The BBC has been whittled away over the years and simply cannot afford to do what it used to do. Like his era of Doctor Who or not, Chibnall knows the industry well, so he’s on the, uh, money, as it were.
He further explains why the process of putting it out to tender is taking some time:
“If I’m a production company and I’m looking at things that are going out for tender, what I’m going to want to know is: ‘Well, what’s the budget? How many episodes? And where’s the funding coming from?’ And until that’s sorted, you know, you can’t really move forward for it.”
Again, it all makes sense.
And it’s positive because once more, Chris is correct: simply wanting to put Doctor Who out to tender means the BBC is committed to it.
Nonetheless, we expect details of the process to be announced later this year.
