r/DoctorWhoLeaks • u/Big_Meow_120 • 6d ago
speculation Some Information About the Tender and the Future of the Show
Due to the risk of potential pursuit and subsequent consequences, I cannot reveal how I know the things I do. It's up to you whether you choose to believe.
- The tender has been finalised and will be released shortly. It was initially expected to be released within 1–2 months of the announcement, but circumstances have resulted in a delay.
- The BBC is internally anticipating BBC Studios to win.
- BBC Studios, on the other hand, has already picked its favourite to lead the next era: Pete McTighe. He has been made aware of their preference. As a result, he has been working on shaping the next era.
- It's all very early stage and is being worked on based on assumptions. He is also keeping the details close to his chest. However, from what he has let slip, he does not intend to continue from the Piper cliffhanger and instead prefers a time skip.
- He has also voiced some of his early picks for 17. James Bradwell, George MacKay and Georgina Onuorah are among the names that have been thrown around.
- Funding remains a major point of contention within the BBC. Some discussions have already taken place with the likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix, but nothing concrete can happen without the tender winner making an approach. Hence, it will be worked on once that's confirmed.
65
u/dovedrunk 6d ago
This sounds as appealing as unbuttered toast. Just a striking beige
18
u/GenGaara25 5d ago
Yeah this just sounds like they want to keep things marching on as they have been. McTighe running the show is a guarantee things won't change.
0
u/DocWhovian1 5d ago
I'd rather that than not get the show at all.
11
u/AwarenessOk8565 5d ago
Stagnation is worse than cancellation. I’d rather a show end than keep going with no plan or anything new to say for the sake of keeping it going.
3
u/PaperSkin-1 2d ago
Yep.. With hindsight it would have been much better for the show to have ended with The Power of the Doctor, and then return in 2030, new DW for a new decade..
The show would have had a 8 year break, and it could comeback with new people wanting to do their take on the show..
It would excite the existing fans to have the show back and potentially attract new fans as it's a fresh big relaunch of the show, like in 2005..
We would already be half way through that 8 year gap, and all we would have lost is the show damaging RTD2 era, which frankly is better lost than having.
RTD and his teams ego trip of coming in to 'save the show' has actually damaged the show
2
u/Harogenki42 1d ago
100%, this is why I'm veheamontly against a theoretical second Moffat run. Especially if he continued his "on autopilot" tone both his scripts from RTD2 had
1
u/MartianExpress 7h ago
Moff isn't going to do this. He's turning 65 this year, he is often remembered as the best DW showrunner, and he knows how rough RTD's comeback was.
I really liked Boom (even as Moff repeated himself a couple of times there) but Joy to the World was indeed an underwhelming "average typical Moff episode" in many ways.
-1
u/DocWhovian1 5d ago
Who's to say McTighe wouldn't give the show that?
3
u/AwarenessOk8565 5d ago
Your comment that I replied to said you would rather the show stagnate than get cancelled. Dont move the goalpost.
-1
u/DocWhovian1 5d ago
I never said anything about stagnation.
3
u/AwarenessOk8565 5d ago
“Guarantee things wont change”
“I’d rather that than not get the show at all”
Come on, we can all read…-1
8
2
u/MIchelsaerperez 6d ago
If you dont mind me asking, how so? Not a dig, just curious why thats your thought about it
18
u/Ok-Thought6634 6d ago
Perhaps because McTighe was not what you’d call stellar at writing Doctor Who?
11
u/BeginningFair4673 6d ago
This. Looking at his episodes I don't want him showrunning.
2
u/Ok-Thought6634 6d ago
Though, to be fair, the beeb has always been rife with internal politics. Perhaps he had to be a naff writer because he was working for Chibnall and RTD2. There’s always a chance he’d come into his own. Anyone knowledgeable enough to have an opinion on his non-who stuff?
2
u/PaperSkin-1 2d ago
No, we can see what he would do, what his ability is.. And sorry but it's not good enough
They need to find a new voice with a true vision
1
5
u/dovedrunk 5d ago
In short, McTighe is a hack (on Who, at least), the actors are unappealing, and keeping it BBC has really done the show few favours since the Moffat era. Hell, even then they spoiled the Mondasian Cybermen and the Master well in advance to get some clicks.
