Production company Bad Wolf will take over creative control on Doctor Who from the BBC starting with series 14, which will see the introduction of a new lead actor and the return of showrunner Russell T Davies.
The Times reported that the BBC could lose out on up to £40 million of commercial revenue per every 10 episodes produced as a result of this deal, with one source remarking it’s “extraordinary” that the BBC have “rolled over”.
However, BBC Studios counter that it will continue to commercially run Doctor Who and its associated properties, with the hope being that this collaboration with Bad Wolf will allow the franchise to be further established as a global brand.
A spokesperson from BBC Studios said: “We’re incredibly excited about the future of Doctor Who. BBC Studios is ultimately responsible for delivering the show and this production partnership is about long-term investment that will radically build on the already huge success of the show and franchise worldwide.”
As the BBC continues to see its budget squeezed, the partnership with Bad Wolf has been seen as a necessary move to keep Doctor Who in-step with a competitive genre television landscape.
Davies is yet to open up about what he has planned for the next generation of the show as he does not wish to draw focus from Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall’s final episodes together.
However, Piers Wenger, the BBC’s Director of Drama Commissioning, has said that bringing Davies back was “one of the least painful decisions” he has ever had to make, adding that the It’s A Sin writer “is a man with a vision”.
“I think it’s really important to stress how much this is a partnership with Julie [Gardner] and Jane [Tranter, Bad Wolf co-founders] handling the day to day running of the show, but they are working for and with Studios,” he continued.
“They have a long and historic relationship with the show and with Russell,” added Wenger. “There are no bigger fans than the two of them. We also have big ambitions for Doctor Who and they felt really capable and a passionate team to lead.”
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