Everything We Know About Doctor Who Season 14
Every new season of a TV show brings along some potentially confusing complications, but "Doctor Who" is on another level. It's not an anthology series, but the cast and crew sure can change a lot between seasons, and these 60th anniversary specials aren't helping much with keeping things clear. Yes, that's specials, not special. In November of 2023, "Doctor Who" will be airing three separate episodes based around David Tennant's Doctor: "The Star Beast," "Wild Blue Yonder," and "The Giggle." You can find more details about these episodes here, but that still won't tell you much about the season that airs afterward.
Those three episodes aren't considered their own separate season, despite what IMDb might tell you. Much like the "Doctor Who" specials that aired back in 2009 for the build-up to David Tennant's first departure, these are very much their own separate thing. We don't know exactly how things will shake out with Tennant's return, except that his version of the Time Lord won't be around for long. The specials will end with a new Doctor taking charge of the show, accompanied by a new companion.
Meet the Fifteenth Doctor
The next new Doctor will actually be the Fifteenth Doctor, since according to the official "Doctor Who" website Tennant's regeneration makes him both the Tenth and the Fourteenth Doctor. The Fifteenth Doctor will be played by Ncuti Gatwa, a young actor best known for his scene-stealing role as Eric Effiong in the hit Netflix series "Sex Education." At 30 years old, he's the second youngest Doctor we've ever had, just a few years behind the 26-year-old Matt Smith who took over the role in 2010. "Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart," Gatwa said when the casting news was revealed. "But I am giving it all to this show."
"Doctor Who" also isn't complete without a trusted companion, and that role will be filled by Millie Gibson, an actress currently best known for her part in the long-running British soap opera "Coronation Street." She'll be playing Ruby Sunday, a character we still don't know a ton about. Showrunner Russell T. Davies teased: "As a Coronation Street' fan, I've seen Millie survive chases, guns, and sieges, but that's nothing compared to what lies ahead for Ruby Sunday."
With Gibson being only 18 years old at the time she was cast, she and Gatwa will be the youngest Doctor/companion duo we've ever had.
The return of the king
Russell T. Davies has not just returned to run the 60th Anniversary Specials — he's also sticking around to run the new season. If that name sounds familiar to you, that's because Davies was the guy who oversaw the first four seasons of the revived "Doctor Who," serving as showrunner throughout the tenures of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant. He gave us some particularly controversial episodes like "Love and Monsters" and that ridiculous Slitheen two-parter, but he also gave us beloved classics like "Midnight" and "The Waters of Mars."
As time's gone by, Davies' era on the show has grown increasingly remembered as a stable, character-focused period. The Steven Moffat era (seasons 5 through 10) was flashier and more willing to play around with the time part of the show's space-time premise, but Davies excelled at building a strong cast of complex, lovable characters. Rory and Amy's life outside of the Doctor often felt paper thin, but viewers never doubted that Rose, Martha and Donna all lived full, complicated lives before the Doctor swooped in. Although the quality of each episode was still maddeningly inconsistent (as its always been in "Doctor Who"), Davies' lovable characters helped ensure that even the sloppiest episodes were still enjoyable.
Some fans have speculated that Moffat might also return to write an episode or two for the new season, but Moffat himself has shot that idea down. "It would be career madness even by my standard to go back into a junior capacity on a show I used to run," he told the Radio Times. "I would have to be insane to do that!"
A solid Gold soundtrack
"Who's composing the score?" might sounds like a strange question to ask about a TV show, but most Whovians understand that this question is vital. For the first ten seasons of the revival, the music was written by the beloved Murray Gold. Although occasionally criticized for being a little too unsubtle with his music (which often feels like he's over-explaining the characters' mood), Gold was still an crucial part of the show's identity throughout both the Davies and Moffat years.
Throughout showrunner Chris Chibnall's era, which covered the entirety of the Thirteenth Doctor's tenure, the music on "Doctor Who" was composed by Segun Akinola. Although Akinola also did a wonderful job, there's a certain feel to Murray Gold's work that's hard not to miss; rewatching episodes like "The Impossible Astronaut," where Gold throws an electric guitar into the Eleventh Doctor's theme song, or that haunting score throughout "The Satan Pit," it's hard not to wonder why this show would ever let Gold get away.
Luckily, Murray Gold is returning not just for the upcoming specials, but for season 14 as well. The return of so many familiar faces has admittedly caused some concerns — "Doctor Who" is supposed to be about embracing change and moving forward, after all — but it's hard to argue with a good thing. Gold's been a vital part of this show for far longer than any single Doctor, companion, or showrunner, and he should stick around for as long as he wants.
How many episodes?
"The Fifteenth Doctor's first full season will be eight episodes long, with a Christmas special, making it nine episodes every year," Russell T. Davies told Doctor Who Magazine. "And when I say Christmas, that's my generic term for festive/end-of-year/holiday or New Year, you'll have to wait and see."
That might sound a little disappointing, but considering how close the show's come to cancellation in recent years, we'll take what we can get. It's also worth noting that even at the show's best, there's always at least one or two clunkers in every standard-length season, so maybe a lower episode count will weed those out. Davies has also shown that he understands the concern, adding, "Okay, that's fewer episodes than the last full season. But give us time. We have plans, and that's a promise!"
Another source of comfort for fans is the fact that one of Davies' other shows, "Torchwood," also had a similar situation with its third season (otherwise known as "Children of Earth") being much shorter than the seasons before it. Fans might've initially been disappointed to hear the show was going from thirteen episodes to five, but after the season finished it was hard to claim the decision had been a mistake. Likewise, nine episodes for "Doctor Who" season 14 might sound like a downgrade, but maybe it's exactly what the show needs.
How long will we have to wait?
The first episode with the new Doctor will likely air on Christmas, much like the Tenth Doctor's first episode 17 years earlier. The rest of season 14 will then presumably air in spring of 2024. That might seem like too long of a wait, but of course we've got those anniversary specials to keep us engaged. "If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we've got plenty more surprises on the way," Russell T. Davies confirmed earlier this year. "The path to Ncuti's Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger, and fun!"
Davies also clarified in his appearance on the Table Manners podcast that he plans to be back on "Doctor Who" for the long haul, committing to at least a fifteenth season as well. "I'll have to spend years on that," he said, clarifying that he won't be doing any other projects "in a while." It might take more than half a year before the show's back on our screens, but once it does, it sounds it'll be back in full-swing. Like so many of the Doctors companions over the years, all we'll have to do in the meantime is wait.