Step One In The ‘Doctor Who’ Creative Tender Is Complete
by Erik Amaya
Good news: we will have a better idea of Doctor Who‘s future by March.
The not so great news: we still have to wait until March for something concrete. As close watchers of the program have noted, the BBC’s creative tender — that is, an application process for production companies to offer their pitches for a new season of the 63-year-old sci-fi classic — closed its first step overnight. At 2pm BST, the initial forms were due. That application included information about the production companies ready to pitch, whether or not they have creatives attached, their home bases, and their willingness to abide by certain BBC directives.
Now here’s where it gets interesting.
Two key BBC requirements include a 25% diversity pledge and a preference for the series to remain in Wales, the UK region Doctor Who has called home since production resumed in 2004. A third requirement is, perhaps, the most intriguing to fans: the Corporation wants a new season for the 2028-2029 window. No 14-year “rest” this time, which will be a relief to those who lived through the Wilderness Years of the 1990s.
With the initial applications in to the BBC, the bidding companies will be vetted. Those who make it to the next phase will get into more specifics about their vision of the series. Some believe there is a desire to bring the program back to its 21st Century creative heights — the David Tennant and Matt Smith Eras — while other believe a return to Doctor Who‘s original format is required. Meanwhile, YouTube channels like The Review of Death are championing a long-serial approach, as seen in 2021’s Doctor Who: Flux.
We support the more episodic format with ongoing character arcs — the method that has made Star Trek: Strange New Worlds a delight week-after-week. As it happens, the details of the initial BBC call for bids includes freedom in terms of format and number of episodes. If a company can pull of 13 episodes, the Corporation may be interested.
Those who advance to the next stage will be notified on October 9th with brief creative proposals due on the 23rd. In November, Doctor Who‘s anniversary month, the process whittles down the bids further with a few more phases afterward, leading up to a winner in March 2027. At that point, we will at least have specifics about the production company and creative leads tasked with getting the TARDIS in motion again. Who will be playing The Doctor, though, may be a further surprise later that year. Or maybe a star will be an aspect of the awarded pitch.
Additionally, the agreement between the winning production company and the Beeb will be for one season and a number of specials with the option to continue should the new vision be successful. Although, in the streaming era, it’s really hard to gauge success. But, for the moment, it feels like the BBC still sees Doctor Who as a valuable property and something worth continuing as soon as possible. That’s definitely heartening after seeing the show dissolve over the last 18 months.
