Plus, Neil Patrick Harris joins in a secret new role. The How I Met Your Mother alum broke the news on Instagram in June 2022 by saying “My current gig. Never looked more dashing. Thank you for inviting me into your Whoniverse, @russelltdavies63 . I’ll try my hardest to do my worst. This Doctor has no idea what’s in store. And even if he does… Who cares? Ha ha ha HA ha-ha-ha!” Here’s what we know about the upcoming season of Doctor Who.
What is Doctor Who?
Doctor Who is a British science-fiction series that premiered in England back in 1963. It follows the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial from the planet Gallifrey, who appears as a human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-traveling space ship called the TARDIS. The Doctor has regenerative properties and is able to reincarnate itself into another Doctor when its current body is too badly damaged. While each Doctor has their own unique take on things, they all are the same being. Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction series on television.
Who is the new Doctor Who?
Ncuti Gatwa was named the 14th Doctor and will take over the role from Jodie Whitaker. Whitaker made history as the first female to take on the iconic role. Gatwa also makes Whovian history as he will be the first black actor to take on the role of the Doctor. Born in Rwanda and raised in Scotland, Gatwa is best known for his role as Eric Effiong on Netflix’s Sex Education.
Will the new Doctor Who have a Companion?
Yes! It was just announced that Millie Gibson has joined the cast as the Doctor’s newest companion, Ruby Sunday. The teen’s previous credits include Coronation Street and Jamie Johnson. On her new role, Gibson said: “Whilst still being in total disbelief, I am beyond honored to be cast as the Doctor’s companion. It is a gift of a role, and a dream come true, and I will do everything to try and fill the boots the fellow companions have travelled in before me. And what better way to do that than being by the fabulous Ncuti Gatwa’s side, I just can’t wait to get started.” Gatwa added: “Millie just is the companion. She is full of talent, strength, she has a cheeky sparkle in her eye and is sharp as a razor. From the moment she walked into the room she captured all of our attention with her effervescence and then solidified that attention with the sheer torque of her talent. This adventure is going to be so wild and so fun, I cannot WAIT to sail the universe with Millie!” Gibson joins Ncuti Gatwa, who plays the Fifteenth Doctor in the new upcoming season of Doctor Who.
What does TARDIS stand for?
TARDIS is short for “Time and Relative Dimension in Space” and is the preferred mode of transportation for The Doctor. Throughout the show’s history, the TARDIS appears as a blue police box (similar to the red telephone booths in England), a common sight in 1960s London after a malfunction in the ship’s cloaking circuitry causes it to get stuck in its current appearance.
When will Doctor Who season 14 premiere?
Season 14 of Doctor Who with Ncuti Gatwa will premiere Nov. 23, 2023. Why the long wait? The date is significant as the original series premiered on that date back in 1963. To celebrate the 60th anniversary and the special episodes they have for the jubilee, several actors from past Doctor Who series will make appearances.
What celebrations are planned for the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who?
As part of the 60th anniversary celebration, several actors from past Doctor Who series will make appearances including David Tennant and Catherine Tate, who play the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble, respectively. Yasmin Finney was announced as the new Rose (previously played by Billie Piper). Whether these characters will appear in flashback, an alternate universe or some other Whovian way remains to be seen.
How many seasons of Doctor Who are there?
The original seasons had 26 seasons while the reincarnation (pun intended) that premiered in 2005 currently 13 seasons with the upcoming 14th season with Ncuti Gatwa as the new Doctor.
Who was the first actor to play Doctor Who?
William Hartnell
William Hartnell was the First Doctor back in 1963. David Bradley (Game of Thrones) reprised the role of the First Doctor in the current series (Hartnell died in 1975) as well as voicing the character in a series of audio stories called The First Doctor Adventures.
Doctor Who Doctors from the classic series
William Hartnell (The First Doctor)
Hartnell played the First Doctor from 1963-1966. The concept of the Doctor’s regeneration came about when Hartnell had to leave the series. The First Doctor’s original companions were his granddaughter and her schoolteachers.
Patrick Troughton (The Second Doctor)
Troughton took over the role as the Second Doctor from 1966-1969. His version of the Doctor was referred to as the Cosmic Hobo and though he appeared in 119 episodes of Doctor Who, 53 of those episodes remain missing.
Jon Pertwee (The Third Doctor)
Pertwee was the Third Doctor from 1970-1974. Pertwee’s Doctor was a man of action which was in stark contrast to the previous Doctor Whos. The Third Doctor’s final companion before his regeneration was Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen). The character of Sarah Jane would appear periodically throughout the series and also in spinoffs, K-9 and Company, Downtime and The Sarah Jane Adventures. Pertwee’s son, Sean Pertwee, was being considered for the role of the Eleventh Doctor.
Tom Baker (The Fourth Doctor)
Baker played the Fourth Doctor for seven seasons from (1974-1981) which remains the longest tenure of any actor to play the Doctor across the entire series, both classic and modern. The Fourth Doctor was whimsical and wore a trademark multi-colored scarf. Baker appeared in the 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who as a mysterious curator.
Peter Davison (The Fifth Doctor)
Davison was the Fifth Doctor from 1982-84. The Fifth Doctor had a boyish charm and dressed like an Edwardian cricket player. His companions varied from an American college student to an Australian flight attendant and from a boy genius to an alien aristocrat.
Colin Baker (The Sixth Doctor)
Baker played the Sixth Doctor from 1984-86. Baker only appeared in 31 episodes during his tenure as the BBC chose to put the show on an 18-month hiatus so only a small number of episodes were produced during his time as the Doctor.
