Good news at last for Doctor Who — next showrunner may be lined up

Right, so after much hand-wringing over the future of Doctor Who, we've finally got a hint as to who might be steering the TARDIS next — and it's a bit of a who’s who of British telly power players. The BBC actually threw the doors open and invited pitches from various production outfits, meaning we’ve now got several competing bids to determine what’s next for the sci-fi giant. Read on for the latest manoeuvres, a couple of genuine surprises, and a mad regeneration twist nobody saw coming.

Multiple Bids on the Table

So, here’s where things get interesting. Deadline’s reporting that Jed Mercurio — he of Bodyguard, Line of Duty, and Bodies fame — is currently out in front to revive Doctor Who. His company, Hat Trick Mercurio, put in a formal bid, and Mercurio himself is apparently attached as executive producer. For anyone keeping score, that would mark a pretty dramatic stylistic shift for the Doctor — Mercurio’s stuff is known for being a bit punchier, maybe even a tad cynical, compared to the optimistic wackiness Who normally leans on.

Jed Mercurio, best known for Bodyguard, Line of Duty, and Bodies, is currently in the lead to bring the series back to life.

But Mercurio’s not alone. World Productions — the company behind Line of Duty, but running a totally separate bid from Mercurio’s lot — have also thrown their hat in. There’s also a pitch from STV Studios, who, rather cheekily, might up sticks and take the whole franchise north to Scotland for its next outing if they get the nod. So if you thought the last round of regional politics in Doctor Who was messy, just you wait.

• Hat Trick Mercurio (with Jed Mercurio attached as executive producer)
• World Productions (also Line of Duty, separate bid)
• STV Studios (hinting at moving production to Scotland)

The BBC has now closed submissions for production pitches, meaning the selection process is officially under way.

There could well be other, less high-profile bids floating about — the BBC isn’t exactly shouting names from the rooftops. Official word is simply that they want Who to keep on flying the flag for “curiosity, courage, intelligence, and compassion.” Vague, yes, but not exactly out of step with the show’s tradition.

Ripping Up Canon (Again)

Here’s the wilder bit: with all these new proposals being considered, it’s looking likely that whatever Russell T Davies stitched together toward the end of Ncuti Gatwa’s stint as the Doctor will get quietly shelved. Gatwa, whose run as the Doctor only lasted a single series, ended his time by regenerating into a second female version of the Time Lord — specifically, none other than Billy Piper, returning in a genuinely weird twist. She’d previously played Rose Tyler alongside David Tennant, just to add a bit more timey-wimey chaos to proceedings.

Depending on which producer lands the contract, we could see anything from a radical overhaul to a nostalgic reset. Whether that’ll mean more canon carnage (or a return to old-school adventures) is anyone’s guess, but for now, the fate of the next Doctor — and the shape of the show itself — is all hanging on these production deals.