The return of Doctor Who has its cast expanding for the upcoming 14th series. Jemma Redgrave and Aneurin Barnard will be joining Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson for the show’s return to BBC and historic debut on Disney+. Redgrave will be returning to her role of Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, daughter of classic companion the Brigadier. Her character has been a stalwart of the modern era of Doctor Who, having interacted with the 11th, 12th, and 13th Doctors on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, Barnard has been cast in the role of Roger ap Gwilliam. Not much is known about his role at this time. The actor has previously worked in projects such as Dunkirk and The Goldfinch.
Doctor Who is currently in the process of a soft relaunch that will begin at the end of 2023. This will begin with three specials commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the historic series. They will see David Tennant returning to his iconic role of The Doctor as the 14th incarnation. This comes after the surprising regeneration during Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the 13th Doctor last year.
Tennant will be reunited with fan-favorite companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate. By the end of the three specials, Ncuti Gatwa will be formally introduced as the 15th Doctor in a Christmas Special episode. Following this, Doctor Who will return as a serialized show with eight episodes for the 14th series (which is currently in production).
All of these upcoming specials and episodes are under the supervision of new showrunner Russell T. Davies. He is returning to Doctor Who, after orchestrating the show’s return in 2005 and showrunning the eras of the 9th and 10th Doctor. Overall, it’s a move that makes sense based on reuniting with Tennant and Tate for the 60th Anniversary, and for leading the hopeful relaunch of Doctor Who into the mainstream of the United States. BBC has struck a deal for Disney+ to become the new international distributor (outside of the United Kingdom and Ireland) for the series beginning with the three 2023 specials.
Source: Twitter
