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Doctor Who animated spin-off series gets major update ahead of CBeebies debut
The TARDIS is officially taking a trip to CBeebies.
BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/James Pardon
- Molly Moss
Published: Thursday, 13 August 2026 at 12:33 pm
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CBeebies’ animated Doctor Who spin-off show has found a director, while production has also begun on the series, it has been announced.
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The upcoming series from animation studio Blue Zoo, which will run for 26 episodes in 2027/2028 and a further 26 episodes in 2028/2029 and be aimed at pre-school audiences, has brought Dominic Minns on board.
Minns is best known for directing CBeebies shows such as Supertato and the first season of Mojo Swoptops, and creating the BAFTA-winning children's show Tee and Me, while other credits include Get Well Soon Hospital, ZingZillas and Big & Small.
Minns said in a statement that his appointment on the Doctor Who series "feels like a huge and exciting next step" and that he's "thrilled" to be working on the project.
He 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."
Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who. BBC Studios/Disney/Bad Wolf/James Pardon
Adam Shaw, Co-Founder of Blue Zoo - which has previously collaborated with the BBC on programmes such as Numberblocks, Alphablocks, and Mojo Swoptops - added: "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."
"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."
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It's not the first time that Doctor Who has launched a Whoniverse show for children, with CBBC series The Sarah Jane Adventures running for five seasons from 2007 to 2011.
The series saw Elisabeth Sladen reprise her role from Doctor Who as the titular character. A reunion special aired in 2020 to say goodbye to the character and to actress Sladen following her death.
Meanwhile, the future of the main sci-fi series has been left up in the air after its previously planned 2026 Christmas special was cancelled back in June, while showrunner Russel T Davies also confirmed that he was leaving the programme.
It was also confirmed in June that the series would be put out to competitive tender, meaning it will be offered to other platforms.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Dive into our Doctor Who story guide: reviews of every episode since 1963, plus cast & crew listings, production trivia, and exclusive material from the Radio Times archive.
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Authors
Molly MossTrends Writer
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
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