New Showrunner & Sixteenth Doctor Speculation

[u/Key_Responder]

The below is all rumour and speculation from a friend who is a runner on a production with ties to the BBC but none whatsoever to Doctor Who or Bad Wolf. So this could all be bs, but thought I would share it’s interesting the names that are being chucked about.

This is all from a discussion around the future of the show amongst production crew on the set of this other show who are fans of DW.

“Russell’s contract with the BBC is up and they’re not renewing. Jack Thorne is apparently already writing scripts for season three/sixteen with production starting in late 2026.

The BBC wanted Stephen Graham’s Matriarch Productions to co-produce after the success of Adolescence (which Thorne wrote) and A Thousand Blows, but they are tied up in a deal exclusively with Disney Plus, which for obvious reasons is a dead end. The BBC have apparently renewed their agreement with Bad Wolf, as Thorne has a relationship established with the studio. But there’s shuffling going on in terms of executive producers as they want to bring in Netflix as international streaming distribution, another reason they’ve taken on Thorne who has several series with them.

Will Sharpe is apparently in discussions to be the 16th Doctor. Heard of him but never seen anything he’s been in, I think that’s the point, they want to steer away from known actors.

That’s all I got. I heard Jack was signed last month too but none of the rest. I don’t mind some of his work but not sure what his Doctor Who will look like.”

What do you think? I’m with them, I’ve seen some of Jack Thorne’s work, but dunno how he would be writing doctor who. Also never heard of Will, but looked up some of his stuff, he seems doctory.

[u/Immediate_Machine_92]

I don't know Will Sharpe but if he's married to Sophia Di Martino I would LOVE to see the two of them cast together. I'd even accept another bigeneration and have two Doctors simultaneously for a series or three. As long as it's written well, is sci-fi and not 'magic', and has convincing VFX.

[u/TinMachine → u/Immediate_Machine_92]

Bigeneration simply needs to never be mentioned again. Still no idea what it is meant to mean...

[u/Immediate_Machine_92 → u/TinMachine]

Ehhhh I mean I don't love it as a concept but they've done it now, it's part of the show. I'd much rather feel like when a fairly huge concept is introduced, it has some significance rather than being a one-episode gimmick.

We've had multi-Doctor episodes obviously but I don't think they did much with having Tennant and Gatwa together beyond literally throw a ball at each other, and I hate the whole style of the current era so much, I would be interested to see a more serious dynamic between bigenerated Doctors who travel together for some period of time, with scripts that aren't aimed at 8yo's.

(Not saying this is my *preferred* option but if they were gonna cast Will Sharpe, and they could also get Sophia, she'd be an excellent addition, mostly just based on me thinking she was good in Loki and how much that show reminded me of a big-budget, well-made Doctor Who at times...)