BBC opens Doctor Who production tender, series eyed for 2028-29 return

tvSep 17, 202645732

The BBC has published an invitation to tender for the production of Doctor Who, specifying a multi-episodic series including specials slated for transmission in 2028/29 and offering an option to extend the contract at the BBC’s discretion for a second series. The deal is on a work-for-hire basis with the BBC retaining all rights and continuing to broadcast the programme. The successful producer must qualify the production as regional under two of the three Ofcom regional criteria and establish a production base in the agreed region; the BBC states a preference for Wales. The invitation instructs suppliers to submit initial eligibility information via Microsoft Forms and sets a deadline of 2pm on 2 October 2026 for initial submissions. The Deadline report says the BBC aims to choose a production partner by March 2027. The BBC framed the brief by urging bidders to “be brave and have fun.”

headfallsoff

@headfallsoff.com

very much enjoying the part of the BBC's doctor who tender invitation where they spend three paragraphs explaining the basic premise of doctor who for any interested producers who may not have seen the show before

14822d ago

Sig 🌊11

"Iconic, established villains..." considering the last two seasons finales i think you can maybe ease up on them being a talking point

Fry Valdrada2

TBF Davies seemed to have forgotten...

mistiblu2

"keen not to be overly reliant on existing Dr Who lore". Sigh....

Maggie Priceless🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇨🇦1

Can we just admit Disney killed it and move on?

Quoting this

Moondoggie (Rick)3

Personally, I think the show needs more Daleks. #tvsky 📺

Doctor Who Production News

@doctorwhopn.bsky.social

BBC posts Doctor Who Invitation to Tender for 2028/2029 transmission cultbox.co.uk/news/bbc-pos...

5822d ago

Quoting this

Liam Dalley4

OMG this is great news. I’m little unsure about how short the time frame is but glad @mvbrat10.bsky.social @nerdobaggins.bsky.social @ryanjrobotham.bsky.social @bvlikeslinguica.bsky.social @gonzaegonza91.bsky.social @scalawagjack.bsky.social @thanosprime.bsky.social @jpwphoenix.bsky.social

Blaine Coughlan4

At last!! The tender invitation is officially out. We know BBC Studios are going to pitch, but I wonder who else will throw their hat into the ring!! #DoctorWho

Georgeous McGeorgeface 🇬🇧🇫🇮🇩🇪🏳️‍🌈🇪🇸🇮🇨🇳🇴3

I find this whole thing deeply odd and performative. I can't think of a TV show production ever going out to tender before. It feels like this is all to appease something like the Taxpayers Alliance.

Liam Catterson3

Thats quite sooner than I expected but I welcome it

Euan Healey2

DW tender is out. Editorial (extract below, my emphasis) certainly does not suggest an appetite to move away from the show's all-things-to-all-people approach. The line about lore is a fairly solid criticism of the last (possibly last two) showrunners. Door is open for a pretty hard relaunch though.

Spooky Sara (endless summer)2

I saw this after my post so... here we are.

Infinite Whovian2

And we're off to the races! Who will be our lucky winner? Result coming in March! 🤔

Big Finish Insider

@bigfinish.bsky.social

THREE ACES! ♥️♠️♦️ And two kings. It's a full house! Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Philip Olivier star in Doctor Who: Homecoming, due January 2027. Click https://bgfn.sh/acehome to find out more.

Sean Longmore's cover artwork for Doctor Who: Homecoming, featuring Ace (three times), the Doctor and Hex in the centre, surrounded by strange creatures, including the Autons and Nestene, a large earwig-like bug, and a Drashig (only joking, it's the Leviathan) about to eat the TARDIS.

5722d ago

Quoting this

whathelen.bsky.social3

Ooh! Excited to have Hex back.

Eddie Robson

@eddierobson.bsky.social

The Doctor Who tender invitation is out, contrary to all those people who told me the show was dead and I was deluded to think the BBC had any intention of keeping it going. Broadcast target 2028/29, tight turnaround for submissions - just two weeks. www.bbc.co.uk/commissionin...

4822d ago

Eddie Robson15

Ah, that makes sense - yeah it's two weeks to say "Yes we want to pitch and are in a position to make this show". bsky.app/profile/xand...

Spinky’s Mama3

I will be (pleasantly) astounded if the winning bidder is able to get a series together for 2028. ‘Works visually for HD’ and ‘can put out a series every year’ seems increasingly 🦄

Xanderl3

The 2 week deadline is for shortlisting “eligibility criteria” (financial standing of the bidder etc) - full submission deadline is early December which is more realistic!

Alex B2

Sounds like they're throwing the doors open wide in terms of formatting and approach - it's a pretty sharp contrast to the Silent Witness or Casualty tenders, which were very prescriptive in terms of what the BBC were expecting to see. No bad thing!

strum2

I hope that at least one of the applicants is filming the process of deciding to tender and of building a tender. That's a fascination prog, right there.

James H-B1

I'm thinking the dates and wording suggest Christmas Special 28 to start it and then full series in 29.

