The world’s longest-running sci-fi show is about to undergo yet another transformation. Jodie Whittaker leaves Doctor who after five years in the lead role. Whittaker is (initially) replaced by one of her predecessors, David Tennant, who returns to the role of the Doctor after a twelve-year absence.
However, it’s not just a change of actor behind the controls of the TARDIS that has fans squealing with joy and developing theories. This is why 2023 promises to be a gala year for Doctor who fans, from returning cast and crew to a major party.
The Tenth Doctor David Tennant returns
While his affection for one of his most famous roles is well known, David Tennant’s return to the show nevertheless came as a surprise. It has been made clear that the two-time Emmy Award-winning actor will pass the baton to Ncuti Gatwa (Sex education, The last letter from your lover), who was announced earlier this year as the Fifteenth Doctor, but also that Tennant’s Tenth Doctor will be seen next year as the Fourteenth Doctor.
If you’re not confused, you might be doing it wrong. That’s not for nothing Doctor who is known for labyrinthine plotting and intricate callbacks to his voluminous past. But regardless of the nature of the mechanism that brings him back to the show, the actor’s return is generally viewed as a very good thing in fandom.
Tennant’s time on the show coincided with the appearance of new alien races like the Judoon and the Weeping Angels, a redesign of old enemies like the Daleks and the Cybermen, and some decidedly romantic beats between the Doctor and his companion Rose Tyler (Billie Tyler). ). Piper) that resulted in heartbreak, redemption, and a hitherto unimaginable amount of shipping in the show’s fandom. Since Tennant’s tenure in the role is seen as one of the high points in the show’s history, it’s fair to say that fans are generally excited for his returneven if it will be short.
Meet the new showrunner, who is the old showrunner
But for fans, the equally interesting development is the news that Russell T. Davies is returning to the show for a second stint as showrunner. Davies was one of the driving forces behind making this happen Doctor who returned to television after a sixteen-year hiatus from 1989 to 2005. By the time the series was returned to service, Davies had an extensive portfolio of writing and producing credits for British television.
The sudden success of the show’s renewal gave him the leverage he needed to lobby for two spin-offs Doctor who series, Torchwood and The Adventures of Sarah Jane. Davies was careful to target the shows at different demographics. The former offered a grittier, sexier take on Doctor Who, while the latter was positioned as a children’s drama. Both were great successes and spawned the beginnings of television Doctor who expanded universe.
It’s fair to say that Chris Chibnall, the show’s most recent predecessor, polarized fans, with some finding fault with the style of story that proliferated during Whittaker’s tenure as the Doctor. Regardless of reviews of the show’s more recent history, fans know exactly what they’re getting with Davies back at the helm: one Doctor who that’s fun, larger than life, unafraid to tug at the heartstrings, and affectionate to his past.
Happy Birthday, Doctor Who!
Speaking of the past, Doctor Who fans will be celebrating the show’s 60th anniversary next November. Its remarkable longevity, including 871 episodes filmed to date, is matched only by the extraordinary variety of guises the show has taken on over the years. The show has used a variety of genres since its inception in 1963, including historical dramas, hard sci-fi, gothic horror, farce, and many others.
When it comes to anniversaries, fans know how to do it. For years, the show’s big anniversaries have been excuses for a massive outburst of fan sentiment — and the exciting prospect of a multi-doctor story. This tradition started all the way back in 1973, when the First Doctor (William Hartnell) and the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) teamed up with the then-current Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee), and further specials followed in 1983 and 1993 (the show emerging from the air, didn’t stop the cast and crew from reuniting).
In 2013, a 90 minute special simulcast in nearly 100 countries around the world, in which all previous incarnations of the Doctor united across space and time to defeat the Daleks, featuring a poignant cameo from one of the show’s most beloved figures, Fourth Doctor Tom Baker, opposite the Eleventh Doctor, played by House of the Dragon Matt Smith.
There are already plans for something similar next year. Stay tuned, Whovians!