In pictures: All the reasons to get excited about Doctor Who

British sci-fi series ‘Doctor Who’ is set to return to our screens this November. The show, which was first broadcast in 1963 is set to have one of its biggest shake-ups in its 60 year history. 

After Jodie Whittaker was announced as the first woman to play the titular Doctor in 2017, expectations were high for a new era of the show. Unfortunately, drab scripts followed and viewership of the BBC’s flagship show dwindled. 

Now, for the show’s 60th anniversary, big players have been brought to the table to ensure the future of one of Britain’s most iconic sci-fi heroes. Legendary Welsh writer Russel T. Davies is returning as the showrunner. Davies was the showrunner who resurrected the series in 2005 after it had been first cancelled in 1989. He’s also known for his excellent work in shows like ‘It’s A Sin’. 

Davies is bringing back a cast of old favourites and some tantalising new names to the series. First up is the lead actor from the show’s most successful era. David Tennant. 

Tennant was the lead actor for the series between 2005 and 2010. Alongside Davies, he’s widely credited for the show’s mass popularity after 16 years off the screen. 

Returning for three specials in 2023, Tennant will also reunite with another favourite, his companion Donna Noble, played by comedian Catherine Tate. 

Tate was last seen as Noble in 2010. 

Alongside news of the returning stars, there’s also been incredibly exciting developments in who will be playing the rest of the cast when ‘Doctor Who’ returns fully, first in three special episodes in 2023 and then a full series in 2024. 

Ncuti Gatwa will play the 15th incarnation of the Doctor. Although it’s still unclear how Gatwa’s new incarnation and Tennant’s returning incarnation will interact, the prospect of Gatwa in the role is very exciting. 

Gatwa burst onto the screen in ‘Sex Education’, stealing every scene he was in from the rest of the cast. He’s not technically the first Black actor to play the Doctor. That honour goes to Jo Martin. However, he is the first Black actor to play the Doctor as the lead role in a series. 

Alongside Gatwa is his new companion, played by Millie Gibson. 

Gibson will play Ruby Sunday. She’s the youngest ever actor to take on the role of full-time companion, aged 19. She was a one-year-old when the show returned to screens in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. 

The rest of the cast is also stacked with LGBTQ+ representation. It’s unsurprising given showrunner Davies’ commitment to queer storytelling as seen in his shows ‘It’s A Sin’ and ‘Cucumber’. 

First appearing on screens in last year’s hit ‘Heartstopper’, Yasmin Finney will play Rose, Donna Noble’s trans daughter. 

Neil Patrick Harris and Jinkx Monsoon have also been announced as upcoming actors in the show. Patrick Harris is one of the most public gay figures in the US, while Monsoon rose to prominence as the winner of two series of ‘Ru Paul’s Drag Race’. 

Finally, there’s been some fun marketing campaigns to help push the show, including a tie-in with the new Barbie film. A pink TARDIS appeared on the banks of the Thames this week. 

It was also greeted with the reveal of the 14th Doctor’s new sonic screwdriver. 

If you’re not convinced, check out the upcoming series trailer. 

Excited yet?