Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: doctor who

  • Jemma Redgrave and Aneurin Barnard Join BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’

    Jemma Redgrave and Aneurin Barnard Join BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’

    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

  • Ncuti Gatwa’s ‘Doctor Who’ Run Finds its New Companion

    Ncuti Gatwa’s ‘Doctor Who’ Run Finds its New Companion

    Even in a world filled with time-wimey things, there are some rules that apply no matter what happens. One of those is that the Time Lord known as the Doctor always has a companion that joins him on his travels through time and space. With a new doctor on the horizon in Ncuti Gatwa, it always was the question of who might take on that very role. Perhaps we’ll see a familiar face or even someone completely new. As it turns out, it was the latter.

    Millie Gibson of Coronation Street fame has joined the upcoming 15th incarnation of the beloved Time Lord as his companion by the name Ruby Sunday. She’ll take on the role once the new season returns later next year. No details have been shared on what we can expect of her character or when she might show up in the story, especially with Gatwa not taking on the role directly after Jodie Whitaker‘s run.

    There have been many iconic companions in the past and it’ll be quite interesting to see what she’ll bring to the table. Hopes are high with the new season as well, as it might shake things up. Not only is David Tennant briefly returning to take on the role of the Doctor, but it’ll have ea new home internationally on Disney+. There have been hints that Disney is also adding some investment into the series to help it grow; crazy to think given it’s been running for over 50 years by now. So, we’ll see what this new season might do to mix things up.

    Source: Twitter, The Guardian

  • Disney+ Nabs ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney+ Nabs ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney+ has landed the streaming rights for the BBC series, Doctor Who, in a landmark deal. The news was revealed on Tuesday by the upcoming Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Under the new deal, Disney+ will exclusively stream all upcoming seasons of the show outside of the U.K. and Ireland, where they will remain with the BBC. Russell T. Davies, who returns as showrunner for the forthcoming season, expressed excitement over the new deal.

    “I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK.”

    Davies

    Regarding the new deal, Alisa Bowen, the president of Disney+, called it a great opportunity to bring the beloved series to a new generation. “We’re excited by the opportunity to bring new seasons of this beloved franchise exclusively to Disney+ and introduce the show to the next generation of audiences in more than 150 markets around the world,” she said. “The series is a perfect addition to our ever-growing catalog of global content that continues to make Disney+ the home for exceptional storytelling.”

    Doctor Who first launched in 1963 and ran until 1989. The classic series was revived in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston taking on the role of the ninth Doctor with Russell T Davies on board as showrunner. The revival launched a new generation of Doctor Who fans and brought with it the first female Doctor thanks to Jodie Whittaker‘s thirteenth Doctor.

    The first episodes of Doctor Who to air under the new partnership are expected to debut in November 2023, which will coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary. Gatwa will take on the role of the Doctor next, following the short return of David Tennant as the Doctor for three specials.

    Source: THR.

  • Ncuti Gatwa to Begin Filming on ‘Doctor Who’ in November

    Ncuti Gatwa to Begin Filming on ‘Doctor Who’ in November

    The newest Doctor isn’t set to make his official debut until 2024, however, it looks like Ncuti Gatwa will begin filming on Doctor Who rather soon. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter states the young actor will begin production on the next season of Doctor Who this November. That isn’t to say Gatwa won’t make an appearance in a special episode of Doctor Who before then. As it stands, Doctor Who is set to air a special episode this October as part of the BBC Centenary celebrations in which Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor will take her final bow after a four-year stunt. It’s possible Gatwa will appear in the episode with Whittaker’s Doctor regenerating into Gatwa’s Fourteenth Doctor. Or Gatwa could show up in the 60th-anniversary special set to air sometime next year. David Tennant, who served as the Tenth Doctor, is returning to reprise his role for the special, which could consist of as many as three episodes – although that hasn’t been confirmed just yet. The next few months will be incredibly busy for Gatwa. Not only is he taking over the role of Doctor Who, but the young actor is also set to return for Season 4 of Netflix’s Sex Education where he plays Eric. Production on Season 4 is now underway. He also recently wrapped on Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated live-action Barbie movie, where he’ll star alongside his Sex Education co-star Emma Mackey. Season 14 of Doctor Who will air sometime in 2024. Source: THR.
  • Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney+ in Early Negotiations for BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ Streaming Rights

