Production on Russell T Davies Doctor Who return confirmed for later this year in Wales

Filming of the next series of Doctor Who, with Russell T Davies back at the helm, is due to get underway later this year.

Swansea born Davies revived the programmes as showrunner between 2005 and 2010, bringing it out of hibernation after the BBC had placed it in cold storage for 16 years.

His return coincides with the show’s sixtieth anniversary in November 2023 and earlier this week some details about the timings around his much-anticipated return were revealed at the MIPTV event in Cannes.

Sony-owned Bad Wolf will be producing Davies’ upcoming series, taking over the responsibility from BBC Studios and at the sales conference, Sony Pictures Television International head Wayne Garvie and Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter were quizzed about the next series.

Although they refused to reveal any details about the new Doctor or plot specifics, Tranter confirmed during a keynote discussion that to make the November 2023 premiere window for the anniversary, production would be kicking off in Wales later this year.

Ruminating over who the new resident of the Tardis has become something of an obsession for fans of the show and media alike, with Hugh Grant debunking rumours that he was in talks to step into the famous shoes after stories surfaced in a number of British newspapers that the Notting Hill and Paddington star was next in line.

Other names linked to the role include Welsh star Michael Sheen and his best mate David Tennant, who famously played the 10th Doctor.

Arthurian legends

Meanwhile, the first major drama series to come out of the Bad Wolf and Sony Pictures Television partnership is also set to go into production later this year.

According to industry website, Variety, the project will see the first book in Bernard Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles adapted in to a lavish ten-part series with filming expected to take place in Wales and the West Country.

This is expected to be followed up by the filming of the other two books in the trilogy, an epic reworking of the Arthurian legends set in a war torn and divided Britain of the 5^th century.

The Winter King, The Enemy of God and Excalibur are the three novels which make up the trilogy and through a mixture of historical fiction and mythology tell the story of Arthur Pendragon as he grows into the heroic leader of legend.

Cornwell’s Warlord Chronicles are being adapted by Kate Brooke (A Discovery Of Witches) and Ed Whitmore (Manhunt) and Otto Bathurst (His Dark Materials) is said to be the lead director.

Bad Wolf is producing in association with One Big Picture, director Otto Bathurst’s production company, with international distribution being handled by Sony Pictures Television.

The company’s recent credits include HBO and the BBC’s His Dark Materials, HBO’s Industry and Sky’s I Hate Suzie and A Discovery of Witches.

In December last year the company sold a majority stake to Sony in a deal said to be worth around £60m which included the Wolf Studios Wales sound stage facility in Cardiff, Wales, and Bad Wolf’s 30% stake in Bad Wolf America LLC.