The BBC has confirmed that long-running crime drama Silent Witness will be put out to competitive tender, marking a significant production shake-up for the series.
New producers sought
For series 29, which concluded in March this year, executive producers included Suzi McIntosh for BBC Studios, Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC, and Emilia Fox. Seán Gleeson served as producer, with BBC Studios handling global sales. However, the BBC is now welcoming external production firms to bid and present proposals to secure a contract for producing the programme, according to the Mirror.
Official statement
An official statement from the BBC, released this week, reads: "We're putting the production of long-running BBC drama Silent Witness out for competition."
"The full invitation to tender, including eligibility criteria, will be published on this website in the coming weeks, with enough time for suppliers to do appropriate research and preparation."
"The BBC will continue to broadcast the programme and will retain all rights. This activity forms part of our commitment to making a range of commissioning opportunities available to the market."
The move follows similar speculation about Strictly Come Dancing being put out for tender next year. Under the terms of its 2016 BBC Charter and Agreement, the BBC is obliged to open its television and radio production to competitive tender.
Earlier this year, the BBC also confirmed that Doctor Who would go out to competitive tender, alongside the announcement that the Christmas special would not air in 2026.
