The Doctor Who franchise is currently undergoing its most significant transformation since the BBC revived the series in 2005. Showrunner Russell T. Davies is back at the helm, and Disney is now investing in the Whoniverse, meaning a significantly bigger budget and a larger reach, thanks to new episodes airing on Disney+.
The rebooted season 1 — or season 14, if we’re continuing where we left off — was a mixed bag. The new Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa, stood out as a fantastic new titular star. His energy was terrific, and there’s plenty of room for his Doctor to grow and develop in the coming seasons. So too was Millie Gibson’s companion Ruby Sunday a great addition; her backstory added some significant emotional weight to season 1. The episodes themselves ranged from fantastic, like 73 Yards, Boom, and Dot and Bubble, to lesser impressive installments such as Space Babies and The Devil’s Chord. Overall, it was a pretty encouraging start.
Doctor Who season 2 kicks off with a Christmas Special!
Season 2 begins on Christmas Day with special Joy to the World, starring beloved Bridgerton and Derry Girls star Nicola Nicola Coughlan. The special, written by former showrunner Steven Moffat, is described as “mad.” Moreover, speaking to Ireland AM, Moffat said Coughlan’s character Joy will “break your heart.”
Furthermore, Coughlan has previously described her character as "a determined woman whose life is changed forever when she meets the Doctor”. Currently, we don’t know too much about what the plot entails, although we do have one small teaser that was unveiled during San Diego Comic-Con, featuring the Doctor zipping through time with a dish of food, eventually coming across Joy, lonely in a hotel room. Check it out:
Details we know about season 2 so far.
Beyond Joy to the World, we don’t have many further details about the upcoming season. We know that the season will consist of 8 episodes, with numerous directors including directed by Alex Pillai, Peter Hoar, Amanda Brotchie, Ben A. Williams, and Makalla McPherson. The season is currently in post-production having completed filming in May of this year.
Varada Sethu will enter the TARDIS as a new companion of the Doctor, having made her Whoniverse debut in Boom. Her character's name is Belinda Chandra. Millie Gibson isn’t going anywhere yet, either, although there have been hints that the upcoming season may be her final on the show. We also know that Anita Dobson will reprise her role as the mysterious fourth wall-breaking Mrs. Flood.
Most recently, the BBC revealed that former Coronation Street star Charlie Condou has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. The TARDIS is starting to look a little crowded!
It's unclear whether this season will be the final collaboration with Disney. Despite mediocre viewing figures on Disney+, showrunner Russell T. Davies has revealed that the season exceeded all its demographic targets. However, a decision on Disney's future involvement will not be made anytime soon.
“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," he told SFX Magazine. "That’s what we’re expecting, that’s what we’ve always been heading towards.”
Also coming soon is a spinoff series titled The War Between the Land and the Sea. The spinoff won’t feature the Doctor, who is seemingly engaged in other conflicts. Instead, it’ll be a UNIT-focused show. The stakes are higher than ever — the world is at war with the Sea Devils, one of the Doctor’s oldest enemies dating all the way back to the 1960s. The series recently entered production. While we don’t have a release date yet, we can expect it to premiere in late 2025 or possibly early 2026.