BBC Studios could submit up to two separate company bids for the upcoming Doctor Who production tender, with executives expressing a desire to recapture the golden-era feel of the David Tennant and Matt Smith years.

Sorry, Peter Capaldi. Apologies, Jodie. I’d mention Ncuti, but I don’t think he’ll be reading this any time soon…

Rediscovering Doctor Who

BBC Studios’ Managing Director for Scripted, Jamie Hall, has opened up about the competitive tender process that’s currently underway. According to Hall, BBC Studios – which manages both in-house production arms and various owned independents – has “probably got one, potentially two companies” preparing to compete for the contract.

“Doctor Who should sit within the BBC and the whole group should reap the rewards of it,” Hall told Deadline. When asked what he hopes to see from the next production company to take over, he cited the David Tennant and Matt Smith eras.

“It feels to me that there is an opportunity to get back to what the core offering was in that time,” Hall explained. “It will be off screen for two or three years, and that gives the audience a great chance to have a break then rediscover, while also bringing a new audience.”

What is the BBC Looking For?

The official invitation to tender details a comprehensive vision for the series’ future. Key guidelines laid out for prospective production teams include:

• The format: A multi-episodic series including specials, targeted for a 2028/2029 broadcast, with a discretionary option for the BBC to extend the contract into a second series.
• The tone: The broadcaster is asking for pitches that feel “contemporary and creatively ambitious,” encouraging innovative approaches to world-building, visual effects, and storytelling.
• The companions: The tender specifies that producers must develop “at least one” companion alongside the Doctor – stating that they must be “distinctive, authentic characters in their own right, whose lives, relationships, ambitions, and personal journeys enrich the series.

Looking to the future

While BBC Studios is positioning its own labels to fight for the continuation of the show, external production companies have also registered interest, including names like Electric Entertainment and World Productions.

However, notable absences include Quay Street (headed by Russell T Davies’ longtime producing partner Nicola Schindler), which has confirmed it will not enter a bid.

The formal tender process has drawn immense industry attention. Following the initial application deadlines, the BBC is expected to narrow down the field through a multi-stage evaluation process, with a final decision and official contract signing anticipated in Spring 2027.

What direction are you hoping a new production team takes the show? Should they just get Tennant back (again) and be done with it? Haven’t they got any new ideas? Is John Warr a possibility? Let us know in the comments below!