Doctor Who producer addresses series future after "pause" – and predicts filming location

Doctor Who producer Jane Tranter has opened up about the show's future after the announcement that it would be put out to tender.

Earlier this year, it was confirmed that this year's Christmas special will be cancelled, while showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf also announced their departure from the series.

Now, Bad Wolf's co-founder, Jane Tranter, has shared a hopeful look at the show's future, telling BBC Radio Wales: "We started Doctor Who – Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and myself – back in 2005 and we finished this current era off, and it felt like it was a kind of noble and good bookending.

"And there will be a new era to come, and who knows what will happen and who knows who will be part of that?

"Doctor Who will continue in some way but every show needs a pause after it's been going for that length of time and Doctor Who will take its course and will regenerate in whatever form. And it will rise and be wonderful and I am absolutely sure it will be Wales-based."

The invitation to tender has not been made public yet, but various production companies have expressed interest, including BBC Studios, World Productions and Electric Entertainment.

Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google.

The last time we saw Doctor Who on screen, Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor regenerated into returning star Billie Piper. It was not confirmed at the time as to whether Piper was officially playing the next Doctor.

However, Piper recently addressed the cliffhanger at a convention, saying categorically that she is "not the next Doctor", before clarifying that she is "Rose Tyler in hiatus".

She explained: "Sorry, that's a really cryptic answer, but because I'm not currently filming Doctor Who as the Doctor, I can't lie and say otherwise."

"I think you've all got to be very patient," Piper added. "It will be worth it when it comes. And I think that we need to celebrate the fact that the show has been on. Is it 26 years? Anyway, it's been around for a very long time, it's been massively successful and it's impacted so many people's lives positively.

"And it's had a bit of a rough time lately and I think everyone just needs to chill out and wait for what comes from the space... and time."

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.

Add Doctor Who to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Louise Griffin is the Sci-Fi & Fantasy Editor for Radio Times, covering everything from Doctor Who, Star Wars and Marvel to House of the Dragon and Good Omens. She previously worked at Metro as a Senior Entertainment Reporter and has a degree in English Literature.