Summary
- Doctor Who
‘s return with Russell T. Davies as showrunner has revived the franchise with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes season score. - The series has seen many ups and downs over the years, including a hiatus, but has remained a beloved sci-fi classic.
- Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal as the new Doctor has been praised for his charisma and energy, breathing new life into the iconic character.
Doctor Who has been regenerated in more ways than one thanks to returning showrunner Russell T. Davies. The new season – which is being labeled as Season 1 – has turned around the fortunes of the franchise and delivered the first perfect Rotten Tomatoes season score in more than a decade. Other than Jodie Whittaker’s final stand-alone episode, which also saw the return of David Tennant after 13 years, the last time any Doctor Who project debuted with a 100% critics’ rating was in Season 7, when Matt Smith came to the end of his run as the Time Lord.
Doctor Who is an enigma in the world of TV-based sci-fi. The undisputed longest running sci-fi show in history has seen many ups and downs, including a near-fatal hiatus of almost two decades between Sylvester McCoy’s final appearance in 1989 – when the show was effectively canceled – and Christopher Eccleston taking charge of the TARDIS in 2005. However, between those times, several flickers of hope remained, with a TV movie introducing Paul McGann as The Eighth Doctor and setting up a whole lost history that would be explored later, as well as one-off specials for charity events.
Doctor Who
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.
- Release Date
- March 26, 2005
- Seasons
- 14
- Network
- BBC
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
When Doctor Who returned to screens for its first season in 16 years, it was a huge success. The arrival of David Tennant to the role of The Doctor the following year ensured that the series’ longevity was ensured for the next two decades. From Season 2 through to Season 7, the series scored perfect scores continuously from critics. However, with the departure of Matt Smith, a cut in budget, and a slew of episodes that didn’t quite meet the expected standards set by their predecessors, the show has faltered in the last decade.
Now, the series is coming back strong, and the first reviews have heaped praise on the return of Davies as showrunner, and Ncuti Gatwa’s boundless energy as the Time Lord himself.
What Have People Said About Doctor Who?
The first reviews of Doctor Who’s new outing have been nothing but positive so far, especially where the appointment of Gatwa as the new lead is concerned. Picking up from his full introduction in the festive special, “The Church on Ruby Road”, Gatwa is particularly noted for his “megawatt charisma” and “commandingly hench” appearance, as he had a blast in the wildly energetic role.
The Guardian’s Jack Seale writes:
“Gatwa establishes himself as a cracking Doctor immediately. What an obviously perfect piece of casting he is: commandingly hench in his colourful costumes, and naturally able to express the dazzling extremes the Doctor has to embody.”
Aramide Tinubu of Variety adds:
“It’s Gatwa’s star turn that elevates the season. With his megawatt smile and colorful costumes, he dives into the role, delivering a refreshing dynamism that makes the season a uniquely mesmerizing watch.”
Meanwhile, Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky sums up the feeling of many fans, saying:
“Perfectly captures the feel of the Doctor, great to have Russell T. Davies back. Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson have an indisputable chemistry, both comedically and emotionally.”
7:27
Russell T. Davies Explains His New Era of Doctor Who with Disney+
Doctor Who’s returning showrunner gives a lot of insight into the Ncuti Gatwa era, what he’ll include, and what he won’t.
All in all, after several years of many fans feeling the show slipping away from the things that made it great in the first place as it veered into soap-melodrama territory, a funding injection from an affiliation with Disney has certainly done wonders for the series. It will be interesting to see if Davies can continue to work his magic as the series progresses.
Doctor Who
will debut on Disney+ in the U.S. on May 10, and on the BBC on May 11.
You can see our full interview with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies in the video below.
