At the Royal Television Society conference in London, BBC Director General Matt Brittin praised a fan-made episode of Doctor Who generated by AI.

Brittin didn’t specify which video he watched but said that it was sent to him at that it was about 50 minutes, according to Variety.

“Everyone’s got the ability in their hands — or six billion people have — to create content at the standard of a Hollywood studio,” Brittin said at the RTS conference.

“Somebody sent me a 50-minute episode of Doctor Who that was AI-generated the other day. It’s pretty good. I mean, it’s not going to replace humans, and we’ll come on to that. So everyone’s a creator. Not all the creativity is bad.”

There is 55-minute unofficial AI-generated fan episode is titled The Curse of Kilmorag, created by the fan project The Unmade Season and written by Thomas Vittlowe. The video was released on YouTube in early September 2026, where it approached 400,000 views before being taken down.

The Curse of Kilmorag was created using generative AI video models and featured an unauthorized 30-second synthetic recreation of Fifteenth Doctor David Tennant’s likeness and voice. It also, without permission, used a 3D fan render of the TARDIS interior created by Harry Amatt.

Vittlowe has already reacted to Brittin’s comments with, “Exciting things are ahead.”

For Brittin, a former Google executive, to react positively to generative AI version of Doctor Who presents major strategic and public relations challenges. Praise for a fully AI-generated episode risks damaging the BBC’s relationship with vital creative unions, actors, and screenwriters ‒ especially because the BBC has officially posted its Invitation to Tender (ITT) to find a new production team for a 2028/29 series.

Doctor Who fans who reacted negatively to The Curse of Kilmorag voiced strong criticism to Brittin’s comments, with some stating they would abandon the show entirely if AI is used. The BBC already faced fan backlash in 2024 for a minor trial using AI for marketing text, forcing a swift corporate policy u-turn.

With the initial submission deadline for the Doctor Who tender days away (2 October 2026), praising AI-generated content risks diminishing the perceived value of what professional independent production companies, writers, and directors bring to the table.