You would have to be living under a rock to ignore all of the Doctor Who updates we have been receiving in the past two weeks. However, in case you missed any announcements or speculations here is a round up of everything we know so far.
Obviously we have to talk about the new Doctor casting announcement. On the day of the BAFTA awards ceremony social media posts started to circulate using a set of hashtags that fans interpreted to be about Doctor Who. People began to put two and two together when Ncuti Gatwa posted on Instagram with the set of hashtags with Russell T Davies, legendary Doctor Who screenwriter, commenting “The future is here”
It wasn’t long after that it became official that the Sex Education star was going to be stepping into the Tardis. Bar his role as Eric in the hit Netflix show Gatwa has not been on our screens that much but his role as the first black doctor will certainly make him a household name soon enough.
Other than the casting of our favourite 2 hearted alien we have not received any more information about companions or a potential new master as well. There had however been slight hopeful speculation that Nicola Coughlan from Derry Girls and Bridgeton fame might be involved after the two were photographed at the BAFTAs together. It is wishful thinking however as Nicola already has a lot on her plate as it was also just announced that the next season of Bridgeton will centre around her character’s love story.
The name Olly Alexander is still being thrown around also. Due to his connection to Moffat from his work on the BBC show ‘It’s a Sin’ he had been the bookies favourite for the role of the Doctor and despite him not getting that one could he still feature somewhere in the show?
We already know this series will be ruffling some feathers with the direction it’s going in by bringing back Steven Moffat and Russell T Davies as some of the showrunners and writers. Although some aren’t happy arguing that it might move the show backwards not forwards, most are happy with their return as they can be credited to some of the most iconic Doctor Who moments and episodes.
The new series appears to be in full steam ahead with filming having already started which is quite different to how previous series have been done. With the previous four doctors their casting announcements were made and then filming started a few weeks later. However filming had already been confirmed before Ncuti Gatwa’s casting announcement. It’s clear that there is a push for the next chapter of Doctor Who to start which isn’t surprising after the increasing decline in viewing figures from Jodie Whittaker 13th Doctor.
Jodie’s regeneration and final episodes are due to take place around October or November this year.
Just as we thought that we had a grasp on the direction and what we can expect in the following months and for the anniversary, the BBC dropped the bombshell that had been rumoured for months, David Tennent was back and he was bringing Catherine Tate with him.
So, although Tennant is not coming back as the 14th Doctor as many hoped he is coming back for a special anniversary. The question on everyone’s mind of course is how on earth are Donna and the Doctor going to reunite considering their unforgettable goodbye?
As if that wasn’t enough a teaser came a week later on actress Yaz Finney’s Instagram featuring familiar Doctor Who related emojis but this time with one that sent fans into a frenzy. The rose emoji. Although it has now been confirmed that Heartstopper’s Yaz will not be replacing Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler but that is all we know but using the same name in the 60th anniversary cannot be a coincidence.
As Yaz is only 19 people are wondering if she is playing Donna’s daughter and Wilf’s granddaughter or if it is some alternate universe or parallel universe timey wimey plot. A recent on set photo of what we believe to her with Donna’s mother does suggest the former however.
Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder – how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set.
Russell T Davies
We don’t know for certain the official timeline of Jodie’s regeneration, Gatwa’s series and the 60th anniversary episode/episodes but what is interesting is the wording of the announcement of Gatwa. On the first official press release from the BBC he has only been referred to as “The Doctor” and that he will be taking over the reigns of the Tardis in 2023. Now this is interesting because Jodie is due to regenerate in autumn this year and with the knowledge that David Tennant is coming back It begs the question ‘Is David Tennent going to be the first actor to play two incarnations of The Doctor’? Or is it just poor wording?.
Now that theory might be getting ahead of ourselves but with Moffat and Davies at the helm it is not out of the question. A lot of the announcements have simply asked more questions than they have answered. They have certainly created a buzz around the series that has not been here in a few years. The mix of old and new has got people excited to watch it again with Gatwa bringing in a whole new and younger audience. The next step in Doctor Who is promising a lot in terms of nostalgia, diversity and good old fashioned sci-fi but can it deliver when the blue box arrives on our screens?
Featured image – Charlotte Sutcliffe
Film, Media and Journalism student who writes about things that catch her interest. Instagram @charlsutcliffe
[…] This will mark Ncuti Gatwa’s debut appearance as the Doctor, with plenty of old faces returning to welcome him to the blue box and to celebrate the iconic show’s 60th anniversary. Fan favourites David Tennant and Catherine Tate are set to return to the show, plus with Russell T. Davis stepping back into his showrunner role there are certainly more surprises on the cards. Check out everything we know so far about the coming series here. […]