The company was founded in 2015 by former
BBC executives
Julie Gardner and
Jane Tranter after leaving
BBC Worldwide.[3] During their time at the BBC, they worked with
Russell T Davies on the 2005 relaunch of Doctor Who, which was made in
Wales.[4] The company name is a homage to the "
Bad Wolf" storyline from the relaunched series. In 2015, it signed a first look deal with HBO.[5]
In 2017, the company opened a new film and television studio in
Cardiff, named Wolf Studios Wales.[6] That same year, Bad Wolf's first production, The Night Of,[7] was nominated for thirteen
Emmys, of which it won five.[8] Later that year, they also received investment from European media conglomerate
Sky Group and American network
HBO in return for minority stakes in the company.[9]
The first episode of the company's His Dark Materials, which began an adaptation of the book series
of the same name, was watched by approximately seven million people. This made the premiere the biggest new British series debut in over five years.[10]
On 24 September 2021,
BBC Studios announced that Bad Wolf would become co-producer of Doctor Who itself starting in
2023, following the scheduled departure of the series' current showrunner,
Chris Chibnall, who occupied the role from 2017 to 2022. Davies returned to his old role as showrunner, which he had occupied from 2005 to 2010, with Gardner returning as
executive producer and Tranter joining also.[13]
In October 2021, it was announced that
Sony Pictures Television would acquire a majority of Bad Wolf,[14] acquiring the remaining shares from HBO and Sky plc in December of that year.[15] The deal brought in a new member, Natasha Hale, along with a long-term partnership to produce future productions and boost Cardiff's standing in the entertainment industry.[16]