Doctor Who
Warning: Minor spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 1, “Space Babies.”
Summary
Doctor Whobegins Ncuti Gatwa’s first full season as the Fifteenth Doctor with a slew of dialogue that’s pretty jarring for existing fans.
Disney’s acquisition of the international distribution rights for the new era ofDoctor Whoraised eyebrows when the deal was made with the BBC in 2022.
However, while nothing major has negatively changed the show so far, it’d be false to say there’s been no impact at all.
While the first three episodes ofDoctor Who’s Disney erawere led by David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa is the first new actor to play the Doctor on a full-time basis under the new regime.
After being introduced at theend of theDoctor Who60th-anniversary specials, Ncuti Gatwa had his first full debut in the 2023 Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.
Custom Image by Daniel Bibby
“The show’s new look immediately blended well with the storiedDoctor Whocanon, but the first episode of season 14 begins with an odd dissonance between the two.
Doctor Who has been played by a crop of fantastic actors going back several decades, and each version has been both unique and memorable.
Doctor Who’s Season 14 Opening Really Tries Hard To Attract New Fans
Gatwa’s Doctor arguably over explains the show’s premise
Despite Disney’s first season ofDoctor Whobeing branded as “season 1,” the show’s substantial canon has remained intact.
The latest Doctor Who series introduces the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by new companion Ruby Sunday.
So, Ruby Sunday’s opening exchange with the Fifteenth Doctor inDoctor Whoseason 14, episode 1, “Space Babies,” has been included to bring newcomers up to speed as quickly as possible.The clunky conversation is packed full of expositional information about the origin of the Doctor, including his name, age, planet of origin, and even how the TARDIS works.
While it’s understandable why Disney would want to include a moment like this, it could have been done much more effectively.
While there’s often an element of this refresher course each time a new companion is brought on board, they never learn all this information at once, andthe Doctor’s background is usually introduced graduallyand in a much more subtle way.
While it’s understandable why Disney would want to include a moment like this, it could have been done much more effectively.
The existing viewers shouldn’t be aware they’re being spoon-fed the show’s promise, despite already being familiar with it.
Doctor Who Season 14 Still Caters To Its Core Audience Too
Russell T Davies hasn’t moved on from established Doctor Who canon
Thankfully,“Space Babies” is more of a jumping-on point for new viewerswithout being a hard reset forDoctor Who’s pre-Disney audience.
Although the episode’s opening exposition dump is a little jarring for the initiated, the new era still explores the nooks and crannies ofDoctor Wholore that perhaps wouldn’t make much sense to newcomers.
So, although the early stages of Gatwa’s run could be viewed as a cause for concern, the past ofDoctor Whoisn’t being wiped clean.
Episode
Disney+ Release Date
“Space Babies” & “The Devil’s Chord”
May 10
“Boom”
May 17
“73 Yards”
May 24
“Dot & Bubble”
May 31
“Rogue”
June 7
“The Legend of Ruby Sunday”
June 14
“Empire of Death”
June 21
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The latest Doctor Who series introduces the Fifteenth Doctor, joined by new companion Ruby Sunday.