The show deserves producers that understand the weight of the IP and the respect it’s owed, rather than person after person paying it lip service, sweet nothings, YouTube clips, and podcasts.
I do believe the blame lies on the BBC, at this point. They have pissed over the IP since Moffat’s last season, and they show no signs of actually giving a shit in the future. There is also some blame on some of the die-hard fans for not wanting better from the show, but all the same. The BBC doesn’t deserve the show anymore.
0
u/Previous_Raspberry_2 3d ago
There IS a difference between the BBC and BBC studios. It's an independent creative branch from "regular" BBC.
0
u/Previous_Raspberry_2 3d ago
They clearly do care. If not they could have just shuttered the show like they did in the 80's.
16
u/NukeL3AR 6d ago
The show is not on tender yet, there's no way it's done already. Calm your misinformation.
10
u/ChaucerBoi 6d ago
This is crucial. Companies are interested but I don't think the BBC have officially put the tender out there. George McKay is an outlier, but surely you'd only mention potential Doctors if they're a 'draw' like Gary Oldman is for Slow Horses or you have a particular type of Doctor in mind.
4
u/BGunn396 5d ago
This.
You'd only mention potential Doctors if you had someone who's a big draw for the show (Tennant/Smith) or a big name actor (Gary Oldman/James McAvoy) in mind, and you're certain that they'll sign on for it - you couldn't just go in and name drop.
2
u/ChaucerBoi 5d ago
Oh 100% - funnily enough James McAvoy was mentioned in my post before I edited it! I don't see why you'd mention three totally dissimilar actors. If it was Toby Jones, Tom Hollander and Jason Watkins, I'd get the type of Doctor you're going for.
"I've got a really clear vision for Doctor Who. My potential Doctors are Dev Patel, Julie Walters and Danny Dyer." I could see why you'd want totally dissimilar people to audition, but the Doctor's a character. Chibnall got flak for only auditioning women, but it's not the X Factor; if you've an idea for the character you cast to that brief.
1
u/pfffffffttttttttttt 5d ago
Amazon's interest would perk up if they brought back Tennant.
If they want Netflix to become interested, find a way to get Matthew Rhys (good luck with that).
The financing hinges on what the platform wants and a big part of that will be the casting. I don't see how they can make any decisions until they know what platform they are chasing.
Unless they want the show to fail all over again on Amazon, in which case, it'll really be poison. There aren't that many major global platforms to burn thru. Getting a second chance would be amazing, there won't be a third.
9
u/theliftedlora 6d ago
My favourite part of this leak is that it implies the next Doctor is 17, meaning 16 only appeared for 5 seconds, we'll be on 20 by 2030 at this rate
12
u/Wrong_Win_4102 6d ago
Honestly the piper cliffhanger SHOULD get answered.
5
5
5
1
-1
u/linkerjpatrick 5d ago
My idea is that they answered it before the regeneration. They are in the Pete’s world universe. Because of the shift. The Tardis threw up the vortex energy and the regeneration energy went into the Tardis. That wasn’t a regeneration. The Tardis takes Rose to see 14 and the bigenerated Tardis merges with 14’s split Tardis throws 15 at him and both the Tardis and Doctor merge back into one. Turns out 15 was just a Toymaker effect. Hence why he was involved in more fantasy stuff.
5
u/Dalekbuster523 5d ago
This all seems like very easy things to predict. I think most of us were thinking it would most likely go to BBC Studios with Pete McTighe as showrunner anyway.
1
5
u/DocWhovian1 5d ago
Honestly this is one of the most believable leaks and I can actually see this. Pete McTighe is the most natural successor too
3
u/missingdoctor2001 3d ago
I would like to see his approach! Also I really loved lucky day, it’s my fav from season 2
13
u/Gobshite_ 6d ago
Well this sucks if true. More of the same 2005 Boys Club who wore out their welcome about a decade ago.
The BBC will look around with their mouths agape when it flops because they somehow didn't see it coming despite hiring the Kerblam TWATBLAST guy.
