DOCTOR WHO CBEEBIES ANIMATION NAMES SERIES DIRECTOR, SHOW ENTERS PRODUCTION

British animation studio Blue Zoo has secured the contract to produce a brand-new Doctor Who pre-school animation for CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.

This exciting new animated series, inspired by the beloved Doctor Who universe, is commissioned for 52 x11’ episodes over two series. It marks the first time the ‘Whoniverse’ has been expanded into an animated series for pre-school audiences. The series is currently in production, with voice casting to be announced in due course.

Announced today, Dominic Minns has been named the Series Director of the Doctor Who animated series, as well as being named Creative Director for Blue Zoo. Minns has previous directed Cbeebies titles including Mojo Swoptops and Supertato - which is one of the channel's highest rating shows. He created BAFTA-winning children's show Tee and Me and has worked on other titles including Get Well Soon Hospital, Zingzillas and Big And Small.

Adam Shaw, Co-Founder of Blue Zoo said: "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.”

Minns said of his appointment: "Having worked within the Zoo family for several years, joining Blue Zoo as a Creative Director feels like a huge and exciting next step. I’m especially thrilled to be working on the CBeebies Doctor Who animation. 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."

Dominic Minns

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s & Education, says: "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."

Adam Shaw, Co-founder of Blue Zoo Animation Studio, says: “This year, we celebrated 25 years of Blue Zoo so it's an extra special honour to be given the chance to bring such a much-loved classic and a true British icon to a whole new generation of young viewers. Doctor Who means so much to so many people, and we don’t take that lightly at all. Reimagining something this legendary for a preschool audience is a brilliant creative challenge, and one we’re incredibly excited to dive into.”

BBC has previously collaborated with Blue Zoo on popular CBeebies programmes such as Numberblocks, Alphablocks, and Mojo Swoptops.