    Disney has been growing smart in their Disney+ streaming venture. While they’ve become a bit reliant on their biggest IPs, Marvel and Star Wars, they have been slowly learning their lessons as they add more years in the streaming game. After not only expanding beyond the family-friendly approach as of late, they are also looking to stream big IPs from other ventures. Such as the reveal by Bloomberg that they are currently in negotiations with BBC.

    It seems that talks are in an early stage, but Disney is interested in acquiring the global rights to exclusively stream BBC’s flagship program, Doctor Who. One of the longest live-action series, which started back in 1963, has become a staple of science-fiction drama. The timing is also perfect, as the series is about to enter its next area with Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa set to take over as the next form of the Doctor. They would also broadcast the upcoming new season alongside BBC.

    As the deal is still in its early stages, it’s unclear if it’ll actually come together but it does highlight that the studio is slowly learning that they can’t purely rely on their own IP. While they have the biggest selection, especially after the purchase of 20th Century Fox and its subdivisions, there’s still a limitation to growing your core audience with a limited offering. There’s no detail if they’ll acquire every season of the show, but it would seem like that is their aim.

    Plus, they don’t have to produce everything, and having 50+ years of TV history to offer will definitely be something long-time fans will be looking forward to. Some international markets have Doctor Who through Netflix but only a limited amount of seasons are available. So, having one place to watch them all means people have some binging ahead of them.

    Source: Bloomberg

  • Yasmin Finney Joins ‘Doctor Who’ Series 14 as Rose

    Yasmin Finney Joins ‘Doctor Who’ Series 14 as Rose

    There’s a new Rose aboard the Tardis.

    Heartstoppers breakout, Yasmin Finney, is set to play Rose in Series 14 of Doctor Who. She joins the new Doctor, who will be played by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa. Also joining the duo are former series stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate. Finney will be one of the first transgender actors to appear in Doctor Who.

    If anyone would have told eight-year-old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,” Finney said in a statement to the press.“This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it’s made my life.

    Yasmin Finney

    Series 14 of Doctor Who will see Russell T. Davies take over as showrunner. Davies, of course, helped to bring the show to modern times when he rebooted the beloved series in 2005 with the episode titled “Rose.” Davies exited the series in 2010 following “The End of Time: Part Two,” which is when Steven Moffat took over. Davies will now take over for Chris Chibnall, who helped bring the world the first female Doctor with Jodie Whittaker.

    While it is unknown whether Finney’s character will be a new Rose, or will be a new iteration of the character first portrayed by Billie Piper, Davies doesn’t seem too keen to answer just yet. The showrunner merely teased, “How can there be another Rose?”

    Source: Deadline.

  • David Tennant Spotted in Newly Leaked ‘Doctor Who’ Set Photos

    David Tennant Spotted in Newly Leaked ‘Doctor Who’ Set Photos

    Shortly after the announcement dropped that not only will David Tennant return to Doctor Who alongside Catherine Tate, we’ve already gotten our first look at his Doctor on the set for the new season. What stands out is that we see him alongside the 13th’s TARDIS, which may hint at it possibly being the 10th Doctor catching up with Jodie Whitaker’s version or he may actually be an in-between regeneration before Ncuti Gatwa takes on the role. The photos are shared by Twitter user @_PigginTeaBreak.

    There’s also another shot featuring Tennant in a new coat, or it may just be a better close-up of the one he was wearing, which was obscured due to the distance the photos were taken, as shared by @BadWolfArchives.

    https://twitter.com/BadWolfArchives/status/1526235014664527873

    There’s a lot we don’t know yet about what the new season of Doctor Who will have in store for us. It almost seems like it’ll be a crossover of multiple versions of the Doctor meeting each other, similar to the 50th anniversary. yet, they could also take it into a different direction and Tennant becomes an in-between version where he returns to an identity of an older version of himself. While it’s not something that has been done before, it would create a unique position for this new generation of Doctor to switch between older versoins of himself.