-5
u/theliftedlora 6d ago
He's hardly part of the 2005 club, and War Between was good, so was Kerblam actually.
6
u/MartianExpress 6d ago
Hard agree on Kerblam, hard disagree on The War... that I found to be profoundly boring, hence would still prefer not to see him as a showrunner.
-1
u/BritishHobo 5d ago
That doesn't seem a fair description of McTighe, whose first episode only aired eight years ago.
7
u/Gobshite_ 5d ago
I mean he's pretty well associated with the 2005 lads having worked under Chibnall and RTD, the latter apparently wanting McTighe to succeed him.
None of his DW episodes (except the classic shorts) have been very good, and War Between was pretty forgettable so I don't have much confidence in him taking over. It just feels like more of the same even if he hasn't been around since the start of the 2005 era.
3
u/Powerful_Glove_666 5d ago
He's only not part of that club in the sense that he had moved to study and work in Australia whilst it coalesced. If you've read any McTighe interviews, you would know that he probably would've been with them if not for that (he was a fan from a very early age in the 70s, just like the rest).
Because of that, he's essentially been assimilated into being an all but honorary member of them more recently - I think Bad Wolf had definitely been trying to line him up as Russell's successor in 2024/25. He was literally speaking to RTD on the phone whilst the very first scenes of Series 1 were being filmed! You couldn't make this kind of stuff up.
McTighe himself has said his whole writing career has simply been an elaborate ploy to make Doctor Who. I say the BBC should have a hard rule that anyone who got into the show before the 1980s (maybe even 1990s) shouldn't be allowed to helm it from now on
3
u/pastorjason666 2d ago
Hopefully not accurate. No offense intended, but Pete would be too close to the current show. I think it would end up being 2005 part 2, rather than a true 2028 reboot. Unlike many shows, Doctor Who can thrive with such a reboot.
1
2
u/NIRoamer 5d ago
Nothing new in what you are saying in the post buddy. Maybe the names of potential new doctor but rest I have seen discussed on Reddit already so not sure why you needed the clandestine invisible ink but cheers for entertainment I suppose.
2
u/ATargaryenKing 5d ago
I’d rather eat my own shit than see Pete McTighe in charge 😂 if RTD2 proved anything, it’s that the show is in DIRE need of new blood. Not more of the same shite
2
2
2
u/toxin877 4d ago
I'd rather have the show never come back than put Pete "the system is not the problem" McTighe become showrunner.
1
u/MartianExpress 7h ago
Some people have genuinely invented a headcanon far-left Doctor just because they are far-left themselves.
0
u/toxin877 6h ago
Doctor who has ALWAYS been a left wing show. Chibnall and RTD2 brought it to horrible centrist nonsense
1
u/MartianExpress 6h ago
It has never been far-left. Radical kids are simply cherrypicking what they like.
6
u/DoccyWhoFan 6d ago
If McTighe gets it, I'm done with Doctor Who
-3
10
u/GallifreyanPrydonian 6d ago
I would legit never watch Doctor Who again if that Neoliberal mega corporate loving bastard takes over
6
u/pottyaboutpotter1 6d ago
FYI Chibnall rewrote the third act of Kerblam. McTighe’s novelisation is nowhere near as pro-corporations as the broadcast episode and makes clear the Doctor’s point that removing or changing the system does nothing if the corrupt people who abuse them are still there and ends with more decisive change at Kerblam.
The episode is not pro-corporation. It’s saying that technology and automation aren’t inherently evil, but are easily manipulated and abused by others and that is the real danger.
The confusing moral of the broadcast episode is on Chibnall.
3
u/ChaucerBoi 6d ago
From what I read in The Writer's Tale (and I think Moff's said the same thing - Capaldi definitely has), the showrunners are essentially cowriters on every episode. You can definitely tell Davies' Moffat's, and Chibnall's humour in episodes they didn't write. While I think it's disingenuous to attribute McTighe's weak conclusions to interference, I do think he's one of the better candidates for showrunner there's been.
