The BBC has opened a competitive tender to select a new production partner for Doctor Who, aiming for a refreshed creative direction and a relaunch set for 2028‑29.

The tender closed on 2 October, with bids now surfacing that outline various strategic and production approaches.

The move follows Russell T Davies’s departure from the show earlier this year, prompting the BBC to seek a new leadership and creative approach.

STV Studios, in collaboration with Screen Scotland, is bidding with an eye toward relocating production to Scotland and leveraging the series’ legacy.

Industry insiders caution that reviving Doctor Who is a monumental challenge, with some questioning whether anyone can fill the shoes of past showrunners.

World Productions is bidding and is seen as leading ITV Studios’ bid efforts, alongside other contenders such as STV Studios and BBC Studios itself.

Other bidders include World Productions, STV Studios, and BBC Studios as it seeks to retain the show, with World Productions also pitching under ITV Studios’ umbrella.

Both Jed Mercurio’s Hat Trick Mercurio and World Productions bring strong credentials, underscoring the high stakes of reviving Doctor Who given its long-running history and dedicated fanbase.

Reports highlight Hat Trick Mercurio as a bidder, emphasizing Mercurio’s crime drama pedigree and prior sci‑fi work as part of the proposal.

Dominic Minns is serving as series director for the new spin-off, describing the project as a significant and exciting next step.

Several bidders reportedly declined participation, including A24 UK, Playground, Mammoth Screen, New Pictures, Big Talk, Expectation, and Quay Street, amid concerns over rights and contract impact on creativity.

Jed Mercurio, via Hat Trick Mercurio, leads a bid to produce Doctor Who, potentially taking an executive producer role on the seventeenth season if successful.