The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
LOOK WHO’S BACK FOR FUN, GAMES – AND SAVING EARTH
As Doctor Who returns to BBC1, Rachael Davis caught up with stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, as well as showrunner Russell T Davies
Are you ready for an adventure? How about one that traverses all of time and space, hand-inhand 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 last year, 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 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 new Doctor.
Gatwa says his portrayal honours the legacy of those that have come before, sitting “on the shoulders of many an amazing actor that’s brought cheekiness, eccentricity, compassion, curiosity as well”, while 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 co-star Millie Gibson, 19, grins.
“He’s a bit flirty,” adds Gatwa. “He’s a flirty guy. Cheeky.”
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, in an episode titled The Church On Ruby Road, fans were introduced to the Doctor’s new companion Ruby – an orphan who was abandoned at a church on Ruby Road, hence her name. With Ruby now officially on board the Tardis, Gibson says she’s excited for fans to get to know her better.
The actress says she loves Ruby’s “fieriness, and just her will of throwing her personality headfirst into the Doctor’s world... and her relationship with the Doctor as well”.
“I think it’s not really been explored as platonic before,” she notes. “Our kind of relationship is very special.”
While Doctor Who has always been a family sci-fi programme with varying degrees of darkness and light, Davies says that this new era leans more into levity and fun.
“You kind of look at the world and think: ‘What do we need now? What do I want to watch of a night, of a morning, what do I want to sit down with?’” says the showrunner.
“It’s a tough world and I wanted something lighter and funner. Doctor Who has always had a great sense of joy and humour about it, but I kind of pushed it a little bit this time.
“I just thought, especially for children – I think you keep hearing stories about children’s mental health – and I thought: ‘I want somewhere where they can go and be safe and happy and fun, simply to have fun.’
“So there are moments of peril and danger and horror, even, but it’s properly a show that puts a smile on the face. And it always was.”
Davies adds this new incarnation of Doctor Who will be visually bigger and better than ever, thanks to a budget increase following the Disney+ deal.
“It is lovely... When we say: ‘Oh my God, there’s an alien army on the horizon,’ now we can show the alien army on the horizon, before we just had to point,” he says.
“But, of course, that’s never what Doctor Who was about... we’re more about the Doctor, and a great one-liner, and a smile, and the companion and her mum and having fun and being at home with it.”
Doctor Who is on BBC One tonight at 6.20pm.