Love me Tendered: DOCTOR WHO is now out for bidding…
When the announcement came that there would be no Doctor Who Christmas Special for 2026 and that the current production team would be stepping down, there was much consternation – given that it was both an obvious disappointment and seemed to fly in the face of previous plans that had been at least seemed to fans to represented as firmer than they turned out to be.
The upside was that the BBC said it would be putting the series out to tender, a not uncommon practice of having production companies submit bids and outlines to take on the role of the new production company and enable the show to get a running start on its return. The Doctor Who brand or ‘IP’ would remain the property of the BBC, but the winning bidder would win the right to make the show. It wasn’t clear when the tending process would begin, but the intention was sometime in late 2026.
That tender process opened up today, with the BBC laying out guidelines of what it requires from a bid and what the parameters of producing the show would pragmatically entail. From those bids a shortlist will be created with potential showrunners getting more information about budget etc. A potential second new season could go forward if people are happy with the results. After that – and with potential changes to the BBC charter – it isn’t known what would happen with a potential third season (ideally, the arrangement would continue).
The tender states that: “We are seeking a creative vision that embraces the breadth of what Doctor Who can be and could be…”
Other guidelines for the tender include:
“We see this pitch as an exciting opportunity to innovate and surprise us. Stories should balance high concept science fiction with strong emotional narratives, ensuring that spectacle is always grounded in character and human experience. Episodes should transport audiences to extraordinary times and places, ranging from historical settings to distant futures, alien worlds, and contemporary Earth. Successful pitches will deliver ‘back of the sofa’ scares, jeopardy and tension, whilst remaining suitable for a broad family audience. Doctor Who embraces themes that celebrate curiosity, courage, intelligence, and compassion, themes that interrogate the human condition and most of all, it should and will always be distinctively British storytelling. We are flexible in the way the series is structured i.e. serialised or ‘story-of-the-week’ and the number of episodes which make up the series…”
“Iconic, established villains are a mainstay of the series over 60 years and we invite you to use them, but we will want to begin to get an understanding of the original characters, aliens and themes that producers wish to bring to the show and are keen not to be overly reliant on existing Doctor Wholore. We are looking for a new perspective that ensures Doctor Who remains relevant, surprising, brave and inspiring for both long-standing fans and new audiences…”
We don’t know who will be bidding, but we have some early ideas. BBC Studios, a separate entity from the BBC itself, remains a popular choice given past association with the show and its known abilities. Dean Devlin and his Electric Entertainment company appeared to informally throw their hat in the ring a few months ago, though Devlin also pointed out there had been no negotiations as such. (Such discussions cannot legally happen until the tender was formally released, so as to keep the process fair). When asked recently, Prime Video did not rule out their interest either.
Much will remain in flux until this process is finished, though we can tell from the documents released, that the plan is for a production to get an initial series order (and a special) that would involve a 2028/2029 time-frame for broadcast. That would likely indicate filming taking place no earlier than the latter half of next year. The BBC has openly stated that its preference is for production to remain in Wales, though it is entirely possible that a bid could involve a move to other locations (Scotland, Northern Ireland etc). It would be highly unlikely that the series would return to a London venue as the show looks to be made under a ‘regional’ remit,
Will the format continue to be an episodic series of around eight episodes (it’s unlikely in the current climate to be more) or a shorter run of longer-form a la Sherlock? At this point that seems up in the air. It is also not known yet if the BBC will seek another partner platform in a similar way that the last two shows appeared on Disney+ outside of the UK. That is information that will be disclosed to shortlisted participants as the process moves forward. Interviews with bidders will take place in January 2027 with a formal decision being anticipated by March 2027.
The tender process closes on 2nd October. If you wish to get more details you can go to the BBC‘s commissioning page and look at the news of the tender, or even feel you qualify to make a bid… here’s the official document itself.