While a new live-action series of Doctor Who might be a while off given the show has been put out to competitive tender, the animated spin-off is one step closer to getting to our screens as it’s found a director.
Set to air on CBeebies for two seasons, the separate animated series aimed at pre-schoolers hails from animation studio Blue Zoo and has now announced Dominic Minns as its director.
Known for directing CBeebies shows such as Supertato and the first season of Mojo Swoptops, as well as creating the BAFTA-winning children’s show Tee and Me, Minns celebrated the appointment in a statement, saying that it “feels like a huge and exciting next step”.
BBC
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“I’m especially thrilled to be working on the CBeebies Doctor Who animation,” the director added. “My goal is to fully utilise the full talents of both Blue and Brighton Zoo to capture the epic scale and wonder of the series, while making it delightful, funny, and relatable for preschoolers. It’s an honour to be here.”
Co-founder of Blue Zoo Adam Shaw also addressed Minns helming the upcoming series in a statement, saying: “We are hugely proud to have his creative vision at Blue Zoo, and specifically on our exciting next project, an animated Doctor Who for CBeebies. We can’t wait to see how he breathes life into this show.”
Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s & Education, added: “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.”
James Pardon//BBC
“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.”
As the Doctor is debuting in an unprecedented animated form next year, the main show has been offered to other platforms after returning showrunner Russell T Davies and production company Bad Wolf have exited the project in June this year.
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Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).