Former Doctor Who Showrunner Explains The Sci-Fi Show's Competitive Tender Process After Sudden Overhaul

Published Aug 4, 2026, 5:28 PM EDT Jeff Dodge (he/him), a published author and graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena. Fun Fact: he’s been to every single Idol Live! Tour. One of Doctor Who's former showrunners spoke out about the real reason behind the long-running sci-fi series' upcoming competitive tender. After Disney and the BBC ended their partnership, Doctor Who's fate has been a major question mark, with seemingly no definitive answer over the past several months. However, it was announced this year that the series would enter into a competitive tender, meaning production companies can bid on Doctor Who, with the BBC retaining the rights to the franchise. Chris Chibnall appeared on the WHO Corner to Corner podcast to promote his new novel, The Parkwood Murders. Since it's a Doctor Who-centered podcast, the discussion naturally turned to the sci-fi show and why it's undergoing a competitive tender. Chibnall explained that the BBC is having a "very hard" time funding its programs at the moment "because of what's been done to them in terms of funding agreements...and the increase in big Hollywood monoliths and conglomerates really taking over the market." Scripted shows are generally going to cost more to produce than other types of programming, like reality, news and variety shows. Doctor Who, being in the sci-fi genre, is expensive to make because of the special effects. As a result, the BBC "certainly can't afford to fund Doctor Who," according to Chibnall, who added that network executives do want to continue the franchise; it's just that they "cannot afford" it right now. "It’s very hard for the BBC to fund their programs right now because of what’s been done to them in terms of funding agreements over the past 15 years and the slow whittling away of that, and the increase in big Hollywood monoliths and conglomerates really taking over the market. And, really, what you’ve got is the BBC can’t afford to fully fund any drama now and it certainly can’t afford to fund Doctor Who. "Any discussion around it is about money more than anything else, and I think that that’s been missed a little in the discourse that I saw around the show." There's been a lot of talk in recent years about the quality of Doctor Who, and whether the producers and writers should be catering to a more diverse audience. The two most recent Doctors were played by a woman and a queer Black man, which led to plenty of sexist, racist, and homophobic criticisms within certain sectors of the fandom. Regardless of whether these factors played any role in the current state of Doctor Who, Chibnall wanted to make it clear that, amid that noise, it is "very easy to miss the point that this is primarily about money." "[It's] very easy to miss the point that this is primarily about money." The former showrunner finds the whole situation "hugely disappointing" and acknowledged that it hasn't been handled very well. "There’s all kinds of other things and obviously it’s hugely disappointing and hasn’t been handled brilliantly. But really, the big story is, look, this is a BBC that cannot afford to make shows that it wants to make. The BBC wants to make Doctor Who. Don’t be in any doubt about that." Chibnall got his start in the Doctor Who franchise via the spinoff Torchwood as the head writer and a producer. He then started writing episodes of Doctor Who and became an executive producer and the head writer. His promotions didn't stop there, as he eventually became the showrunner, succeeding Steven Moffat. Chibnall served in that role starting with the debut of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor; after he left, Russell T. Davies replaced him. Disney's involvement with Doctor Who, which included co-funding the production costs, was meant to expand the reach of the series around the world. Unfortunately, ratings didn't meet expectations, and Disney exited the deal after only three years. Davies and production company Bad Wolf also left the franchise. The upcoming Christmas special, a tradition with Doctor Who, was canceled as well. BBC executives have promised that Doctor Who will return to the air at some point, but it probably won't be until sometime after 2028. The competitive tender process hasn't even started yet, so the fate of Doctor Who will remain up in the air for the foreseeable future. Release Date 2024 - 2025-00-00 Network BBC One Directors Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Ben Chessell, Julie Anne Robinson, Jamie Donoughue, Amanda Brotchie, Dylan Holmes Williams Cast Millie Gibson Ruby Sunday Doctor Who follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series. Writers Steven Moffat, Pete McTighe, Kate Herron, Inua Ellams, Juno Dawson Franchise(s) Doctor Who / Whoniverse Main Genre Sci-Fi Creator(s) Donald Wilson, Sydney Newman Executive Producer(s) Julie Gardner, Phil Collinson, Russell T Davies, Joel Collins, Jane Tranter, Rebecca Ferguson Producers Vicki Delow Seasons 2 Streaming Service(s) Disney+