Sylvester McCoy (The Seventh Doctor)
Sylvester McCoy took over as the Seventh Doctor from 1987-89. McCoy was the last Doctor before the series was canceled in 1989. The Seventh Doctor’s adventures continued in novels well into the 1990s.
Paul McGann (The Eighth Doctor)
McGann portrayed the Eighth Doctor in a single movie in 1996. Doctor Who was a film that was a backdoor pilot in an unsuccessful bid to relaunch the series. McGann would go on to voice the Eighth Doctor in audio dramas.
Doctor Who doctors on the reboot series
Christopher Eccleston (The Ninth Doctor)
Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor for a single season in 2005 when the show was relaunched. During his short time as the Doctor, Eccleston has been praised as the reason the relaunch of the series was successful this time around. It’s within the Ninth Doctor’s stories that we are introduced to Rose Tyler (Piper) and Captain Jack Harkness (JohnBarrowman), who later spins off into his own series, Torchwood.
David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor)
David Tennant played the Tenth Doctor (and possibly the most popular Doctor) from 2005-2010. His companions included Rose Tyler (Piper), Martha Jones (Freeman Agyeman), Donna Noble (Tate), and Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins). The Tenth Doctor’s favorite phrase was “Allons-y!” which is French for “Let’s go!”
Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor)
Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, The Crown) took over the role as the Eleventh Doctor from 2010-2013 and was the youngest actor to be cast in the role to date (He was 26 when cast.) He was the last Doctor to appear alongside Sarah Jane Smith (Sladen) before Sladen’s death in 2011.
Peter Capaldi (The Twelfth Doctor)
Peter Capaldi was the odds-on favorite to be the Twelfth Doctor. After he was cast, he played the Doctor from 2014-2017. Capaldi was 55 at the time he was cast, just a few months shy of William Hartnell, the First Doctor, who is the oldest actor to play the Time Lord. He previously played Cardinal Richelieu on the BBC series, The Musketeers (which also starred Star Trek: Picard’s Santiago Cabrera).
Jodie Whitaker (The Thirteenth Doctor)
Jodie Whitaker made history as the first female Doctor when she took on the role as the Thirteenth Doctor. The idea of a female Doctor isn’t a new one. Tom Baker suggested it when he announced the end of his run as the Fourth Doctor. It was also discussed as a possibility of a female Sixth Doctor to replace Peter Davison. At different points during the show’s run, both Academy-Award winners Judi Dench and Helen Mirren were considered for the role. Whitaker previously appeared on Broadchurch, Black Mirror and Accused.
Who is the Master on Doctor Who?
The Master is a renegade Time Lord who was a childhood friend of the Doctor but is now his archenemy. The Master has been played by multiple actors since the character’s introduction in 1971 and includes Eric Roberts, Derek Jacobi, John Simm and Michelle Gomez, the first female to take on the role. Sacha Dhawan currently plays the Master on the series.
Doctor Who cast for season 14
Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who)
Gatwa takes a turn as the newest Doctor and makes Whovian history as the first black actor to take on the iconic role. Born in Rwanda but raised in Scotland, Gatwa studied acting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He is best known for his turn as Eric in the Netflix series, Sex Education. Follow him on Instagram @ncutigatwa.
Yasmin Finney (Rose)
Finney will play a character named Rose in scenes that will be part of the 60th Anniversary celebration of the series. Billie Piper played Rose Tyler opposite the ninth and tenth Doctors played by Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant, respectively. Showrunner Russell T Davies said, “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. We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world—and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!” Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @yazdemand.
David Tennant (The Tenth Doctor)
Possibly the most popular actor to take on the iconic role, Tennant was a fan favorite from the moment he stepped into the Doctor’s shoes.
Catherine Tate (Donna Noble)
Donna was a companion of the Tenth Doctor and ultimately saves the universe but at a cost—she loses all memory of her time with the Doctor. Tate is a British actress and comedian who created and starred in the recent Netflix series, Hard Cell.
Bernard Cribbins (Wilfred “Wilf"Mott)
Mott is Donna’s maternal grandfather. The role was originally a one-off guest spot but after the actor who played Donna’s father had to bow out due to health reasons, the role of Wilf was expanded. The 93-year old Cribbins has been acting for nearly seven decades. Long before he took on the role of Wilfred Mott, Cribbins had a role as companion Special Constable Tom Campbell in the 1966 film, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., one of two films based on Doctor Who lore. It starred Peter Cushing in the role of the Doctor. Cribbins was also once considered for the role of the fourth Doctor Who back in 1974. Cribbins has had roles on Fawlty Towers, Midsomer Murders, and Coronation Street.
What is the Silence on Doctor Who?
The Silence is a religious order comprised of aliens with a humanoid-like appearance. Possibly as scary or scarier than the Weeping Angels, the Silence’s appearance was inspired by Edvard Munch’s “Scream” painting. Their existence is secret as anyone who looks away immediately forgets about them but retain and suggestions made by the Silence which makes them difficult to locate or resist.
What channel is Doctor Who on?
Doctor Who is on BBC America.
Where to watch Doctor Who
All seasons of the classic series and the modern series is available to stream only on BritBox with a subscription.
Where to stream Doctor Who
Is there a trailer for the newest season of Doctor Who?
Yes! A new teaser trailer dropped on Christmas Day and shows a glimpse of Neil Patrick Harris’ character and David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor. Check it out below.
Is there Doctor Who news?
Check back here for more news about the new season of Doctor Who and its 60th anniversary celebrations! Next, Watch the Best Parts of Doctor Who
