Our title refers to the budget for the next series of Doctor Who, which in November UK entertainment magazine Broadcast estimated could be in the region of 10 million pounds per episode, up from 1-3, but Russell T. Davies has now debunked:

If that was the budget, I’d be speaking to you from my base on the Moon.

That is not the budget, and I worry that misinformation like that creates false expectation. Nonetheless, we have a lovely, handsome budget, and we’re very happy with how we’re proceeding with it.

Executive producer Jane Tranter added:

It’s a really good budget for us. But we are not Game of Thrones. Or The Rings of Power.

For context 10 million pounds equates to 12 million USD which is appreciable but not out of this world in the world of television series budgets.

Game of Thrones' final season budget was $15 million and House of Thrones is under $20 million.

Hardly showrunner living on the moon territory.

Rings of Power is another matter.

Amazon won't confirm The Rings of Power budget but New Zealand government records peg just production expenditures at $462 million, with a $108 million tax rebate.

While some sets, costumes etc. can be re-used in later seasons, that's still an enormous spend for a television series and potentially raises expectations for other shows.

Like Doctor Who.

This might explain why the BBC released their first teaser for the 60th Anniversary specials almost a full year ahead of their November release.

Showing improved but not Rings of Power level production values.

Doctor Who is scheduled to return in November with three specials on Disney+.

[ Main Image: Doctor Who - Smith and Jones - Freema Agymen and David Tennant. Credit: BBC via IMDb.com. ]

References

Breznican, A. & Robinson, J. (February 10, 2022). Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Rises: Inside The Rings of Power. Vanity Fair.

Griffin, Louise (January 6, 2023) Russell T Davies debunks reports of '£10 million Doctor Who budget'. Radio Times.

Mass, Jennifer (April 22, 2022). How HBO Kept ‘House of the Dragon’ Costs Under $20 Million per Episode (EXCLUSIVE). Variety.