The future of Doctor Who remains uncertain after the BBC announced it would put the science fiction series out to competitive tender this year. At the Edinburgh TV Festival, Netflix's Vice President of Content Anne Mensah was asked about the possibility of the streaming service acquiring the tender.
Netflix executive praises Doctor Who's longevity
Speaking to session mediator Boyd Hilton, Mensah said: "I love Doctor Who. Anything that stays brilliant this long will have many, many lives."
It was revealed in June that the BBC would subject the drama to competitive tender, with Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf jointly choosing not to proceed with the previously planned Christmas special. Reports at the time indicated the decision "was not taken lightly" and that they recognised the news "will be disappointing for fans", but to secure the programme's longevity, they opted against filling the gap with a standalone special, instead focusing investment on the show's long-term prospects.
Pre-school animation commissioned for CBeebies
This follows confirmation that Blue Zoo has won the contract to create a brand-new Doctor Who pre-school animation for CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, reports the Daily Star. The animated programme, drawing inspiration from the Doctor Who universe, has been commissioned for 52 episodes across two series and will commence production this year. It represents the first occasion the "Whoniverse" has been developed into an animated series targeting pre-school viewers.
Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children's and Education, said: "We can't wait to welcome the Doctor to CBeebies, introducing this beloved family favourite to our youngest audience for the very first time. This new series further strengthens our commitment to the British animation industry by championing homegrown productions with the potential to travel the world and, perhaps even through time and space. The bidding process for this project was exceptionally competitive, and we would like to commend all the shortlisted producers for the outstanding quality and depth of their proposals."
Blue Zoo celebrates 25 years with Doctor Who project
Adam Shaw, Co-founder of Blue Zoo Animation Studio, said: "This year, we celebrated 25 years of Blue Zoo so it's an extra special honour to be given the chance to bring such a much-loved classic and a true British icon to a whole new generation of young viewers. Doctor Who means so much to so many people, and we don't take that lightly at all. Reimagining something this legendary for a preschool audience is a brilliant creative challenge, and one we're incredibly excited to dive into."
Doctor Who first aired on the BBC in 1963 and chronicles the adventures of the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being belonging to a humanoid species known as Time Lords. The Doctor journeys across space and time aboard a time-travelling spacecraft called the TARDIS, whose exterior resembles a British police box. The Doctor encounters numerous civilisations, working to safeguard them by outsmarting adversaries and resolving emergencies, and typically travels with a companion.
Starting with William Hartnell, 14 actors have led the series in the title role, most recently Ncuti Gatwa, who played the Fifteenth Doctor from 2023 to 2025. The handover between actors is incorporated into the narrative through regeneration: when a Time Lord suffers fatal injury or becomes weakened through age, their cells regenerate to form a new body, retaining memories while their personality changes.
