Doctor Who | |
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Series 15 | |
Showrunner | Russell T Davies |
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The fifteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who is expected to premiere in 2025. It will be the sixth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer, and the second since his return to the show in 2023, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is set to be the fifteenth to air following the programme's revival in 2005, and will be the forty-first season overall. Like with the changes introduced from series 14 onwards, this series is referred as "Season Two" following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+.
This will be the second series to star Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor, an incarnation of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who travels through time and space in the TARDIS, a time machine which appears to be a British police box from the outside. Millie Gibson is to reprise her role as the Doctor's companion Ruby Sunday from the previous series, along with Varada Sethu as an additional companion.
The series, which is set to be preceded by a Christmas episode in 2024, is due to consist of eight episodes, which are initially set to be directed by Alex Pillai and Peter Hoar. Filming commenced in October 2023.
No. story | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) | AI | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Special | ||||||||||||
312 | – | TBA | Alex Pillai [1] | Russell T Davies [2] | Christmas 2024[2] | TBD | TBA |
Ncuti Gatwa confirmed that he would return for a second series in July 2023. [3] In November 2023, it was announced that Nicola Coughlan would appear in the 2024 Christmas special. [4] Along with Jonah Hauer-King being added to the series, Millie Gibson was revealed to be filming for her second series in November 2023, [5] though reports emerged in January 2024 that Gibson would be leaving the show after the fourteenth series, to be replaced by Varada Sethu. [6] However, in April 2024 it was announced that Gibson and Sethu would appear concurrently throughout the series. [7] [8]
In May 2017, it was announced that due to the terms of a deal between BBC Worldwide and SMG Pictures in China, the company has first right of refusal on the purchase for the Chinese market of future series of the programme until and including Series 15. [9] [10]
Similar to the fourteenth series, the fifteenth series will consist of a Christmas special to be followed by eight regular episodes. [2]
Davies was writing the 2024 Christmas special by December 2022, [2] and the fifteenth series by June 2023. [11] By October 2023, five of the nine scripts had been completed. [12]
Filming began on 23 October 2023, [13] with the 2024 Christmas special directed by Alex Pillai as the first block. [12] [1] Peter Hoar directs the second block; Hoar previously directed "A Good Man Goes to War" (2011) and worked with Russell T. Davies before, directing the miniseries It's a Sin and Nolly . [12] The second block consists of the first and fourth episodes, and Amanda Brotchie directs the third block with the second and third episodes of the series. [14] Ben A. Williams and Makalla McPherson will direct further blocks, with Williams directing the sixth episode. [15] [16] [17]
Production blocks are set to be arranged as follows: [14]
Block | Episode(s) | Director | Writer(s) | Producer |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2024 Christmas special | Alex Pillai | Russell T Davies [2] | TBA |
2 | Episode 4 | Peter Hoar | TBA | TBA |
Episode 1 | TBA | TBA | ||
3 | Episode 2 | Amanda Brotchie | TBA | TBA |
Episode 3 | TBA | TBA | ||
TBA | Episode 6 [16] | Ben A. Williams [16] | TBA | TBA |
TBA | TBA | Makalla McPherson [17] | TBA | TBA |
The fifteenth series is expected to be released on BBC One in 2025. [12] The series will be released internationally on Disney+. [18]
Bonita Melody Lysette Langford is an English actress, dancer and singer. She came to prominence as a child star in the 1970s, when she had a notable role in the TV series Just William.
Doctor Who is a British television science fiction series, produced and screened by the BBC on the BBC TV channel from 1963 to 1964, and on BBC1 from 1964 to 1989 and since 2005. A one-off television film, co-produced with Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox Television, was screened on the Fox Network in the United States in 1996.
Melanie "Mel" Bush is a fictional character played by Bonnie Langford in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. A computer programmer from the 20th century who is a companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors, she was a regular in the programme from 1986 to 1987 and returned in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Mel appears in eight stories, and is the penultimate companion of the classic series.
Nicola Mary Coughlan is an Irish actress. She is known for her roles as Clare Devlin in Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls (2018–2022) and Penelope Featherington in Netflix period drama Bridgerton (2020–present).
Varada Sethu is a British actress, best known for playing DS Mishal Ali in the BBC apocalyptic TV Series Hard Sun (2018) and Cinta Kaz in the Disney+ dystopian sci-fi thriller Andor (2022–present).
Mizero Ncuti Gatwa is a Rwandan-Scottish actor. He is best known as the fifteenth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2023–present) and Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education (2019–2023). Additionally, he has appeared in Barbie (2023) and Masters of the Air (2024).
The 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who are three additional episodes that follow the programme's thirteenth series, and were first announced in July 2021. The first special aired on 1 January 2022, with the additional specials airing on 17 April and 23 October. They are the final episodes to feature Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor and Chris Chibnall as showrunner. The specials also star Mandip Gill and John Bishop as the Doctor's travelling companions, Yasmin Khan and Dan Lewis, respectively, with "The Power of the Doctor" featuring the return of Sacha Dhawan as the Master and the debut of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, who would star in the following 2023 specials.
The fourteenth series of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who is set to premiere on 11 May 2024, and is expected to air through to 22 June. It will be the fifth series led by Russell T Davies as head writer and executive producer and the first since his return to the show, having previously worked on it from 2005 to 2010. This series is set to be the fourteenth to air following the programme's revival in 2005 and will be the fortieth season overall. The fourteenth series was announced with Davies' return to the programme for its 60th anniversary in 2023 and beyond, with Bad Wolf becoming a co-producer for the series. The series is referred to in marketing and promotional material as "Season One" following the production changes and the acquisition of Doctor Who's international broadcasting rights by Disney+.
"The Power of the Doctor" is the third and final of the 2022 specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, and was broadcast on BBC One on 23 October 2022. The episode was ordered for the centenary of the BBC's launch, airing five days after. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Jamie Magnus Stone.
The Fifteenth Doctor is the current incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. His first series companion is Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.
Amelia Eve Gibson is an English actress. She is best known as Kelly Neelan in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street (2019–2022), and Ruby Sunday in the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who (2023–present).
The 2023 specials of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who are three special episodes that aired between 25 November and 9 December 2023, to celebrate the programme's 60th anniversary. They were written by Russell T Davies and marked the start of his second tenure as showrunner, having served in the role from the start of Doctor Who's revival in 2005 until leaving in 2010. The specials were broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and on Disney+ internationally.
The Fourteenth Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Scottish actor David Tennant, who previously portrayed the Tenth Doctor and was last seen on the programme in that role in 2013.
Ruby Sunday is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, created by Russell T Davies and portrayed by Millie Gibson. In the show's fourteenth series, starting with the Christmas special, Ruby serves as the companion to the Fifteenth Doctor, an incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor.
"The Giggle" is the third and final of the 2023 60th anniversary specials of the British science fiction television programme Doctor Who, written by Russell T Davies, directed by Chanya Button and broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 December 2023. It features the final regular appearances of David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, introduces Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and guest stars Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, a character last seen in The Celestial Toymaker (1966). The episode also features Jemma Redgrave and Bonnie Langford as UNIT commander Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Mel Bush, respectively.
"The Church on Ruby Road" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2023 as the fourteenth Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005 and also the first since "Twice Upon a Time" (2017). It was written by Russell T Davies and directed by Mark Tonderai. It stars Ncuti Gatwa in his first regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor and introduces Millie Gibson as his new companion Ruby Sunday.
"The Goblin Song" is an original song composed by Murray Gold and with lyrics by Russell T Davies. Lead vocals are performed by Christina Rotondo, accompanied by Lukas DiSparrow on cello.