For those who know me, or perhaps follow my antics over at Geeks In Malaysia, you’ll know that there is one television series that stands above and beyond any other in my life. A show so important to me, that I’ve literally flown halfway around the world just to celebrate its 50th anniversary. It is of course, Doctor Who. (I’ve already written about it once before for Goggler.) Now, with the 13th Doctor’s tenure coming to an end, and a new chapter for the show on the horizon, it felt like a good time to express five very good reasons why I am truly excited for its future.
But before I get into it, I can hear some of you asking, “Doctor Whaaa?” So, let me give you a quick history lesson about the good doctor before I start.
Possibly one of the first time traveling sci-fi shows on British television at the time, Doctor Who centers around a Time Lord from Gallifrey as he (and usually a companion or two) travels through time and space in his trusty time machine, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space), to solve disasters and perhaps visit some of the worlds greatest icons throughout history. Yup, that’s pretty much what the show is in a nutshell. But of course, this is literally just scratching the surface. If you’d like to learn more, you can always use our trusty friend YouTube or just message me! (I’m always open to spreading the word of The Doctor.) So with that out of the way, let us begin.
New Face, Same Old Doctor
With the end of showrunner Chris Chibnall’s time on the show, as well as 13th Doctor Jodie Whitaker’s, it is time for a new actor to take on the mantle of the Time Lord, and I couldn’t be more excited with the announcement of Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa as the 14th Doctor. With his quirky sense of humour, energy, and spunk, he feels like the perfect choice take on the mantle in 2022.
What’s more, under the guidance of a certain returning showrunner, all of it really looks like a recipe for success at this point. Which brings me conveniently to my next point.
Welcome Back to the Tardis, Russell
Back in 2005, The Doctor had all but vanished from our screens. The last we saw him was the slightly awkward, but still classic, 1996 telemovie aptly named, Doctor Who. So when screenwriter, producer, and fellow Whovian Russell T. Davies (creator of the iconic groundbreaking series Queer As Folk) lobbied to bring back Doctor Who for a new generation, we had no idea what to expect.
Here we are, 17 years later, and the show is still going as strong as ever. Something that couldn’t have happened without him starting that engine again. And so, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that the man himself would be coming back to run the show. Could it be another Golden Age of The Doctor? What themes could he be exploring this time? Are we finally getting better storylines? Only time will tell. But leading up to the 60th Anniversary, I have no doubt Mr. Davies is going to deliver something unlike anything we have seen before.
60 Years of Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey
You heard that right kids. Next year, Doctor Who would have been on our screens for a staggering 60 years! While there may be a separation of Classic Who and New Who, the one undeniable fact is that this show has become the longest running sci-fi show of all time (yes, even longer than Star Trek).
And if the 50th Anniversary Special, The Day of the Doctor, was anything to go by, I’m sure RTD has something incredibly special up his sleeves. And with production currently underway for the Diamond Jubilee episode, we’ve already found out some old friends will be returning to join in the fun.
Hello Old Friends!
In a shock announcement (well done BBC for getting ahead of all the leaks!), both David Tennant and Catherine Tate will be returning for the celebrations as the 10th Doctor and Donna Noble respectively. I was screaming about this news. The Doctor and Donna shared a connection that we haven’t seen since. They were the comedy duo we didn’t know we needed in our lives and so many memorable episodes have come out of their tenure together. So to see them back together again is truly a Whovian’s dream come true.
What’s more, my love for David Tennant is on another level. Sorry Sebastian, but no one can beat David Tennant for a place in my heart. Did I mention the fact that I waited in five degree temperatures for three hours just to get a photo taken with him? No? Oh. Well, here’s that picture anyway. (I was so excited I couldn’t even focus the camera properly…)
It’s a British Institution
Above all else, Doctor Who is a piece of British History. What started out as a small TV show about teaching children history, has morphed and grown into a cultural phenomenon, being screened in houses, and even classrooms, all over the world. Fun fact, in a world that shunned at the word diversity, the very first episode of Doctor Who was directed by a gay Indian man (Waris Hussien) and produced by a woman (Verity Lambert), which in the 1950s was practically unheard of. Doctor Who is the greatest adventure that just keeps on giving, pushing the boundaries, and keeps standing the test of time, with Whovians all over the world celebrating it’s triumphant milestone in the coming year.
And this Whovian right here, if you can’t tell already, cannot wait to see Doctor Who come back with the kind of bang you can hear all the way on Gallifrey. So in the immortal words of the 10th Doctor, Allons-y!!!
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