Gatwa enjoys first season as the Doctor
Are you ready for an adventure? How about one that traverses all of time and space, hand-in-hand with an impeccably-dressed Time Lord and his fiery, fun and hilarious human companion? Doctor Who is back, and it promises to bring sci-fi thrills like you’ve never experienced.
A new era of the BBC fan favourite was ushered in at the end of 2023, with Years and Years and It’s a Sin writer Russell T Davies, who was the original showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the series, back at the helm. Whovians were treated to special episodes featuring previous stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate before meeting the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa, and his companion Ruby Sunday, played by Coronation Street’s Millie Gibson.
Now, it’s time for the main event: a brand new series with eight episodes of Time Lord fun, the first since the BBC struck a deal with Disney+.
Fans got a glimpse of what Gatwa’s Doctor will be like over the festive period, but now they have the opportunity to really get to know the Fifteenth Doctor. Gatwa says that, in many ways, his portrayal honours the legacy of all those that have come before, sitting “on the shoulders of many an amazing actor that’s brought such cheekiness, eccentricity, compassion, curiosity as well”, while still having a fresh edge.
“Those are like the traits that I say my Doctor has, but then each of the Doctors has that,” says the 31-year-old Rwandan-Scottish actor.
“You bring pizzazz!” his costar Millie Gibson, 19, grins. “He’s a bit flirty,” adds Gatwa.
Gatwa has built a reputation for his fashion sense, appearing on many a red carpet dressed to the nines – a trait he’s also bringing to his incarnation of the Doctor. Over the decades, each Doctor has had their own distinct look, but Fifteen has a fantastic new outfit for each episode.
“Look out for a banging duffel coat and a Bobby hat in Episode Four,” Gatwa teases of his favourite looks in the series. “But yeah, fashion – the Doctor, he loves his fashion. We tried to explore a lot of subcultures of British fashion through this iconic institutional character; we thought: ‘What a good opportunity to do so’. He’s got a lot of clothes.”
On Christmas Day 2023, in an episode titled The Church on Ruby Road, fans were introduced to the Doctor’s new companion Ruby Sunday – an orphan who was abandoned at a church on Ruby Road. Doctor Who, BBC One today