Quoting this

Adult Human Chicken7

Thoughts and prayers to whoever has to weed out the pitches from delusional timewasters

WindsLightToVariable2

@gruntleigh.bsky.social - Time for your comeback as a Star, Director, Producer???

Gavin Winters2

The naysayers and doom mongers proved wrong for about the billionth time. They never learn, do they?

Neil Perryman

@neilperryman.bsky.social

If you are a regional production company based in Wales who can knock up a proposal in two weeks, the job's in the bag. www.bbc.co.uk/commissionin...

3022d ago

Neil Perryman6

They don't even provide a budget until you are shortlisted.

Paul Kirkley4

Waiting for "the fandom" to read this bit as "AI" and lose its shit.

Simon4

Is the National Theatre of Brent still going?

What good are notebooks?2

You don't even need to write the three pages in *this* phase? This phase is "hi I exist and am a valid creative entity, put me on a longlist"

Martin Robertson2

Could be filmed in a pub car park?

jonwsheridan.bsky.social2

Crypto billionaires putting in their proposal for new Doctor Who with brave working class Time Lord of the people Docco Who helping the patriots with legitimate concerns defend against working age Daleks arriving via dinghy. Cameos from Chris Mason and Lawrence Fox.

Quoting this

Stephen Graham19

Ian Levine pulls out a hefty and ominous folder.

Friz Frizzle4

Amazing that the only televised Doctor Who we'll get in 2027 is the CBeebies show where Davros learns his two times table or whatever the fuck that show is gonna be

Simon2

New Euphemism for going to the loo: "I've just dropped a tender off for the new series, I'd give it five minutes if I were you."

Radio Free Skaro 🇨🇦

@radiofreeskaro.bsky.social

The BBC has published an invitation to tender for the production of Doctor Who. “The contract is for a multi-episodic series (including specials) for transmission in 2028/29, with an option to extend the contract at BBC’s discretion to produce a second series.” www.bbc.co.uk/commissionin...

2422d ago

Nitro Nine Milkshake

@adamclegg.bsky.social

“Dear Sir We’re sorry but we have to reject your tender bid for Doctor Who as sending us the script for Cure Of Fenric with the words “this is pretty good” written on it doesn’t really count. We will however be keeping the £20 note you included.”

2822d ago

Si Hart

@sihart.bsky.social

If you ask me, what Doctor Who needs is less moping around and more fun adventures. More long form storytelling suits the show, gives time to develop characters and make an impact. All the shows everyone loves now do this, and naturally Doctor Who sits with this.

3022d ago

Si Hart12

Big cliffhangers, get everyone talking about it and speculating each week as a story builds up. Maybe two big adventures a year where the stories get to breathe and build up. Give us a strong female Doctor, male companion, brilliant monsters old and new in witty, scary adventures, not too dark.

Dan Hollingsworth9

Flux was a step in the right direction. Let's have more of that, please!

John Chu

@johnchu.bsky.social

"pitch in a bake-off-style process" Now I want that the TV show that is GBBO, except all the challenges are related to producing _Doctor Who_ ("Give us your signature Dalek episode.") deadline.com/2026/09/doct...

1922d ago

SJW Godzilla Punishes Hubris1

Project Greenlight, but with Doctor Who? Interesting...

Geekcliché1

“The Great British Dalek Off”

Oregon 🕎🎲

@oregonthedm.bsky.social

Imo clear the board This regen remembers nothing and has to dig out the tardis user manual, everything is new to them deadline.com/2026/09/doct...

2522d ago

DougieLombax🩷💜💙 (Dougie/Adrienne/Zeek/not my real name) 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇮🇪🇦🇲🇺🇦2

Jesus Christ I just want the show to come BACK from its umpteenth hiatus! I’m half convinced the BBC are keeping it on hiatus to appease grifters who claim it’s dead.

vebrandsson.bsky.social1

Didn't they sort of do that with the first handful of Capaldi episodes where they had clear callbacks to previous doctors and episodes and Capaldi's Doctor at least pretended to not remember them and people hated it?

Part Time Blank1

A homeless guy hides in a phone box, hoping for somewhere to get out of the rain...

Z.1

Have two timelords in the box and you don't know which is which because memories are scrambled together. They have to choose which one by the end

The Dobson Family and Colin the Dalek

@dobbersw.bsky.social

Flexible format, back of the sofa scares and pitched at a family audience. Not necessarily show runner led or bogged down with continuity - this all sounds very positive to me. Hoping for Christmas '28 - my youngest will be 6. The perfect age to meet 'his' Doctor. www.bbc.co.uk/commissionin...

2322d ago

Frank Collins

@cathode-ray-tube.bsky.social

Ah, the Doctor Who tender is out. 2028/9 transmission. Time Lords, start your engines… www.bbc.co.uk/commissionin...

1022d ago

Quoting this

Mark Donaldson3

Anyone wanna go halves on a 60+ year old telly show?

Paul Simpson (SFB)2

Here we go… a three year hiatus confirmed

Aidan

@aidan94.bsky.social

The tender that the BBC put out for Doctor Who explicitly saying “we have monsters from the shows 60 years of history please use them” lol I guess that’s also reassuring in a way I guess?

1722d ago