Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa shared an exciting update about the future of the series as the Whovian fandom eagerly awaits what’s next for the franchise. After the actor’s historic run as the Fifteenth Doctor last season on Disney+, Gatwa confirmed that more “wibbly wobbly, timey wimey” stuff is in the works despite no official renewal announcement. According to Gatwa, a third season under the Disney-BBC brand will go into production in 2025. “It is all going well,” he said during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.
“We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming up, and we are filming a third series next year.”
The latest revival of Doctor Who was branded as ‘Season One’ following Disney+ acquiring the international broadcasting rights. This series marks the fourteenth installment since the show’s revival in 2005 and the fortieth season overall. The new episodes, which aired from May to June 2024, were met with mixed reviews and faced backlash for featuring LGBTQ+ themes and a Black lead for the first time in the history of the long-running BBC sci-fi series. The new season aimed to attract a younger audience but instead divided fans.
Earlier this year, some reports indicated that the show may be at risk of cancelation. Disney and the BBC have not officially confirmed plans for Doctor Who beyond the second season, which is set to air next year. Speaking to SFX (via Games Radar), showrunner Russell T. Davies previously confirmed the third season has not been renewed, saying: “It’s an industry decision, it’s like any business – these things take time. I think the decision will come after the transmission of season two. That’s what we’re expecting, that’s what we’ve always been heading towards.”
The Doctor & Ruby Sunday Will Return for Who Season 2
The Doctor will embark on his next adventure with a 2024 Christmas special, which has been written by former showrunner Steven Moffat. The upcoming episode, titled “Joy to the World,” features Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan as Joy, a fill-in-companion for Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). Moffat recently told Ireland AM:
“Nicola is wonderful in it; she will break your heart. I’m not allowed to say anything about it. At least I think I’m not allowed to say anything about it so I’ll just shut up.”
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In the 2024 Christmas Special, the Doctor will encounter historical figures Sir Edmund Hillary (portrayed by Phil Baxter) and Tenzing Norgay (portrayed by Samuel Sherpa-Moore), the first people to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. The cast also includes Jonathan Aris, Peter Benedict, Julia Watson, Niamh Marie Smith, and Steph de Whalley. “Joy to the World” will debut on Christmas Day.
The first season of Doctor Who is available to stream exclusively on Disney+. Season 2 has wrapped production, although the premiere date has yet to be announced. Despite rumors that she’d left the series, Gibson will return as Ruby Sunday and her mysterious storyline reportedly picks up where it left off last season.
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.