Since the classic British sci-fi series was rebooted in 2005, Doctor Who has continued to gain popularity around the world, and the upcoming 15th season is already looking to be the biggest yet. Originally debuting in 1963 on the BBC, the series concerns a mysterious alien known only as The Doctor, who travels through time and space with several human companions in his ship, the TARDIS. With adventures that range from cheesy to terrifying, Doctor Who continued to captivate audiences with emotional stories between stars, in the past, and even in alternate dimensions.
The original Doctor Who the series ran from 1963 until its cancellation in 1989, and although a backdoor pilot in 1996 went nowhere, the series was properly rebooted in 2005. The era affectionately known as “New Who” has now become an ongoing juggernaut of TV and has added seven new doctors to the equation in the years since its debut. Ncuti Gatwa is the latest actor to take on the role, and with Doctor WhoWith the Disney+ partnership, the Doctor’s 15th era is yet another fresh start for the oldest science fiction franchise of all time.
Doctor Who season 15 latest news
New details about the 2024 Christmas special
Just over a month before season 15 begins, the latest news arrives in the form of new details about the 2024 season. Doctor Who Christmas Special. The episode, titled “Joy to the World”, was first shown during the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, and will be about a mysterious time-traveling hotel that allows guests to stay in unreserved rooms throughout history. It is also known that Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan will play the titular role of Joy and team up with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor.
New information arrives through BBC News (in a clip posted online by @harrythewhovian), which reveals the involvement of former showrunner and writer Steven Moffat. Although current showrunner Russell T Davies has been hard at work on season 15, Moffat was brought in to write an entirely new script for the Christmas special. In the clip mentioned above, Moffat said: “The truth is, I love doing Doctor Who Christmas because I’m a huge fan of Christmas” before continuing with the episode’s story.
Read Moffat’s full comments here:
The truth is, I love doing Doctor Who Christmas, because I’m a huge fan of Christmas. I absolutely adore Christmas. Then an email came saying, “Steven, I need to get into season two. I’m never going to finish this Christmas script. Could you come in and write one?” Don’t complete his script, just come and make another one from scratch…
I can tell you something about the Christmas special. Imagine, in a very distant future. Imagine that a hotel chain had the idea of traveling through time. What would be the first thing a hotel chain would do if it traveled back in time? They would realize they had the opportunity to sell all the unsold nights in their own hotels in history.
Doctor Who season 15 is confirmed
Seasons 14 and 15 were renewed simultaneously
Considering the immense popularity Doctor Who the BBC’s decision to renew the show for two seasons at once wasn’t really surprising. Despite changing the main actors every few years since 2005, Doctor Who its relevance has hardly waned and the start of the Disney+ era is a chance for the show to expand its reach even further.
Doctor Who Season 15 Is Technically Season 2
The Disney+ era resets season numbers
The decision was likely made to try and attract new viewers who were perhaps daunted by 13 seasons of TV that they might need to catch up on.
One of the biggest changes made with the official start of the Disney+ era of Doctor Who is that the season numbering has officially been reset. Although the story canon is still intact, Doctor Who season 14 was technically season 1, making season 15 technically season 2. The decision was likely made to try to attract new viewers who might have been daunted by 13 seasons of TV they might need to catch up on, but it also led to confusion. Doctor Who now has three separate seasons, making starting points plentiful for the growing Whovians.
Doctor Who Season 15 Production Status
A release window has already been revealed
Despite Season 14 still being so new, production is already underway Doctor Who season 15. Plus, a release window for Doctor Who the 15th season has already been revealed and suggests that the series will return to its annual trajectory. According to recent reports, season 15 is scheduled to premiere in May 2025exactly one year after the 14th season premiered. With production wrapping in May 2024, there’s no doubt that season 15 will arrive on time.
Doctor Who season 15 cast
Ncuti Gatwa will return as a doctor
The cast of Doctor Who Season 15 has been the subject of much speculation since Rumors emerged that the Doctor’s newest companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), would depart after series 14. While other news suggests that Ruby will appear in season 15, newcomer Varada Sethu is being groomed to become the Doctor’s newest companion in season 15. 15th Doctor actor Ncuti Gatwa is already confirmed to reprise the role in the 15th season.
Also confirmed to return is Mrs. Flood (played by Anita Dobson), who will play a larger role after some shocking teases in season 14.The Little Mermaid) joined the cast of season 15, but nothing is known about his role yet. Likewise, newcomer Archie Panjabi (The good wife) is set to play an as-yet-unnamed villain in upcoming episodes.
The confirmed cast for season 15 includes:
|
Actor |
Role of Doctor Who |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Ncuti Gatwa |
The doctor |
|
|
Millie Gibson |
Ruby Sunday |
|
|
Varada Sethu |
Belinda Chandra |
|
|
Jemma Redgrave |
Kat Stewart |
|
|
Bonnie Langford |
Honey Bush |
|
|
Ruth Madeley |
Ann Bingham |
|
|
Alexandre Devrient |
Colonel Ibrahim |
|
|
Michelle Greenidge |
Carla Domingo |
|
|
Angela Winter |
Cherry Sunday |
|
|
Anita Dobson |
Mrs. |
|
|
Jonah Hauer-King |
Unknown |
|
|
Archie Panjabi |
Unknown |
|
Doctor Who season 15 story
More adventures in time and space
At this juncture, It’s impossible to know exactly what will happen in season 15 of Doctor Who. The Doctor’s adventures are best when they’re unexpected, and each episode is usually a self-contained story that can touch on overarching themes. The best Doctor Who Stories typically involve many of the Doctor’s best-known enemies, such as Daleks or Cybermen, but can also be character-driven. Season 14 has already set the tone for the Ncuti Gatwa eraand this will likely inform the types of adventures the Doctor will face in season 15.
In the final episode of season 14, The Doctor and Ruby were able to defeat Suketh, releasing him into a time vortex. This means that the next season will need to introduce new conflicts, especially when coupled with the revelation of Ruby’s normal parentage. While this may have disappointed some viewers, it leaves the door open for Doctor Who season 15 will be the true blank slate that the Disney era envisioned.