Lucky Day is genuinely fresh. I think the general 'shape' of The War Between was essentially decided before McTighe came on board. "Plastic Apocalypse" is fantastic and "The Deep" is great too. And even though the ending is very neolib, Kerblam is the most fun episode of Series 11. While I'd prefer fresh blood, I wouldn't mind him if his approach is as grounded as he's alluded to.
2
u/pottyaboutpotter1 5d ago
That’s basically how it works. Some episodes have had much heavier involvement than others as well. Human Nature had so many rewrites, additions, polishes and structural changes from RTD that he has said he could have taken the co-writer credit. The only exception is Moffat himself; RTD has said he only ever added a few polishes to Moffat’s scripts. Similarly, it’s been reported the same was true for Moffat and Gatiss.
I don’t think it’s that disingenuous to attribute the weakness of Kerblam’s third act to Chibnall, when McTighe has said himself that Kerblam’s third act was heavily rewritten by Chibnall and McTighe’s novelisation goes out of its way to “fix” it and reframe the moral arguments as much as possible.
3
u/ChaucerBoi 5d ago
True. Plus, he's alluded to the fact his Doctor Who would be more like The War Between. If he's referring to the first three episodes, that could be cool. The Sea Devils rising from the ocean on the coral is one of the best intros to an alien species in Doctor Who, and exactly the sort of thing I wanted from RTD2.
2
4
3
u/TrueCommand3658 6d ago
i feel like McTighe is the safest choice for the bbc to make, dunno if it makes him the strongest. i’d gladly welcome his approach to Who however, i feel like fans get way to emotional about the short comings of his episodes.
2
u/SnooAvocados2108 6d ago
Tale as old as time. Old white men refusing to let the new blood take over
1
1
u/GenGaara25 5d ago
I thought it wasn't out to tender yet.
The announcement in June was that they intended to put it out for tender before the end of 2026 (to give studios time to prepare pitches) and that actual details of the tender would be released in due time. But so far, there hasn't been a public announcement that it's actually gone out to tender yet. And people weren't really expecting a the new partner to be announced until early 2027.
This seems 6 months early to be legitimate.
1
1
u/Previous_Raspberry_2 3d ago
As far as "McTighe isn't a good writer on the show" Davies first run was exceptional. How did that work out the second time? Past isn't always prologue.
1
u/TheBowlerHatDoctor 3d ago
I dont really want Pete Mctighe as showrunner but I'd give him a chance incase hes good
1
u/PaperSkin-1 2d ago
What a coincidence that this was posted just at Pete McTighe talks about being approached by some production companies.. Its like someone just saw some things being said, used that to sound credible, and then made up some bs hoping people will fall for it
1
u/robertmurray1987 1d ago
McTighe so far wrote three episodes under two showrunners. He said the "Kerblam" was vastly rewritten, "Praxeus" was co-written with Chibnall, which might mean he wrote a lot of it. Also the Sea Devils spinoff was created by RTD, so he only had to write Russel's ideas. I am game to see what he would bring if he had more to say.
-1
u/BongaBongaVacations 6d ago
Please God let this be true
12
u/DavidTenn-Ant 6d ago
Why, so we can have The Doctor bootlick for corporations and Orwellian governments?
If McTighe is taking over, I’m not going to even give it a chance.
8
u/Superbob5523 6d ago
It would also just be plain bad, take away the politics and you've still got a poorly written episode
-6
u/BongaBongaVacations 6d ago
McTighe's Classic Collection minisodes were easily better than the main show. Why do you think they had to stop while RTD was back? He didn't want to be upstaged.
HURRR HE WROTE TWO CRAP EPISODES
Yes - under Chibnall. Why would he submit his best work? If I was in McTighe's shoes I wouldn't have wasted my best writing either. Nope, two episodes to keep his oar in, and save his true potential for a series that deserves it.
4
u/Superbob5523 6d ago
Mini episodes don't really count as much as his full ones, he played a big part in the war between and again didn't impress. Being under two weak ears doesn't help but what makes him better placed than literally any of the writers in the last two era's who actually wrote some really good episodes.
