doctor who

Last week BBC released a short teaser and poster revealing the release date for what they’re calling “Season 1” of a new Doctor Who (we gotta get out of the habit of calling it Season 14). Today they followed that up with a full trailer, as well as an expanded cast list. We already know Ncuti Gatwa will be playing the Fifteenth Doctor and his companion, Ruby Sunday, will be played by Millie Gibson — because we met them already. But here are some of the colorful cast members they’ll run into as they cross time and space: the Duchess, seen in the trailer and played by Indira Varma when the Doctor visits Regency-era England. They’ll also visit the prehistoric era, the 1960s, and an apocalyptic future they’re trying to prevent. Other cast members include Aneurin Barnard (Barkskins) as “Roger ap Gwilliam,” Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and Genesis Lynea (Casualty), and Lenny Rush (Dodger) as “Morris.” Returning actors include Anita Dobson as Mrs. Flood, Yasmin Finney (Heartstoppers) as Rose Noble, Michelle

After sagging for a few years, the BBC’s most famous property, Doctor Who, was given a massive regeneration with a move to Disney+, a higher budget and four giant specials. It not only marked the return of Russell T,. Davies as showrunner but, somehow, the return of David Tennant as the Doctor. The goal of the specials seemed to be (1) to remind you why you liked Doctor Who in the first place and (2) to set the table for the new reboot that casts Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor #15. Yeah, I know no one really thinks of it as a “reboot” but BBC is drawing a line between the revival that was mainly seen on cable and the Disney+ version, referring to this coming season as Season 1. We thought the specials were a great return to form, that Gatwa makes for a great Time Lord and that Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday is already a very memorable Companion — much better than those whatsisnames that were following Jodie Whitaker