‘Industry,’ ‘Doctor Who’ Producer Jane Tranter on Resisting Trends, Centering Women and Telling Stories About ‘People Being Accepted for Who They Choose to Be’

Producer Jane Tranter urged television makers to resist industry trends and pursue stories they believe in, arguing that audiences may be ready for ideas others have overlooked. Speaking at Rome’s MIA Market, she reflected on a career that includes leading BBC drama and co-founding Bad Wolf, and said she wanted to make inclusive programmes, particularly ones featuring women.

Tranter recalled being told in the 1990s that dramas with female leads would not attract audiences. She cited projects including “The Night Of”, “Succession” and “His Dark Materials”, and highlighted Bad Wolf’s upcoming period drama “The Other Bennet Sister”, about Mary Bennet finding her own place beyond her family’s shadow. She also noted that the BBC has invited producers to pitch a reboot of “Doctor Who”, whose future is uncertain after Disney+ stopped co-financing it.