It’s almost time for The Doctor’s next regeneration.
Before season 14 of the long running sci-fi show hits our screens though, we’ve got to bid a fond farewell to Jodie Whittaker, whose final appearance as the Time Lord will release later this year, in a feature length finale.
However, most attention is now on the next iteration of Doctor Who, with casting announced and filming currently underway. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming season so far.
Cast
BBC
In Britain the casting announcements for Doctor Who are second only to the casting of a new James Bond, so if you’ve managed to miss the news so far, you must be living under a rock.
This time around, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa was the surprise pick for The Doctor, although the internet and fanbase were immediately on board for his casting.
Gatwa has recently been filming scenes for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie, with star Ryan Gosling seen showing his support for the actor wearing a fan-made t-shirt bearing Gatwa’s face next to the TARDIS.
BBC
Shortly after Gatwa’s casting, Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney was cast as The Doctor’s new companion, Rose. At the London Trans Pride march in July 2022, Finney announced that her character would be trans, which has added further speculation – is she playing a new version of Billie Piper’s companion of the same name, the daughter of Donna (Catherine Tate), or someone else entirely?
Speaking of Tate, both she and David Tennant (who played The Doctor between 2006 and 2009) will be back to reprise their roles, to tie in with the show’s 60th anniversary celebrations.
How they fit in remains a mystery, but showrunner Russell T. Davies (returning to Doctor Who after departing in 2009) has released the following teasing statement:
“They’re back! And it looks impossible — first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on Earth is happening?
BBC
“Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”
Other returning cast members from that era of Doctor Who will be Bernard Cribbins (as Donna’s granddad Wilfred), Jacqueline King (as Donna’s mother), and Karl Collins (Shaun Temple, Donna’s husband).
In addition to all of this, Neil Patrick Harris (who previously worked with Davies on It’s A Sin) has been cast in an undisclosed villain role.
Story
Your guess is as good as ours at the moment – Davies is keeping things tightly under wraps for now, with the only concrete reveal being that the 60th anniversary special will be told in three parts.
Filming began in May 2022, with the cast spotted in several locations around London, including Camden and Wembley, as well as in Bristol.
In an interview with Radio Times in February 2022, Davies gave nothing away, but did suggest the new season is like nothing he’s ever written before.
BBC
“The reason I’ve worked on 34 programmes in my life is because I don’t normally like continuing series. That’s why It’s A Sin came to an end and I just moved on. I like looking at a new set of challenges every time and a blank page – but Doctor Who is always a blank page.
“There are things coming up that are brand new ways of telling the stories that have never been done before, so it just feels new. I wouldn’t go back if it wasn’t feeling new. But that’s the thing about Doctor Who – every episode is new. Every single episode.
“I’m sitting here now, ten pages away from a climax thinking, ‘God, I’ve never written in this territory before – this is strange and new’ – so it’s always new. It’s a self-renewing show.”
Trailer
BBC
Nothing official has been released yet – but keep your eyes peeled, as we’ll update this as soon as we get one.
Release Date
BBC
No official launch date has been announced, but Davies’ return to Doctor Who will arrive on our screens at some point in early 2023.