    Source: Twitter

  • BREAKING: David Tennant and Catherine Tate Returning to ‘Doctor Who’

    BREAKING: David Tennant and Catherine Tate Returning to ‘Doctor Who’

    In what has come as a bit of pleasantly surprising news for Doctor Who fans, it’s officially announced that both David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be returning to their respective roles at the 10th Doctor and Donna Noble. The duo will be filming some type of material to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the classic British television program in 2023.

    While the nature of what this project will entail is currently unknown, it will be done under the direction of Russell T. Davies, who served as showrunner for the series when the two were the leads. Davies is slated to return as the showrunner for the series, who recently announced Ncuti Gatwa as the next Doctor. There were rumors that Tennant may take on the role of the new Doctor, but turns out he was going to return as the 10th.

    Speaking on the announcement of David Tennant and Catherine Tate’s return, Russell T. Davies discussed his excitement about reuniting with the popular duo and teased the mysterious nature of their return.

    They’re back! And it looks impossible – first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on earth is happening?  Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.

    Russell T. Davies

    David Tennant portrayed the role of the 10th Doctor from 2005 to 2010 (in addition to reprising the role in Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary special in 2013). Catherine Tate appeared throughout the third and fourth series as a primary companion to the 10th Doctor. In their time on screen, they became an extremely popular duo that remains part of a fond era of fans of the show. The news of their return has certainly lit a strong level of excitement for what the Doctor Who franchise has in store for 2023.

    Source: Doctor Who

  • ‘Doctor Who’: Ncuti Gatwa is the Next Doctor

    ‘Doctor Who’: Ncuti Gatwa is the Next Doctor

    The next doctor has been found as Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa will take on the daunting task. He will follow after Jodie Whitaker to take on the role as the famous time traveler. He shared his excitement on taking on the role:

    There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same. Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team have been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.

    Ncuti Gatwa

    It’s certainly going to be an exciting new era for Doctor Who and we’ll see what the return of Russel T. Davis will also bring to reinvigorate the franchise. Gatwa is the first POC actor to take on the role and is coming off of his work on Sex Education. Here’s hoping we get a tease of his Doctor outfit in the near future.

    Source: Doctor Who

  • RUMOR: David Tennant May Return to ‘Doctor Who’ As The 14th Doctor

    RUMOR: David Tennant May Return to ‘Doctor Who’ As The 14th Doctor

    We’ll have to take this with quite the grain of salt, but here’s a curious rumor that is making the rounds. Doctor Who has been struggling as of late even with Jodie Whittaker of fresh air. Still, we learned in September that Russell T. Davies would make his return as the series showrunner for the 60th anniversary. If the new rumor is to believe, he’ll be joined by another familiar face, as David Tennant may have been recast as a new version of the Doctor. You read that correctly, he isn’t returning as the Tenth Doctor but rather the next reincarnation of the Timelord.

    If this does turn out to be true, Tennant would be the first actor to play two different versions of the Doctor. His original run was from 2005 until 2010 and worked alongside Davies, which adds some potential to the rumored return. The timing of such a curious move might be fitting with the 60th anniversary of the franchise. It’s uncertain just how the next regeneration might take place, which leaves the door open to potentially “choose” the next body.

    Supposedly, Whittaker has already filmed her regeneration sequence. So, it’s more a question of time before we find out who is taking over for the 14th Doctor. Supposedly the rumor is hinting that this is just a temporary occasion before a 16th version takes over once the 60th anniversary ends. It seems also fitting with Tennant having played two versions of the Doctor in 2008’s “Journey’s End.” So, perhaps this might end up getting retroactively connected to the upcoming specials.

    Source: Plymouth Herald, Den of Geek