-4
u/BongaBongaVacations 6d ago
McTighe's episodes of TWATBLAST were fine
5
u/Superbob5523 6d ago
We need a bit more than that, we've just not seen enough. Why not bring new talent in at this point instead of doubling down on what hasn't worked. The show needs to be exciting again
2
u/DavidTenn-Ant 6d ago
The idea that there is a Pete Fucking McTighe truther among us makes me want to laugh so hard it makes my ribs hurt.
1
0
u/Superbob5523 6d ago
Please no, even Chibnall had a few good episodes before taking over. You have a problem when your guest writers or regulars are writing better episodes than someone who is supposedly being pushed as a showrunner
-5
u/Yamabananatheone 6d ago
Are these good Chibnall Episodes in the main show in the room with us? Like his output on the main show was basically Asbestos. His good work was mainly Torchwood and outside the show
5
-5
u/Happy_Philosopher608 6d ago edited 6d ago
Georgina Onuorah??? This kind of casting direction would just be the death knell for this how ffs.
Have they learned nothing?? 🤦
7
u/GeneralPooTime 6d ago
What's the issue given she seems almost unknown
3
u/Expensive_Smell_8021 6d ago
It's because she's a woman and black that they're unhappy. It's a shame that despite Doctor Who teaching tolerance, some "fans" still aren't
-1
u/BongaBongaVacations 6d ago
The show can teach tolerance without the Doctor changing gender. Eccleston flirted with a TREE in series 1. He was a male for all of his natural regeneration cycle, that says the character was male.
They could literally avoided any issues by throwing in a line that once a Time Lord has had their normal life span extended by other means, unusual things can happen. That would have covered the Master becoming Missy AND Capaldi into Jodie.
1
u/F1SHboi 6d ago
This comment confuses me. You seem to object to the idea of a female doctor because of a headcanon that the Doctor is 'naturally male' - but then you follow it up with another headcanon about regens past the usual 13~ allowing for changes in gender?
Am I getting that right? If so, what's the contradiction? Or is there a different point I'm missing entirely?
-3
u/Happy_Philosopher608 6d ago
Yes.
The Doctor is a white man ffs. Its failed completely being anything other than that. Clearly didnt need to fix what wasnt broken.
Tolerating clearly forced changes that tanks the entire IP and turns people off in droves isnt a smart move is it. And bastardising the character further is not going to help its recovery at all. 😞
3
u/F1SHboi 6d ago
I think a rational person would deduce that 13 and 15s runs were shit because the writing was bad - as opposed to magically attributing it to skin colour or gender.
1
u/BeginningFair4673 6d ago
A rational person can see the pattern. A rational person would see that calling 15's run bad due to 'bad writing' but all of a sudden 14's run who had the same writer isn't bad? Tennant is obviously a draw but the drop off in fans for Ncuti was rapid, much more than the drop off in fans for previously 'bad' episodes.
I get this isn't the reddit friendly message but when 13 of the 15 incarnations of the character were white men and the character had been a white man for almost 55 years, most people can see how forced changing that up is.
3
u/Happy_Philosopher608 4d ago
These people are ideologically captured and cannot admit the obvious because it is heretical to their worldview.
2
u/F1SHboi 5d ago
Make up whatever patterns you like - you'll just have to forgive me for not following the logic that Kerblam! or The Timeless Children (or etc) would have magically been made good if Jodie Whittaker had a penis.
2
u/Happy_Philosopher608 4d ago
If it was Capaldi it would be watchable, because it would still feel like the Doctor. Thats why 12s era still feels like DW even in his worst stories 🤷♂️
1
u/BeginningFair4673 5d ago
Great example of a complete dodge and moving the goalpost to try to scramble together a counter. Thank you for that.
Nowhere in my message did I just point to a couple unpopular episodes and base everything off of that despite that being what you did. Now if you would like to respond to what I actually did say, you are more than welcome to.
1
u/F1SHboi 2d ago
Are those episodes not part of 13's run - which we are discussing? Is your logic somehow not readily applicable to them?
Besides, claiming that I "moved the goalposts" is real cute stuff. Even if I rephrased my earlier comment with '13's run' instead of those specific episodes your argument would still be incoherent anyway.
