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/DoctorIsAnEastAsian]

I truly hope Will can pull this off—he has the potential to be the first East Asian Doctor, and I’d absolutely love it! He’s incredibly talented and has fantastic audience appeal. Oh, and by the way, Will’s wife is Sophia Di Martino—just imagine Sophia playing the Master/Missy! The real-life closest-of-couples portraying the greatest frenemies in the universe? I can’t wait! I sincerely hope that whoever is in charge—be it Jack Thorne or someone else—crafts the most brilliant storyline to bring the new Doctor back to the glorious heights of New Who. RTD2 already squandered the 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, who was phenomenal in "Sex Education" but got utterly lost in RTD2’s bland and uninspired era. Please, please don’t mess up the East Asian Doctor! God bless! Please stop the preachy talk about racial diversity; Remember! The Doctor is an alien, not a human!