Doctor Who eyes fresh beginning with new bid from Line of Duty showrunner plus TV spin-off

Doctor Who fans rejoice! A popular showrunner is fronting a campaign to revive the beloved series, whilst a new animated version is also in the works.The show is currently out on competitive tender as per BBC protocol. The winner of that tender is set to be announced next March.Line Of Duty creator Jed Mercurio was recently made an OBEPA ArchiveJed Mercurio, showrunner for the hugely popular show Line of Duty, is spearheading a bid to rejuvenate the beloved series.According to Deadline, Mercurio's production company Hat Trick Mercurio has submitted a formal proposal to reimagine the BBC sci-fi show.If successful, Mercurio would have an executive producer role on the show's seventeenth season, though it is not clear if he would become the showrunner.It comes as a new Doctor Who show has been announced, entitled Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew.The animated series will be broadcast on CBeebies from late 2027/early 2028 and will comprise of 52 eleven-minute episodes.It will follow the Doctor as a young Time Lord, and his friends Hannah, Beastie and Toast-IE as they embark on otherworldly adventures through time and space.Kate Morton, senior head of commissioning for CBeebies, said: “The TARDIS is ready for its youngest crew yet. Packed with imagination, humour and adventure, Doctor Who: TARDIS Crew will inspire children to be curious, courageous and kind as they explore incredible worlds across time and space.“It's everything families love about Doctor Who, wonder, excitement and endless possibility, reimagined for CBeebies' youngest explorers.” Dominic Minns, who is serving as series director, said that his appointment on the new spin-off show “feels like a huge and exciting next step” that he’s “thrilled” to be a part of.