July 2026
The News: Doctor Who’s Future Is Up for Grabs
After more than sixty years of sonic screwdrivers, regenerations, and saving the universe before tea, Doctor Who finds itself at perhaps its most uncertain crossroads yet. In a landmark announcement this week, the BBC confirmed it will be putting the iconic science fiction series out to competitive tender — meaning that for the first time in its modern era, the very question of who makes the show is wide open.
The BBC has announced that production companies will be invited to bid for the rights to make the next series of the struggling sci-fi property, following the departure of its producer Bad Wolf and showrunner Russell T Davies.
The BBC was unambiguous in its statement: “Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who, ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.”
But what does “competitive tender” actually mean in practice? In plain terms, it means the BBC is legally required by its Charter and Agreement to open Doctor Who up to outside bids. Streaming platforms, production companies, or a combination of both can compete for the right to make and distribute the next phase of the show — think of it like a job posting for one of the most iconic television franchises in history.
Crucially, the BBC retains all intellectual property in Doctor Who regardless of who wins, and BBC Studios will continue to handle global distribution and licensing — but who actually produces and streams the show next is now an open question.
How Did We Get Here?
The road to this moment has been bumpy. At the end of the latest series, which recorded the franchise’s lowest-ever viewership numbers, Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated into none other than Billie Piper, who played the Doctor’s former companion Rose Tyler during the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant era.
The Disney+ partnership, which had been heralded as a bold new chapter for global Doctor Who distribution, has also ended. Fans will remember that in October 2025, Disney+ walked away from its relationship with Doctor Who, with the BBC initially promising a Christmas special in 2026 with Russell T Davies returning to write it.
Both of those lifelines have now been cut. The BBC is no longer going ahead with a 2026 Christmas special and is seeking new production partners. Showrunner and writer Russell T Davies and producer Bad Wolf have officially exited the series.
Davies himself signed off with characteristic flair, posting on social media: “And so goodbye from me to Doctor Who but hello to a big new future for the show. Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who.”
Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter confirmed the production company had only ever been contracted to make 26 episodes, making their exit an expected, if still poignant, conclusion to their stewardship of the show.
What Happens Next — and When?
Patience, Whovians. Everything is unknown, aside from the fact that fans shouldn’t expect any new Who anytime soon. The show hasn’t even been formally put to tender yet, meaning that however long that process will take hasn’t even started. Even after a production company has been chosen, there would still be the time required to actually make a new season, with casting and everything else involved. We’re definitely not getting any new Doctor Who in 2026 — and realistically, it’s very possible we shouldn’t look for it in 2027, either.
For comparison, when Casualty was put out to tender by the BBC in May 2025, BBC Studios were only awarded the contract in December 2025, with the next planned filming block due to begin in September 2026. A similar timeline for Doctor Who would push any new series well into 2028 at the earliest.
Anyone hoping for a speedy conclusion to the inexplicable Billie Piper cliffhanger from 2025 will be waiting a long time — after all, there’s no guarantee that whichever entity wins the tender won’t choose to ignore that cliffhanger or even reboot the entire series from scratch.
There is one small light on in the TARDIS: a new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in production, keeping the flame alive for the youngest generation of fans.
A Fan’s Dream: Enter Allons-y Productions
What follows is pure speculation — a delicious, TARDIS-blue fantasy. This has not happened. But doesn’t it feel like it should?
Here is the scenario that would make a generation of Whovians weep with joy: David Tennant and his wife Georgia Tennant launching a production company — let’s call it Allons-y Productions — and throwing their hat into the tender ring to take full creative control of the show that defines both their lives.
The Tennants are, after all, the ultimate Doctor Who family. David met Georgia on the set of Doctor Who when he was the Tenth Doctor and she was guest-starring as his genetically engineered daughter, Jenny. Georgia herself is the daughter of Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor — making her simultaneously the Doctor’s daughter on screen and the Doctor’s daughter in real life. If anyone has Doctor Who running through their veins, it is these two.
And the pair are no strangers to building something together. Georgia has excelled as a producer, co-starring in and co-producing the acclaimed comedy series Staged alongside David during the COVID-19 lockdown. They also recently formalised their shared identity by registering their business, Sandyboy Limited, under the Tennant name — a small but meaningful act of partnership.
Imagine, then, Allons-y Productions — named for the Tenth Doctor’s most beloved catchphrase — stepping forward as the new custodians of the TARDIS. David, with his unparalleled understanding of what makes the show tick emotionally, as creative lead. Georgia, with her sharp producing instincts and deeply personal connection to the Whoniverse, steering the ship. The result would not merely be nostalgia — it would be stewardship, carried out by people who understand, on a bone-deep level, what this show means to people.
The name Allons-y itself carries the right spirit. It means “let’s go” — forward motion, adventure, no looking back, always running toward the next extraordinary thing. That is exactly the energy Doctor Who needs right now.
David Tennant has spoken movingly about what the show means to him, and his return in the 60th anniversary specials in 2023 demonstrated that audiences still respond to his Doctor with an almost overwhelming warmth. A Tennant-led production house would not be trying to recreate the past — it would be taking the best of what Doctor Who has always been and building something new from it.
Is it a dream? Yes. Is it impossible? Absolutely not. The tender process is open. The invitation is there. And somewhere out there, a big blue box is waiting for the right people to take the wheel.
The Bottom Line
Doctor Who is not dying. It is, in the most fitting way imaginable, regenerating. The BBC’s decision to open the show to competitive tender is bold, disruptive, and — like all the best Doctor Who decisions — a leap of faith into the unknown. The bones of the show are extraordinary. The mythology is intact. What it needs now is new hands with old hearts.
Whoever wins that tender will inherit one of television’s greatest gifts and one of its greatest responsibilities. Let’s hope they run toward it.
Allons-y.
Note: The “Allons-y Productions” scenario described above is a fan fantasy and has not been announced or confirmed in any way. All factual reporting reflects news from June 2026.