Skip to content
Bramble

Entertainment

Davies and BBC staff react to director-general's praise of AI-made Doctor Who episode

BBC director-general Matt Brittin called a 50-minute AI-generated Doctor Who episode "pretty good". Former showrunner Russell T Davies responded on BBC Breakfast, and BBC staff raised concerns at a town hall.

2 outlets · 0L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Radio Times
Image: Deadline

1 / 2

The story, neutrally told

Centre · 1Speaking at the Royal Television Society's London convention, BBC director-general Matt Brittin, who joined the BBC earlier this year after 18 years at Google, said someone had sent him a 50-minute AI-generated episode of Doctor Who that was "pretty good". Centre · 1Brittin added that the episode was "not going to replace humans" and that "everyone's a creator", saying six billion people have the ability to create content at the standard of a Hollywood studio. Centre · 1On BBC Breakfast on Tuesday 6 October, former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies was asked about the remarks by host John Kay. He said an opinion on AI would "chase me for the rest of my life", but called it "a very interesting time".

Centre · 1Davies said fans are now making AI episodes that are "broadcast quality — almost", compared this with drawing episodes himself as a child, called it "a very complicated discussion", and said "we're essentially looking at the end of copyright". The quotes were reported by Cultbox. Centre · 1At a BBC staff town hall on Wednesday 7 October, employees raised concerns about the remarks, according to Deadline. One question, with 86 upvotes, asked Brittin to "rethink your fascination with AI-generated programmes" and noted that Doctor Who is made in Cardiff. Centre · 1A second question, with more than 30 upvotes, asked whether the BBC should "fully reject generative AI" and said the BBC is not "a content machine like Netflix".

Centre · 1Brittin joked that he "got in trouble" and said he had only wanted to show the pace of change. He said the BBC must understand AI's risks, such as undermining journalistic integrity, and also use it, for example in research. He stressed that "humans are leading" and that he believes in human creativity. Centre · 2The debate comes as Davies's departure from Doctor Who and a competitive tender for the show were announced earlier this year. The tender has closed, and Hat Trick Mercurio, World Productions, STV Studios and two BBC Studios labels have reportedly bid. The BBC wants a series for transmission in 2028/29.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Radio Times leads with Davies's response on BBC Breakfast and the Doctor Who tender. Deadline leads with an exclusive on staff unease at the BBC town hall and Brittin's clarification.
Emphasis
Radio Times stresses Davies's remarks on fan-made AI episodes and copyright. Deadline stresses staff questions and Brittin's assurance that humans lead.
Leaves out or plays down
Radio Times does not report staff reaction. Deadline does not report Davies's comments.
Charged language
“pretty good”“audacious bid”
For example
“I think we’re essentially looking at the end of copyright.” — Radio Times
“Some BBC employees would like Matt Brittin to travel back in time and scrub from the record his comments” — Deadline

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.