BBC reveals requirements for new "Doctor Who": more scale, new characters, and flexible format

The company is looking for a team to define the future of the franchise.

BBC has started accepting applications from production companies for the next stage of "Doctor Who" and has revealed the requirements for the future series. BBC wants a project that will look "cinematic, distinctive, and epic," with a new approach to world-building, visual effects, and storytelling.

At the same time, the series must retain the key features of "Doctor Who" – adventure, tension, humor, and stories about human nature. Another mandatory condition is the creation of at least one new companion for the Doctor.

Producers will be able to independently choose the format of the future season: BBC allows both an overarching story and individual weekly adventures. The channel also does not insist on the classic model with one showrunner and is ready to consider a more flexible structure with multiple writers.

The first applications from contestants must be submitted by October 2. Interviews with finalists will take place in January, and the BBC plans to select a new team in March. The channel expects to bring "Doctor Who" back to screens in the 2028-2029 season.