Doctor Who is a few days away from kicking off a new era, with new faces leading the way, and on a whole new platform that is Disney+. The longest-running sci-fi series in history continues as the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), go off in his TARDIS, and experience the wonders and horrors of traveling through time and space.
With all the new-ness surrounding the continuation of the beloved series, with it returns a familiar face in the role of the showrunner: Russell T. Davies, who is responsible for the initial reboot back in 2005. Conscious of the different landscape Doctor Who is re-entering in, it was no accident on his part that the level of empathy present between the Doctor and Ruby may hum a different tune than previous incarnations. Davies elaborated more on it during the press conference:
It’s absolutely intentional. It’s absolutely what we all wanted. And you’re right – saying that you’re a Millennial – it’s kind of my job to make a Doctor Who for 2024. I was very much aware that the younger generation are getting much better about talking about their emotions. Say if they’re sad, say if they’re happy, talk about things way more than when I was young. It’s a wonderful thing, [especially since] the state of mental health among young people is a concern. We’re knowing to keep an eye on that. I wanted a hero and a heroine who would be open and honest and even raw, all while planning that, but then the luck of my life is that you hand that over to two actors who are open and honest and raw and more. So these two rule it, really.
The Nerds of Color later had a one-on-one with Davies, where he talked about the experience of being the showrunner now compared to back in the 2000s, the advantage of having a bigger budget (especially when it comes to special effects), and what it’s like to have actors who grew up with the previous reboot now the leads of this new era.
The two-episode premiere of Doctor Who drops Friday, May 10 on Disney+ worldwide, and on Saturday, May 11 on BBC iPlayer for viewers in the UK.