Overview
- The BBC confirmed it will take Doctor Who to competitive tender and has cancelled the previously planned 2026 Christmas special, announcements that ran Tuesday as the corporation published its annual report.
- Director-general Matt Brittin framed the tender as a way to 'regenerate' the series and to invest in the show's long-term future rather than bridge the gap with a one-off episode.
- Showrunner Russell T Davies has stepped back from the programme and said the tender process should secure multiple future series for any successful bidder.
- BBC Studios’ CEO Tom Fussell said the studio will bid to produce the show, but the tender timetable is unresolved and industry sources expect a live-action return no earlier than 2028.
- Franchise activity will continue with a CBeebies animated spin-off in production, but fans face uncertainty over casting after Ncuti Gatwa left the role and the finale’s regeneration into Billie Piper remains unresolved.