Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio has emerged as a leading name in the bidding race to produce Doctor Who for the BBC.
Mercurio — who is a fan of sci-fi and was in talks with Steven Moffat to write a Doctor Who script over a decade ago — is part of a bid from his own company Hat Trick Mercurio. Also known as HTM, this is the production company Mercurio runs Jimmy Mulville, the former comedy actor who has had considerable success with his own production company Hat Trick.
Fans may be enthused to learn that HTM has submitted a bid proposal for Doctor Who that has Mercurio attached as an executive producer, according to Deadline.
Mercurio was also responsible for the Keeley Hawes/Richard Madden serial Bodyguard, as well as the 1990s hospital drama Cardiac Arrest, which co-starred Ace Bhatti (The Sarah Jane Adventures).
Both Cardiac Arrest and Bodies drew upon Mercurio’s previous career as a doctor in the NHS. We don’t think this will inform the Doctor Who bid, however… Mercurio also created the BBC sci-fi show Invasion: Earth and 1970s-set comedy-drama The Grimleys. Meanwhile, other shows from Hat Trick Mercurio include Trigger Point, Bloodlands, and DI Ray. These are all considered top-draw shows on their networks, have been picked up by streaming services in some cases, and confirm Mercurio’s position as a respected writer and showrunner.
Of course, the bid document states the BBC is happy to move away from that model…
Other Doctor Who Bids
It isn’t only the Mercurio/HTM bid that has come to light today. The production company (confusingly) behind Mercurio’s Line of Duty and Bodyguard, World Productions, is also said to be in the running. This follows earlier rumours inspired by Simon Heath, the company’s CEO, in early September, who said:
“We may go for it, we may not. It’s not decided yet. The process hasn’t been outlined yet, to see what we’d have to go through. You want to take a look at that really before you make any decision.”
Deadline reports that “Sources said that World is effectively spearheading ITV Studios’ efforts to land the contract.” Doctor Who made by ITV?!
Scottor Who?
Another bid has also emerged, this time from STV Studios. The Scottish TV company has had recent success with Blue Lights and Bridge of Lies, but accepting the bid would move production of Doctor Who north of the border.
This may seem unlikely, but the BBC’s co-production with Bad Wolf for the 2005 series was partially intended to assist in the support of TV and film production in Wales. With four previous Scottish Doctors (I’m counting Tennant once and not including the AI creation), Scotland has an affinity with Doctor Who, so this bid — while not as prominent as the HTM bid — should not be ruled out.
We’re also aware of two BBC Studios bids to run Doctor Who over the next few years. The eligibility for tender closed on 2nd October 2026, with a long list of successfully eligible tenders published on Friday this week (October 9th). Here’s a recap of what happens next:
- The shortlist is published on 9th November, followed by a briefing with those tenderers on 13th November.
- Final tender submissions close in early December, with interviews with tenderers taking place in January 2027.
- The final contract will be awarded in March 2027.
We’ll keep you updated as new details are released.
Does Jed Mercurio sound like the right direction? Or would you prefer a Doctor Who filmed in Scotland?
