BBC intends to continue "Doctor Who" despite uncertainty surrounding the next season. In June, it was announced that showrunner Russell T. Davies was leaving, the Christmas special was canceled, and a potential multi-year hiatus was on the horizon, but the corporation is not giving up on the iconic franchise.
BBC CEO Matt Brittin told Deadline that the company is already working on a creative refresh of the sci-fi series.
"This series has regenerated many times in its more than sixty-year history – and it will do so again. This is one of the advantages of the BBC's hundred-year history. We know how to creatively refresh projects that audiences love, and we are working hard on that now."
BBC has already announced a competition to produce the next version of "Doctor Who." The process could take up to six months, after which the winner will need to form a creative team and prepare a new season. According to Deadline sources, even in the most optimistic scenario, the series will not return before 2028, and one producer suggested that the hiatus could extend to five years.
So far, only one contender for the production of the new season is known – BBC Studios, which handled "Doctor Who" for most of the series' history before the project was transferred to Bad Wolf. Studio head Tom Fussell stated that the company intends to fight for victory in the competition.
"We have been producing the series for 60 years and want to continue doing so for another 60, so we will throw ourselves into this competition with all our energy. We are participating to win. [...] 'Doctor Who' is a brand that our organization's employees genuinely cherish."