Let the race to take over the TARDIS begin… the BBC has officially opened its doors for studios to submit their bid to take over the legendary Doctor Who. The process is the tentative first step towards bringing season 16 of the franchise to our screens.
Back in June the BBC announced a major milestone for the long-running series, confirming that Russell T. Davis and the Bad Wolf are moving on following the 60th anniversary specials and two seasons fronted by Ncuti Gatwa.
As reported by Deadline, the tender document invites producers to detail a vision for the franchise with a hope to returning to our screens in 2028-29. The BBC asks for pitching teams to ensure the series remains “relevant, surprising, brave and inspiring for both long-standing fans and new audiences.”
“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,” says the BBC. “We are not necessarily looking to work to a strict showrunner model and would expect once in production that the series will also use episodic writers.”
“Visually, the series should feel cinematic, distinctive, and ambitious, capable of competing for audience attention in a highly competitive global market. We encourage innovative approaches to production, world-building, visual effects, and storytelling that maximise the scale and emotional impact of the Doctor Who universe.”
“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.”
The deadline for initial proposals to be submitted by is set for October 2. Interviews with bidders will then take place in January 2027, with the BBC awarding a contract in March.
