A New Doctor Who Era Officially Begins With First Post-RTD Episodes

Published Oct 16, 2026, 11:45 AM EDT

El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.

The BBC has released a first look at a new era of Doctor Who following Russell T Davies' second exit as showrunner. After the BBC-Disney+ production and distribution deal ended unceremoniously, the iconic British sci-fi franchise is charting a new path. Production companies have been asked to submit a bid 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." The next announcement is expected in early 2027.

Russell T Davies, who originally rebooted the franchise in 2005 with phenomenal success, has left Doctor Who behind, with his Sea Devils-centric 2025 spinoff The War Between the Land and the Sea yet to arrive on Disney+ and lingering questions over former companion Billie Piper's sudden reappearance in the "season 2" finale casting a shadow over what comes next. The celebrated writer and showrunner was originally slated to produce a 2026 Doctor Who Christmas special, which would presumably have revealed the truth behind Piper's return and, according to Davies, finally included the Daleks. The BBC scrapped that, too. A full script was never written.

That doesn't mean the BBC has completely forgotten about Doctor Who or that no new timey-wimey adventures will be released before the flagship show's potential 2028 or 2029 return, however. Additional books, comics, and games are still on the way, and the BBC is releasing a brand-new series, Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew. Adult viewers looking for answers might be disappointed, but this new project could inspire a whole new generation of Whoniverse fans. That's important, especially as the franchise fights for survival in a world increasingly disillusioned with big, overarching stories and complex lore.

TARDIS Crew Is Doctor Who's First Release After RTD's (Second) Exit

Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew will be the first official Doctor Who TV release after Ncuti Gatwa's exit in "The Reality War." An animated series aimed at preschoolers and produced for the BBC's CBeebies channel, the 52-episode, 11-minute show follows a new, younger incarnation of the Doctor adventuring through space and time with companions Hannah, Beastie, and Toast-IE. As the first-look artwork proves, the show will include plenty of familiar Doctor Who iconography, including the Doctor's trusty sonic screwdriver, the Daleks, and, of course, the TARDIS.

This is far from the only animated series in the Whoniverse. Previous limited animated serials include Daleks!, Dreamland, and The Infinite Quest; both Dreamland and The Infinite Quest featured fan-favorite Tenth Doctor David Tennant, a far cry from introducing a brand-new version of the Doctor during such a turbulent time. Still, given the show is aimed at younger viewers, this is probably the best decision. It's fresh Doctor Who for the next generation, after all.

Fellow sci-fi franchise behemoth Star Wars took a similar approach with its preschool-oriented animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, set during a lesser-known era of the timeline, introducing a new crew of Jedi younglings. This isn't Doctor Who's first foray into more family-friendly content, either. Unlike the darker tone of spinoffs like Torchwood and The War Between the Land and the Sea, The Sarah Jane Adventures was a great starting point for school-aged viewers to become invested in the Whoniverse. TARDIS Crew could do the same for even younger kids.

Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew Indicates A New Path Forward

It's unclear how or even whether Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew will fit into the Whoniverse's complex, tangled web. This new Doctor could technically be a childhood version of the First Doctor, or an unknown incarnation in the Doctor's established regeneration timeline, made possible by the divisive Timeless Child twist. Given the show's premise and target audience, the latter seems most likely. Why complicate matters further, especially when Doctor Who's history is already so convoluted? This should be an entry-level experience.

Russell T Davies' second run didn't work out the way the BBC, Disney, and the showrunner had clearly hoped. As Davies described it in his recent memoir, The Queerest of Folk, the 60th-anniversary specials and Gatwa's era were both "launching and regenerating at the same time." It tried to fit sixty years of lore into a show meant to function as a second reboot, complicating matters further with appearances from decades-old villains and twists alongside brand-new stories and heroes.

"Doctor Who has simply been part of the landscape for so long," Davies wrote. "There have been so many Doctors and so many changes of cast, that it’s simply not grabbing people anymore. This new version is twenty years old now, so it’s not new at all, and I think the audience feels that in their bones." Clearly, though, given the BBC's effort to find a new production company, the studio still believes in Doctor Who's potential and its future.

Maybe TARDIS Crew offers the right path forward, honoring the show's creative vision and storied history while focusing less on strict adherence to continuity. A new future for Doctor Who, one that isn't "overly reliant" on existing lore, as the BBC explained to production companies bidding for a chance to work on the franchise. "We are looking for a new perspective that ensures Doctor Who remains relevant, surprising, brave and inspiring for both long-standing fans and new audiences." Perhaps Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew really is the start of a new era for the Whoniverse as we know it.

Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew is expected to launch in late 2027/early 2028.