Doctor Who & Scooby-Doo in The Case of The BBC's Overspending

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Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: doctor who, scooby doo

Doctor Who & Scooby-Doo in The Case of The BBC's Overspending

With today being the deadline for pitches for the tender, we take a look at how Scooby-Doo could end up being a good thing for Doctor Who.

Published Fri, 02 Oct 2026 07:37:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

  • Doctor Who’s future is in play as the BBC tender deadline arrives and rival producers pitch to steer the series next.
  • Fresh BBC comments on AI and a possible return to the Tennant and Smith era have already stirred Doctor Who fans.
  • Parliament’s DCMS committee criticized the BBC for overspending on overseas shows like Scooby-Doo amid budget cuts.
  • If the BBC redirects money from imported content to in-house programming, Doctor Who could benefit from the shift.

In a very weird way, we have to commend the BBC for finding some very "interesting" ways to remind everyone that they're still very big players when it comes to the future of Doctor Who. With only days to go before today's deadline for production companies to pitch to be the next stewards of whatever the future has in store for the long-running series, we had BBC head Matt Brittin drag Doctor Who into a self-inflicted AI debate that never had to happen. Following that, BBC Studios scripted boss Jamie Hall had some fans reading a whole lot into his comments that the company wants to take the show back to the days of David Tennant and Matt Smith if it gets the job. Now, the UK Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) has slapped the BBC's hand for overspending to secure programming from outside the UK. Of course, it involves Scooby-Doo. Yes, the animated, mystery-solving canine with a stoner BFF and a serious "Scooby Snack" addiction. Because… why not?

DOCTOR WHO (Image: BBC; Warner Bros. Discovery Screencap)

"We understand why the BBC might have a strategy to bid for content that would attract audiences, especially younger viewers," the DCMS noted in a report about the BBC's future. "However, at a time of constrained resources, the BBC should not be paying over the odds for overseas content, particularly when it's bidding against other commercial UK broadcasters to do so. We do not believe that this provides value for money for the license fee payer." But this wasn't the first time the BBC had been called out for this. Heading into Brittin's appearance before the committee back in July, a number of broadcasters, such as ITV, had argued that the BBC should have a check in place to prevent it from spending UK funds on programming from outside the UK. And that's where Scooby-Doo comes into play.

"What's the public service value in outbidding commercial broadcasters for things like Scooby-Doo when you could be investing in Britain?" asked Natasha Irons, a Labour member of Parliament, during the hearing. While noting that less than 5% of the multimedia company's content budget is spent on acquiring programming from outside the UK, Brittin added, "That's something I'm looking at reviewing as part of the cost savings." Those cost-savings that Brittin referred to were the BBC's ongoing efforts to cut £500M ($670M) over the next three years. But Scooby-Doo's loss could actually be Doctor Who's gain if the BBC focuses more of its funding efforts in-house rather than globally.

The report also covers other aspects of the BBC's funding issues that could impact the show, including broadening the reach of the license fee in a way that could potentially lead to the cost of the individual license fee being reduced "as long as doing so does not reduce the sustainability of the BBC's income and ability to fulfill its public purposes." In addition, the committee report also noted that the BBC should consider the pros and cons of a household levy that could be rolled out as a BBC tax on a utility or internet-related bill.

"This is a pivotal moment for the BBC. Continue along the current path, and we condemn a national institution to managed decline, squandering the immeasurable benefits it brings to our economy and society," shared Caroline Dinenage, DCMS chair. "This is a pivotal moment for the BBC. Continue along the current path, and we condemn a national institution to managed decline, squandering the immeasurable benefits it brings to our economy and society." Dinenage added, "For all its faults, the BBC drives our creative economy, supports our democracy through media sovereignty, and delivers world-class entertainment and moments that bring us together. Like a much-loved family member, we may criticize and grumble about the BBC, but we would miss it enormously if it were no longer here for us."

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