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]
