BBC to put Doctor Who out to tender amid plans to regenerate flagging sci-fi brand

The 15th season of Doctor Who starred Ncuti Gatwa

The BBC has announced production companies will be invited to bid for the rights to make the next series of struggling sci-fi property Doctor Who after the departure of its producer Bad Wolf and writer Russell T Davies.

Russell T Davies

The UK public broadcaster will put the long-running drama out to competitive tender this year, with the successful outfit winning the chance to make the 16th season of the show.

With neither Welsh indie Bad Wolf nor Davies now involved in the show, the move effectively clears the way for a new prodco to take over one the UK’s most beloved franchises.

Details of the tender will be announced soon, with the BBC retaining all IP rights to the franchise. The corporation’s commercial arm, BBC Studios, meanwhile, will continue to handle global distribution.

A BBC spokesperson said: “As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s charter and agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.”

Showrunner Davies took to social media yesterday to announce his departure from the show, saying: “And so goodbye from me to Doctor Who but hello to a big new future for the show. Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who.”

As part of the rethink, the BBC has also axed plans for a Christmas special this year.

“After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode,” said the spokesperson.

“This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one-off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the Tardis lands once more, it does so in all its glory.”

First aired in the UK in 1963, Doctor Who is one of the BBC’s tentpole dramas, with 26 series airing up until 1989. After a 16-year absence, the brand was successfully rebooted in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston playing the role of the ninth Time Lord.

The coveted lead role has since been taken by the likes of David Tennant, Matt Smith, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whittaker, the first-ever female Doctor.

However, ratings have slumped in recent years. Season 13 of Doctor Who attracted average audiences of five million viewers, which dropped sharply to 3.1 million for the most recent 15th season, featuring Ncuti Gatwa.

In October last year, US SVoD platform Disney+ ended its partnership on the show with the BBC. Signed in 2022, the deal saw Disney+ take streaming rights outside the UK and Ireland.