Happy endings...
Initially, it seems strange knowing that the 2024 season was labeled as “Season One” instead of “Series 14”, particularly when the previous season was released only three years ago. But at the same time, it makes sense because of Disney’s recent involvement.
With Doctor Who streaming on Disney+ for the first time, this meant that it was potentially reaching a brand new audience that had never seen the series. On top of this, none of the previous seasons have been included in the streaming service. So it makes sense that, once again, it would need to be presented to the audience as “new”.
So it’s more than a little ironic that the first episodes released on Disney+ were the 60th-anniversary specials. Featuring the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate and acting as a direct sequel to their 2008 season, the specials were certainly aimed more at existing fans than attracting new ones.
However, as specials designed to celebrate a significant anniversary for the show, it made sense that it would focus more on the show’s history than introducing anything new. With an extremely happy ending given to David Tennant’s Doctor, the episodes also felt like a clear ending to the New Series era that began back in 2005. So with such an ending, did this mean a clear new beginning for the series?