here’s a reason that Doctor Who has persevered on our screens for over 60 years, and it boils down to the show’s concept of regeneration. The ability for the protagonist to change their faces, gender, or personalities every few years means the show always finds a way of pulling back in ratings. But it’s not just the concept of regeneration that has maintained Doctor Who’s longevity, it is in who they cast to take over the role. This means that the first episode of a new actor’s tenure as The Doctor is incredibly important in selling the next few seasons of the show. After the new-fangled ‘bi-regeneration’ that occurs at the end of The Giggle, David Tennant’s second occurrence (third, if you account for the wibbly-wobbliness of the canon) as The Doctor came to an ajar close, with Ncuti Gatwa taking over as the famous time lord in Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road.
There’s a lot to be said about the return of Tennant’s incarnation as a buffer between the first female Doctor – Jodie Whittaker – and the first canonically numbered black incarnation of The Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. Returning showrunner Russell T Davies seemingly has future plans for Tennant’s Doctor, who doesn’t vanish like previous regenerations. Miraculously, Gatwa’s first episode as The Doctor, Doctor Who: The Church On Ruby Road, is not overshadowed by the bi-regeneration because of the sheer star power emanating from the young Scottish actor.
This review was posted on January 25th 2024. Full review linked below
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