Russell T Davies teases Doctor Who’s future – and predicts production start date

As fans wait for news of the BBC's decision regarding the Doctor Who tender process, Russell T Davies has predicted they may not have too long to wait until production begins on the show's next era.

The former showrunner, who announced he was parting ways with the series earlier this year, was speaking on BBC Radio 4's The Media Show, when he asked how he was feeling about the future of the sci-fi series.

"It's literally out for tender now," he answered positively. "They've just announced there's a CBeebies version coming out in 2027, a Doctor Who cartoon. And then it's out for tender, I'm not part of this process, but I think they choose from those tenders by something like October 10, it's any day now.

"That will be a long process, I think. I'd give it another six months after that. So, I think, I'm guessing, you’ll start to see production with a brand-new Doctor, a brand-new companion, summer next year. So that's not that far away really."

The BBC has previously confirmed that a decision on the tender process will be made in spring 2027, while the new season will be made for transmission in 2028/29.

It has been reported that production companies who have thrown their hats into the ring to produce the show include Jed Mercurio's company, Hat Trick Mercurio, as well as Line of Duty production company World Productions, STV Studios, and two different BBC Studios labels.

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The CBeebies series that Davies mentions will be called Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew, and it will be made up of 52 eleven-minute episodes.

The series is set to follow the Doctor, a young Time Lord, and his friends Hannah, Beastie and Toast-IE as they embark on extraordinary adventures through time and space – and come face to face with iconic foes.

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.

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Authors

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.