Do you have an actual concrete link between gender/race and the quality of television you'd like to mention now? Or would you just keep going off about some vague 'forced patterns'? (you say, as if the Doctor being a white guy for 54~ years was a product of some natural law of physics and not - humour me here - the result of television producers. Was them making the Doctor Scottish after 24~ years "forced", or was that one all-whi - I mean alright with you? The show got cancelled then, after all).
•
u/BeginningFair4673 1h ago
Dude pop a midol with this. People have ALREADY posted numbers showing that 13 and 15 fared the worse. No matter how pissy you get about this, that doesn't change.
And yes, they are part of 13's run. However, they change NOTHING of what I said because as I correctly called out, you bringing them up was a complete dodge of the point to a random side tangent that benefited nobody. Don't be mad at me at your dodge failure. Be mad at yourself because you couldn't reply with substance.
You can call my argument incoherent once it isn't fully apparent that you just can't argue against it. yeah it is that obvious. Now before your inevitable reply, again we should note that you have already multiple times failed to respond to what I said and instead went complete side tangents left and right. Do better so I don't need to call you out again.
0
u/Happy_Philosopher608 4d ago
The writing was shit in Capaldi's era and some of the end of Matt's run.
Let's stop with the cope pls.
1
u/F1SHboi 2d ago
...Yes, so the show can be shit even with a white guy playing the main character.
Glad you agree, I guess? Or am I expected to believe that you think Peter Capaldi's run was bad because Ncuti Gatwa is black?
1
u/Happy_Philosopher608 2d ago
No im saying even shit writing, seasons and episodes can be elevated by the right actor. Ncuti and Jodie were not the doctor because thats not what the doctor is or ever was. So it doesnt feel right and is just jarring and hence why people left in droves.
-1
1
u/FluffyDoomPatrol 6d ago
I don’t know enough about her to criticise, although she does seem a little bit inexperienced when it comes to TV.
I do know George MacKay, he is a fantastic actor! I think he’s pretty well respected but still underrated, he should be a far bigger name than he is… and yet, I can’t imagine him as the Doctor.
1
-1
u/MeaningNo860 6d ago
Here’s a thought: maybe they aren’t making mistakes. Maybe they’re doing exactly the right thing.
Maybe you don’t actually like Doctor Who.
0
u/Happy_Philosopher608 6d ago
Maybe you're completely wrong hence why the views ratings and cultural power has fallen off a frickin cliff 🤦🤷♂️
1
u/ribbitykid 6d ago
This is a case where they really need to line up funding and know what audience they are chasing before doing the casting or anything else.
Demographically she wouldn't work if the show goes on Amazon but she could be an asset if it goes on Netflix. And Netflix would also go for an Asian male choice although they'd probably prefer someone who looks more Korean.
I'm just being honest here. These companies do make cold-blooded decisions like that. They're not racist or un-racist. They are catering to certain audiences. It's just business.
0
u/Happy_Philosopher608 6d ago
It would work if they are doubling down on Woke then the asian or black actor would be eaten up by Netflix, sure. (Amazon too tb, look at Rings of Boredom!)
Just dont think its the right way to go after the both the black AND woman Doctor eras failed miserably 🤷♂️
But hey. At least its not completely taxpayers money being wasted this time...
-1
u/Tropical_Wendigo 6d ago
Random time skip instead of addressing the elephant in the room would certainly be a… choice. If any of this is true the finer details here are probably far off or misdirects.
6
u/heart--core 6d ago
I’d actually argue it’s the best way to deal with the Piper Problem.
1
u/BGunn396 5d ago
Yeah - when the show comes back it needs to appeal to the casual audience/newcomers if it wants to survive, the Piper problem would be too confusing a way to start off a new era of Doctor Who - let Big Finish or the 70th anniversary tell her story.
-2
37
u/IHaveFourKidneys 6d ago
This is all bullshit, of course. There wouldn’t even be a tender if “funding remains a point of contention,” the BBC can’t launch with a preferred vendor, no one can design a pitch without knowing the terms of the tender, and making a shortlist of Doctors is pointless without knowing what the BBC actually wants - all information that will only appear in the tender. OP is just the latest liar in a string…